Category Archives: Fine arts

Waltrip HS Ram Band heading to D.C. to perform on Independence Day

WaltripBand_300HISD’s own Waltrip High School band is hoping to head to the nation’s capital next month to take part in America’s annual Independence Day celebration.

The Roarin’ Red Ram Band is the only representative from Texas expected to be at the event. The students were invited to perform based on a recommendation from Governor Greg Abbott.

The Waltrip band will march in the parade and play alongside other bands from across the country during the celebration, which is scheduled for Saturday, July 4, 2015.

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Substitute teacher leads fledgling choir to greatness

When Starlic Williams initially came to McGowen Elementary School, he was only supposed to be serving as a substitute teacher for a few days, filling in for a band instructor who was out sick.

“[But] I saw a piano in the corner that wasn’t being used, so I pulled it out and started teaching the kids to sing,” explained Williams. “The principal saw us and asked me to come back for the remainder of the school year and start a choir. I was excited and accepted the challenge.”

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Twenty-two HISD schools get free art supplies from Rodrigue Foundation

FieldES_RodrigueBlueDog_400aStudents at almost two dozen HISD schools are now better able to explore the visual arts, after their campuses won art supply kits valued at $1,000 each from the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts (GRFA). The schools received the kits after submitting grant requests to George’s Art Closest, an initiative of the organization named for the well-known Louisiana-based artist who created “Blue Dog.”

Up to 20 campuses also got free field trips to a temporary exhibit of Rodrigue’s artwork at West Avenue at River Oaks, 2800 Kirby Dr., second floor, and Adrienne Lewis’ third-grade math class at Field Elementary School even received a visit from the artist’s son, Jacques Rodrigue, on May 18. Continue reading →

Twain ES student to appear in new TV arts program for kids

Take the Stage is a brand-new Houston-based performing-arts TV show for kids debuting on Saturday, May 30—and a student from HISD’s very own Twain Elementary School holds one of the lead roles.

Payne Houck (left) in character on the show

Payne Houck (left) in character on the show

Payne Houck, a second-grader, plays “Sawyer,” a high-spirited student with big dreams in an afterschool performing-arts class. In the show’s first episode, viewers take a ride inside Sawyer’s colorful imagination, where they see his fantasy of becoming an on-air talk-show host/comedian.

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Carnegie Vanguard HS freshman wins Congressional Art Competition

The Cowboy

The Cowboy

Oulu Li, a ninth-grader at Carnegie Vanguard High School, has been selected as the winner of the Congressional Art Competition for District 18, which is represented by Sheila Jackson Lee.

Each spring, high-school students in each congressional district submit their works to the Artistic Discovery competition, a nationwide visual arts competition designed to recognize budding talent. More than 650,000 young people have participated since the contest began in 1982.

Oulu Li

Oulu Li

Students send entries to their representatives’ office, and panels of district artists select the winners. The winning students are recognized both in their respective districts and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. Their works are displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol.

Six first- and second-graders to receive year-long Houston Ballet training

The Houston Ballet awarded ballet scholarships to six of the 25 Wainwright ES  first- and second-graders who were selected to participate in the organization’s “Chance to Dance” program. The ballet provided six weeks of classes, as well as transportation to their Center for Dance in downtown Houston.

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Young Audiences honors HISD high schools with arts awards

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Young Audiences of Houston’s celebrated their 59th year of providing arts education to the Houston area at their annual gala on May 7, where they presented Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy (YWCPA) and Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men (MLCPA) with 2015 Arts Empowerment Awards.

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HISD, Arts Access Initiative partnership to expand arts education in 11 schools

The Houston Independent School District and the City of Houston’s Arts Access Initiative joined forces Tuesday to announce a new partnership that will provide additional arts education programs at 10 elementary schools and one middle school.

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The partnership will directly connect schools to area arts organizations, providing 7,000 students with hands-on, arts-related experiences both in and out of the classroom. In addition to workshops and programs offered at the school, students also will have the opportunity to see performances and visit museums and arts venues.   Continue reading →

Spring Visual Arts Showcase displays talent of HISD student artists

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Stroll through the halls of HISD’s Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St, 77092) over the next few days, and you could see a lion, a wolf, or even a cheetah.

All of these and more are represented in original artworks created by HISD students as part of the 2015 Spring Visual Arts Showcase, which is organized annually to display the talent of student artists from across the district.

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Johnston MS students publish inaugural anthology of art, writing

LiterARTGreyhound_300Almost 100 works by 80 different students featured in The LiterART Greyhound

A team of four educators led by a self-published author has given the gift of literary immortality to 80 students at Johnston Middle School.

The LiterART Greyhound: 2015 officially went up for sale on May 4, through Amazon’s self-publishing arm, CreateSpace.

“As a performing and visual arts school, self-expression is important, and we try to do anything we can to fuel students’ passion for it,” explained campus network specialist Ches Smith. “The process is fairly simple and virtually free if you’re willing to do all the work yourself. And it occurred to me that it would be a great experience for our students if they could see themselves in print.”

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