Event a showcase for talented students
<p>Dani Crandell of Glacier performs at An Evening of Fine Arts at the Arts and Technology building at Flathead Valley Community College on Tuesday night, April 3, in Kalispell.</p>
<p>A painted bottle by Flathead senior Elena Musz on display at An Evening of Fine Arts at the Arts and Technology building at Flathead Valley Community College on Tuesday night, April 3, in Kalispell.</p>
<p>Students, teachers and staff from area schools and members of the public walk through the gallery show at An Evening of Fine Arts at the Arts and Technology building at Flathead Valley Community College on Tuesday night, April 3, in Kalispell.</p>
<p>Hannah Hickethier and Jack Desmul of Kalispell Middle School warm up before for the start of the musical acts at An Evening of Fine Arts at the Arts and Technology building at Flathead Valley Community College on Tuesday night, April 3, in Kalispell.</p>
<p>Detail of a painting and haiku by Flathead junior Robyn Till at An Evening of Fine Arts at the Arts and Technology building at Flathead Valley Community College on Tuesday night, April 3, in Kalispell. The poem reads: After the storm goes, the world is holding its breath. Bird song carries on. According to art teacher Susan Supola, it is a Chinese tradition to write a poem when one finishes their painting.</p>
The second Evening of Fine Arts was a unique opportunity for all the creative programs at Flathead and Glacier high schools to be featured at the same time.
Student art, music and speech efforts all were highlighted at the event.
People mingled Tuesday and looked at artwork displayed in the entryway to the conference room of the Arts and Technology building at Flathead Valley Community College. Community college culinary arts students prepared and served hors d’oeuvres and desserts.
Doug Mason, art teacher at Glacier High School, said community members get to see what students have been working on in music, theater, visual arts and speech and debate as they support the fine arts.
“Kids are really proud of what they’re accomplishing,” Mason said.
It was a night of plenty of variety provided by talented students.
High school rivalries aside, the Glacier Echoes choir and Flathead Choral-Aires came together for a musical performance of “The Stars Stand up in the Air.”
Before that the Choral-Aires did a rock performance on their own.
Kevin Allen-Schmid, choir director at Flathead High School, took the group to warm up in an empty room before their a cappella version of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” It was their first time performing this version for an audience.
“This is one everyone knows,” Allen-Schmid said. “They like to perform, so we’re always looking for opportunities to sing.”
As the Choral-Aires took to the stage they stood up, took calm breaths and plunged into vocal drums and guitar licks, head-banging and air guitars.
The Glacier Echoes later performed selections from “The Phantom of the Opera” with choreographed movements across the stage.
Jack Desmul and Hannah Hickethier represented Kalispell Middle School with a piano performance of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida.” Flathead band students Haile Ward and Emma Lawrence-Yee gave a flute duet of G.B. Viotti’s “Serenata.”
Scenes from “Les Miserables” were acted out by Glacier theater students. Flathead theater and music students sang a selection from “Godspell.”
The evening wasn’t complete without laughs generated by duo interpretations from Jake Wilson and Jesse Francis of Flathead and Keckeley Habel with Brittanie Dull from Glacier.
Glacier speech student Tanner Maroney’s serious interpretation enlightened the audience as he took on the persona of an 83-year-old man with Asperger’s Syndrome.
The musical portion included a clarinet solo by Dani Crandell of Glacier.
The student efforts played to an appreciative crowd.
A former science teacher in Kalispell Schools, John Hughes attended the event with his wife, Kathy.
“We support the schools, what they’re trying to do especially events with the arts,” Hughes said.
He said efforts such as the federal “No Child Left Behind” mandate forces schools to focus more on core subjects and not so much on liberal arts.
“I do feel very strongly about supporting the liberal arts,” Hughes said.
The Kalispell Education Foundation hosted the evening in partnership with Flathead Valley Community College. About $3,000 was raised to benefit the foundation’s “Great Opportunities Grants” and the college art department, according to foundation Director Mike Kofford.
“Grants are given to teachers to fund projects that are creative and innovative, that they might not normally be able to fund,” Kofford said.
Kofford played a video created by Edgerton School fourth-grade teacher Brad Nikunen to give an example of how a classroom benefits from the grants. Nikunen received $1,000 in 2010 to purchase iPads. The video highlighted the learning games fourth-graders use to practice reading, math and writing skills.
John Rawlings, Flathead Valley Community College art instructor and Venice Study Abroad coordinator, spoke about the $500 grant given by the foundation for the study abroad program last year. Combined with money raised by the college, three students were awarded full scholarships to travel to Venice.
“Thank you for your continued support. When students take the trip they’re not the same people when the come back. They’re finding their true place in the world,” Rawlings said.
He noted that students kept a blog during their travels, which is posted at www.fvcc.edu.
Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.