Arts Fest Photos

Thank you to Len Crellin and Joann Brown for providing most of the photos displayed here. This is a small taste of the many events that made the 25th Annual Arts Festival incredible this year!

Little known trivia... We hired Eddie Davis as one of our visiting artists.  When we walked into the festival on Friday, Bob Geroux, the original creator of the first Irondequoit High School Arts Festival, informed us that Eddie Davis Senior (our Eddie's Dad) was the guest artist at the very first arts festival 25 years ago. What a cool way to continue the cycle of creativity for years to come!

 

Between the visiting artists and musicians, the film festival, badminton, ping pong, engineering projects, public speaking class presentations, student music, jazz, rap, acapella, hippie gypsie french coffee house music, henna, face painting, slam poetry... We had over 50 events going on on 4 stages to take care of  your artistic, musical and gastronomical needs. We tried to entertain EVERYONE!

 

One of the highlights of my day was when I was running to get some more supplies and I overheard a conversation between two students. One was trying to get the other to skip class. The second kid responded, "Why would I want to go to your house and hang out and do nothing when we have all this stuff going on here?  This is so much better!"

 

This is what we strive for. Art, creativity and the energy that happens when great people work together for a common good is a force that cannot be reckoned with.  It draws people in naturally, and creates a synergy where beautiful things are allowed to happen. As this energy springs up intellectual and creative pursuits are the fruit of that labor. Thanks for being a participant, an onlooker, or a builder of this event. May this be the beginning of many creative endeavors. Thank you to the PTSA for providing the funding that enabled this event to happen.  Thank you to our maintenance staff, administration, students and staff who were willing to get their hands dirty in order to entertain 1300 high schoolers from 9am til 3pm. I certainly could not have done it alone. So now, lets rest a bit, and get ready for exams, and we'll start working on finding the best artists and musicians for next years event! 

The 25th Anniversary of the ARTs Festival!

What a pleasure to welcome back old friends and meet some new ones this year!

Our visiting artists included Bill Wolff, an adjunct professor at RIT and worked with the Sculpture and Mixed Media Classes. 

Bill Wolff earned a Masters in Sculpture (Wood) from Tokyo University of the Arts in 2009. He also did post graduate research at Tokyo University of the Arts from 2005-2007. He earned an MFA in Sculpture from Louisiana State University in 2004 and a BFA in Sculpture from Binghamton University in 2000.

 

 

Loreal Prystaj worked with students in our Photography classes to create dark fairy tales.

Loreal Prystaj grew up in Fairport, graduated from Fairport High School, and then went to the Fashion Institute of Technology where she graduated in May 2013. She starting becoming interested in Photography in 2008, and she has been addicted since! Her work has been published and exhibited in galleries, and collections.

 

 

 

 

 

Justyn Iannucci was a guest artist with our Drawing and Painting Classes.

 

Justyn Iannucci works as a freelance Illustrator working out of Upstate NY. Formal training includes a Bachelors of Fine Art in Illustration from the Rochester Institute of Technology as well as an Associates Degree in Graphic Arts and Printing from Monroe Community College.

 

 

Eddie Davis worked with our students at the junior high level.

 

Eddie Davis III has taught at the Memorial Art Gallery’s Creative Workshop since 1996, most recently drawing and design classes for kids and teens.

Eddie earned a BFA in industrial design at Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA in sculpture at Rochester Institute of Technology. He served as assistant professor of industrial design in RIT’s College of Imaging Arts & Sciences from 2004-08.

The Pickpockets were our musical guests who got rave reviews by both students and staff!

 

Ed Keegan was also a visiting musician, and he came in and led a drum circle to close out the day.

 

We also had two retired art teachers from the district come back and show that doing art is something we NEVER retire from! Thank you to Bob Geroux and Len Crellin for coming in and sharing yourselves and your work!

 

 

Thanks to all the ambassadors, alumni, artists, musicians and staff members who made this a fantastic day!  Despite the fact that it was rainy outside and we were forced to go to our indoor "plan B" your enthusiasm and hard work made it feel like it was a sunshiny day INSIDE!! What a great day! Many thanks to all the hard workers who made it look easy!