Fine Arts News

List of 10 items.

• Fall Showcase, Visual Arts Exhibit

  September 26 - October 11, LS & MS Highlights Exhibition
  October 3, 1:00 p.m. -1:30 p.m., Reception Celebration
  Clare Atwell Glassell Art Gallery

   

  
  In the Lower School art studios, Katie Gonzalez and Carla Wall’s students were busy sharpening their drawing skills. Young artists in Kinder, Class One, and Class Two spent their first weeks of school getting deep into the practice of 'Drawing from Observation.' The K-2 studio is full of interesting objects and students have their choice to draw anything they can see - from plants, model animals, and nature specimens to colorful books and artwork to functional items like the large round sink and ceiling clouds. The fall showcase will feature a collection of these drawings representing and celebrating the various ways our youngest Mavericks are learning to capture the unique ways they see the world around them! 

   

  On the other end of the Lower School spectrum, Class Five artists have been applying their seasoned drawing skills towards the concepts of design, balance, repetition, and unity. Inspired by the artful and spiritual practices of making Mandalas found in various Asian cultures, students mindfully developed intricate radial design drawings in pencil and ink. These circular compositions feature organic and geometric lines and shapes, often representing elements from student’s interests, experiences, and imaginations. 

   

  Middle School artists, led by Paige Hellman, have been exploring design elements such as line and color in playful and sophisticated ways as they combine elements from their imaginations with elements modeled after art masters. Taking inspiration from George Rodrigue, the Louisiana painter made famous for his vibrant, whimsical depictions of Blue Dog, Class 6 artists are painting their own pop art portraits featuring an assortment of colorful “K-9s.” Class 7 artists have enjoyed developing detailed Dragon Eye drawings while focusing on blending, values, and pattern as they learn proper methods for using Prismacolors. In Class 8, students used a variety of Prismacolor techniques to draw up one-of-a-kind designs for the Nike Dunk in the styles of famous artists. Students imagined themselves as their assigned artist, hired to do a special “collab” with Nike. Come by and see if you can guess which art master inspired each of these fantastic designs!

      
  

      

• 2024-2025 Media Arts Program - Exhibit Highlights

  October 21 - November 15, MS & US Highlights Exhibition
  November 7, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Reception Celebration
  Clare Atwell Glassell Art Gallery

   

  
  The Media Arts has a long history at St. John’s, beginning at its inception with a small dark room that the school yearbook and newspaper photographers would use to create images for their publications. Today, an updated and expanded darkroom is still in use along with computers and digital photography, films are being shot, edited, and screened, and young artists are learning digital image design to create 3D printed sculptures. The Media Arts at St. John’s continues to grow.
  
  

  Coming up from October 21 through November 15, the Glassell Gallery will host the Media Arts Exhibition highlighting photography, film, and 3D printing by Middle and Upper School students. Photography students from Scott Johnson’s Photo I and Photo II classes will share their unique vision through the lens of a camera, Anthony Leakey’s Digital Applications students will be screening short film clips from their first project of the year, Thomas Murphy’s Middle School students will display recent 3D printed sculptures.
  
  

  There will be a reception in the gallery with light treats Thursday, November 7 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Take a moment to come look at art and celebrate the creative visions of St. John’s art students.

   

   

• The US One Act Plays: Gallimauphry (ga·luh·MAA·free)

  September 27, 6:00 p.m.

  September 28 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
  Black Box Theatre 

  
  Step into a world where Snow White turns zombie, two Babylonians move a large stone, and an appliance repairman falls in love…with a dishwashing machine. Welcome to Gallimauphry, this year’s Upper School production that's shaking things up with comedy skits that promise to tickle your funny bone and challenge your view of reality!

   

  St. John’s Upper School theater players have worked exceptionally hard to bring you both laughs and a raised eyebrow or two.

   

  Gallimauphry is an adventure through a kaleidoscope of comedy where anything could happen, and it probably will. Don’t miss it!

   

   

• Fall Middle School and Upper School Orchestra Concert

  October 9, 7:00 p.m.
  Lowe Theater

  
  The SJS Middle and Upper School Orchestras will present their fall concert on Wednesday, October 9 at 7:00 p.m. in Lowe Theater. Middle School selections to be performed include “Apache” by Carold Nunes, “Quintus” by Larry Clark, the first movement from Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 and “Phantom Dance” by Steven. L Rosenhaus featuring student harpist Amari Dhir. From the Upper School, Philharmonia Orchestra will perform Telemann’s “Sinfonia in A Minor” and “Jupiter” from ‘The Planets’ by Holst arranged by Deborah Monday. Chamber Strings will finish the concert performing the first movement from “Concerto for Four Violins and Orchestra in B minor” by Vivaldi featuring four violinists and the first movement from “Serenade for Strings” by Antonin Dvorak. 

   

  A new feature in our Upper School program, twenty-one upper school cellists will perform in two cello choirs. Selections will be "Largo" from The New World Symphony by Antonin Dvorak and “Andante Cantabile” by Tchaikovsky. We hope you will join us for an evening full of beautiful music and outstanding student performers. A reception will follow the concert.

   

   

• Upper School Fall Play - Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood by Ken Ludwig

  October 18 and 19, 7:00 p.m.
  Lowe Theatre

  
  The story begins with a young man who believes in nothing but a good time, then comes face to face with the kind of greed and inhumanity that won’t let him sleep at night. Suddenly he’s an outlaw hiding in Sherwood Forest where he joins up with a band of followers including Little John, Friar Tuck, and a feisty adventuress, Maid Marian, who steals his heart and won’t give it back. A lighthearted take on the legend will have you cheering in your seats for the underdogs.  

  
  Tickets are $13 and will be available starting October 9.

   

   

• All-School Fall Choral Concert

  October 20, 6:30 p.m.
  St. Luke’s United Methodist Church

  
  
   
  The SJS Fall Choral Concert will feature all of the SJS choirs: St. John’s Singers, Cantatores, Boy Choir, Les Chanteuses, Chorale, and Kantorei.  The choirs will be accompanied on the piano by St. John’s own Aaron Hervey, as well as by several guest instrumentalists.  The choirs will perform pieces by notable composers Anthony Beck, B.E. Boykin, Renee Clausen, Adrian Dunn, Laura Farnell, Greg Gilpin, Victor C. Johnson, Daniel Knaggs, Kyle Pedersen, Kenny Potter, Andrea Ramsey, Z. Randall Stroope, Gwyneth Walker.  The literature spans over 500 years of musical history and includes African-American spirituals, and folk songs from America, Georgia, South Africa, and Spain.
   
  This year's Fall Choral Concert promises to be a spectacular musical experience. You won't want to miss it. Admission is free.

   

   

• Kantorei to compete in Kemah Choir Days Choral Contest

  November 6, 5:45 p.m.
  Kemah Boardwalk       

   

  

   

  Kemah Choir Days is a Choral Festival founded by Denise Eaton that is held each fall at the Kemah Boardwalk. It is open to middle school and high school level a cappella choirs. Each choir performs three a cappella selections, receives a written critique from a professional clinician, and is awarded a rating (choirs awarded a I rating receive trophy). Awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place overall are also given.
   
  Kantorei will participate in Kemah Choir Days for the second time this school year, having earned the highest possible rating (I) for their performance last year. Kantorei’s performance will take place on Wednesday, November 6, at 5:45 p.m. They will perform the Zulu welcome song “Hheshe,” the Jewish-Spanish folk song, “Puncha Puncha,” and Adrian Dunn’s stunning arrangement of the African-American spiritual, “I Open My Mouth.”

   

   

• TPSMEA Middle School and Children’s Honor Choir Opportunity

  November 2 and 3, Willow Meadows Baptist Church

  
  The SJS Choral Department is thrilled to offer students in Classes 5 through 8 the opportunity to audition for the Texas Private School Music Educators Association Honor Choirs this year. The organization has two regions in Texas: the North Division (meeting in Dallas) and the South Division (meeting in Houston). Students are selected based on an audition and go on to perform a concert in November. 
   
  There are two choirs for each event. Students in Classes 5 and 6 are invited to sing by their respective director (Phillip Sammons, Brendan Emig, or Scott Bonasso) and placed into the Children’s Honor Choir. Students in Classes 7 and 8 are required to submit an audition based on cuts from the performance music. If selected, those students will prepare for a clinic and concert that features music for mixed, treble, and tenor-bass choirs. 
   
  This year’s Honor Choir weekend will take place on November 2 and 3 at Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston. Students will spend Friday afternoon rehearsing with area directors in preparation. On Saturday, students arrive early for their rehearsals with their clinician, spend the day working on their music with other students from across the area, and perform a concert that afternoon. 
   
  Overall, we are thrilled for students to have this wonderful opportunity to connect and make music with other students from our area and strengthen their choral skills. If you have any questions, please contact Brendan Emig.

   

   

• Johnnycake, The Student Theatre Organization by Grady, President, Johnnycake

  Founded by Alan Lake Chidsey in 1947, Johnnycake is the longest running student-run organization on the St. John's Campus! The "all-things theatre" club deals with both Middle School and Upper School productions throughout the year and is the perfect way to get involved in the arts at SJS.
       
  There are many aspects of Johnnycake and perhaps one of the most important is Crew. Crew takes place every Saturday morning from 9:00 to 12:00 and it is where Johnnycake members come together to build the sets, rig lighting and do whatever else needs to be done with the help of our fantastic technical faculty team (Thomas Murphy, Sean Morgan and Michael Burka).
       
  The fall semester is arguably our busiest with several massive productions. This fall we will have our Fall Play on the Lowe Stage (Sherwood: The Adventures of Robinhood), our Winter Play in the blackbox theatre (The Wolves) and the One Acts in the blackbox theatre (A Collection of One Act Plays) as well as the Middle School Musical on the Lowe Stage (Legally Blonde). Later in the season we will announce our Spring Musical at our fall social (September 21) and rehearsals will begin shortly thereafter. The work never stops in the halls of the VST.
       
  We've got a lot of fun stuff going on this year! Be sure to follow us on Instagram (@sjsjohnnycake). We are so excited for an amazing year and hope to see you around the VST sometime!

• Alumni Spotlight Christina Ballantyne ’08

  

  I am a visual artist working primarily in painting and sculpture. Since receiving my MFA in 2021, I have exhibited my work in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Minneapolis, Houston, Austin, and Shanghai. I have also spent time working as a professor in Minneapolis and Los Angeles. Currently, I’m working on completing my next body of work which will be shown at the NADA Miami Art Fair this coming December. I’m also in the process of starting an art program with my husband who's an artist as well. The program is intended to cater to those who are art curious but feel they lack the specific education to engage with contemporary art as well as artists who are seeking a space to discuss and show their work. Additionally, we will aim to offer portfolio development to people applying to BFA and MFA programs.