A new year can offer the chance to recharge, reset, or refocus on something that really matters to you. It can be an opportunity for a fresh start or the beginning of anything you want. The amazing support that this WG community provides to our Fine Arts department is truly the foundation of our success and we look forward to sharing another year of incredible achievements with you. May 2025 bring you peace, growth, and much art, music and dance!!
Keep track of our events and join us throughout the year - our amazing wildcats are sure to impress you!
~Sarah Gentile
Congratulations to the 35 CMS & WGHS student artists that were recently selected for 56 Scholastic Art Awards for 2025. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards were founded in 1923 and celebrate creative teens regionally and nationally with awards, exhibitions, publications, and scholarships. All entries are first considered regionally for Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mention awards. These are presented to students along with celebration ceremonies and exhibitions in each region. Gold Key-awarded entries are automatically considered for national awards, including Gold Medal, Silver Medal, and scholarship awards. National Medalists and their educators are honored with ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Entries are selected for awards without knowledge of the student's gender, age, ethnicity, or hometown by some of the foremost leaders in the visual and literacy arts. Jurors look for works that exemplify the Award's core values: originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision (information from artandwriting.org). Congratulations to our recognized artists!!
Click here to see a list of students and read the full article on the West Genesee website.
This year's festival was held at West Genesee High School and hosted by the WGHS music team. Greg Borsz, Tony Alvaro, and Matteo Longhi served as managers for the ensembles meaning they selected the conductor that would work with each ensemble and they facilitated the music selections as well as the rehearsals. This years conductors were Dr. Ho-Yin Kwok from Ithaca College (orchestra), Dr. Katherine Chan from Northeastern University (chorus), and Dr. Timothy Diem from Syracuse University (band). Each one brought a varied program of music and an engaging rehearsal process. Students put on an amazing and well-polished concert Saturday afternoon! It was certainly a successful event all around!
The visual arts teachers at CMS have created a newsletter to keep updated on the projects they are working on throughout the year! What a great idea! Click here to see the December issue.
The arts have a significant impact on a student’s understanding of their identity and culture:
- Self-concept and identity: Inclusive theatre education programs can provide safe spaces for young people to explore who they students find their personal identity in conflict with others, while discussing their personal visual artwork, English learners increase their listening, writing and speaking skills.
- Cultural heritage: Students are better able to connect with their own cultural heritage through a wide array of culturally responsive music and improvisational opportunities, while dance mentorship leads to a stronger affiliation with the social fabric of one’s community.
- Perseverance: Theatre directly helps students become agents of change in their lives, while students involved in music lessons surpass their peers on tasks measuring perseverance.
