The Fine Arts Department enhances the academic curriculum by offering students many opportunities to explore the joys of the visual and performing arts. Our middle school students have the option to join one of our Band, Strings, or Choral Ensembles and take Visual Art and Theatre classes. These opportunities continue into our high school, where students can choose from one of these programs as well as additional opportunities in Dance Classes and/or after-school Stage Crew and Theatre Production.
The SJCS Fine Arts Department, founded in August of 1999, seeks to enhance the academic curriculum by offering students an opportunity to explore the joy in the visual and performing arts. Seniors were awarded college acceptances and scholarships to pursue their love of the Fine Arts at many schools, including Wake Forest University, Wofford University, Furman University, Mount St. Mary’s University, Presbyterian College, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
2018-2019 Highlights: The theatre program produced three full-length productions, a 24-Hour Theatre Festival, and one student-directed one-act play for state competition; and also sponsored two summer camps, a shop safety certification class, and a lighting training opportunity.
The following productions were performed:
Mainstage productions included:
24 Hour Theatre Extravaganza
The Man Who Came to Dinner
The Wizard of Oz
Student-directed One Acts:
This Side of Heaven (directed by Dessa Jones)
Eleventh Annual 8th Grade play:
Haphazardly Ever After
Students attended college auditions at the SC Theatre Association Convention and the Southeastern Theatre Conference.
At the South Carolina Theatre Association Secondary School Festival held in November, the fifth annual Tech Olympics were held. Teams competed in six Technical Theatre events, in the areas of Lighting, Stage Management, Wardrobe, Stage Crew, and Rigging. At this year’s event, four students represented SJCS. In the separate events, St. Joe’s placed 3rd for the Rigging and Stage Crew events and 1st for the Stage Management event. Additionally, Philip Mosley placed 1st in Lighting. Overall, for the fastest combined time in all six events (hanging and focusing a light, sewing a button, knot tying, cable roll relay, taping a ground plan, and folding a drop), the team placed first in the state with the fastest combined time.
Additionally at this conference, junior Luke Perham participated in the Technical Theatre Portfolio Review and Interview process. Among the elven programs in attendance, he received callbacks to ten of the schools.
Three SJCS students attended the annual Southeastern Theatre Conference, held in March in Lexington, KY. Additionally, juniors Carson Crockett and Luke Perham participated in the College & University Technical Theatre interview process, receiving callbacks to more than sixty undergraduate Theatre programs.
2019-2020 Highlights: All choral ensembles prepared repertoire for and performed their Winter Concert.
8th grade choirs joined St. Joseph’s Singers in performing “America the Beautiful” for St. Joseph’s Veteran’s Day Assembly Presentation.
St. Joseph’s Singers, along with 8th grade ladies choir, prepared chants, hymns, and anthems for weekly All School Masses.
Josh Lagleva, Alex Hoverath, Emily Gushue, Isabel Moran, and Max Weaver traveled to Columbia to participate in the second annual Archdiocesan Choral Festival. There, they participated in a two-day intensive workshop with Dr. Jabarie Glass, culminating in a public performance with other South Carolina Catholic high school choirs.
Many high school and middle school students prepared for the Spring Musical – “High School Musical.”
St. Joseph’s Singers prepared and recorded choir member Alex Hoverath’s original composition for sJCS High school graduation.
All choirs prepared repertoire for their Spring Concert.
During remote school, all students practiced music theory and learned about Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi, and John Williams.
2018-2019 Highlights: The middle school and high school Chorus, Strings and Band Ensembles each performed a full-length concert at the end of each semester.
A select group of students from the middle school ensembles performed a special performance for the annual Grandparents Day Luncheon.
Pep Band hosted a “Pep Band Camp” to learn and prepare for performing at the home Varsity Football games.
Middle School students participated in the SCISA Music Festival at the USC School of Music. The 7th & 8th Grade Festival Band received a “Superior” rating and the 6th Grade Band also received a “Superior” for the first time!
Freshman Julia Arnett was selected for the 2019 SCBDA Region Honor Band. She placed 8 out of 135 flutes in the region.
Members of the High School Chorus performed for the annual Greenville Area Parkinson Society Christmas Luncheon.
Members of the Band and Choral ensembles joined other Catholic high schools to participate in the inaugural Diocesan Music Clinic held in Columbia, SC.
2018-2019 Highlights: SJCS hosted two in-house events: The Fall Art Exhibit featuring the work of sixteen students and one faculty member and the 12th Annual Spring Art Show with six Middle School entries and fifteen High School entries. This event is juried by local art instructors.
Spring Art Show Awards:
Best of Show – Katy Tally – “Calla Lilies”, prismacolor pencils
High School awards:
1st place – Anna Impeduglia, “Arizona Wolves”, mixed media collage
2nd place – Lizzie Latham, “SIXTIES POP!” – photograph
3rd place – Rachel Hall, “The Ornament” – charcoal drawing
Honorable mention – Lizzie Latham, “capsized” – photograph
Fan Favorite (with 71 votes) – Lizzie Latham, “capsized” – photograph
Middle School Awards:
1st place – Meredith Wiper, “Regression” – photograph
2nd place tie – Meredith Wiper, “Sentinel” – photograph
Chloe Bradley, “#LoveforLeah” – photograph
3rd place – Kate Noel, “Sundrops” – watercolor
Fan Favorite – Chloe Bradley, “Dark Woods” – photograph
Student artwork was entered in three local competitions: Youth Art Month, the 29th Annual Upstate High School Art Exhibit (March 21-April 19, 2019), and the 2019 Congressional Art Competition.
Visual Art classes created the first SJCS art installation, located in the school courtyard. The sculptures referenced work by Seattle-based glass artist Dale Chihuly, whose work was recently seen at Biltmore House and Gardens.
2018-2019 Highlights: Nine students represented SJCS at the Palmetto Dramatic Association/SC Thespian State Festival, celebrating educational theatre with 29 high schools from South Carolina. Our students participated in several Individual Events, along with our student-directed one act performance.
– The student-directed one-act play, This Side of Heaven, directed by Dessa Jones received a “Superior” for Play Production, along with the following accolades:
– “Superior” in Acting to Maria Wilson
– “Superior” in Acting to Alex Malvern
– “Superior” in Best Student Direction to Dessa Jones
In conjunction with the fall play and Team Day, The International Thespian Society led a food drive for the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry, collecting 2,992 items of non-perishable food items.
Nine students were inducted into the society during the 2018-2019 school year.
The graduating senior members were Elizabeth Harris, Maddie Koontz, Dessa Jones, Jacob Kiser, Sophie Lee Kiser, Alex Malvern, Elizabeth Poinsette, Dillon Spikings, Abby Weaver, and Maria Wilson.
Fifteen students were inducted into the society during the 2018-2019 school year.
The graduating senior members were Jack Bailey, Emily Brady, James Cancello, Ellie Cassidy, Katie Culumovic, Caroline Curran, Natalia Freund, Antonia Gacha, Leo Gibson, Elizabeth Harris, Dessa Jones, Jacob Kiser, Sophie Lee Kiser, Gracie Malcomb, Alex Malvern, Emerson Pace, Walker Pace, Zac Palmer, Elizabeth Poinsette, Reagan Sahlman, Marie Schemitsch, Derek Sheldon, Dillon Spikings, Phillip Stapleton, and Conyers Wingard.
The NAHS sponsored The Memory Project, an organization that has portraits drawn for orphans around the world.
The National Art Honor Society added SJCS shields to the back entrance to the school campus, updated spirit stripes throughout the school, and began a new mural of knights in the hallway near the Football field.
Anna Impeduglia helped Mrs. Shapiro and the MS Environmental Club design and paint the recycling dumpster. The painting will be completed during the 2019-2020 school year.
Four students were inducted into the society during the 2019-2020 school year.
The graduating senior members were Rachel Hall and Kate Harrison.
The Jubilate Arts Guild seeks to promote an appreciation and understanding of the Fine Arts by supporting an environment in which the creative spirit of all students is enriched. In the 2018-2019 school year, the Jubilate Arts Guild was responsible for:
– Successful second annual wreath sale
– Three student-run Coffeehouse events – two hosted for the High School and one for the Middle School.
– In celebration of the Spring Art Show, the Jubilate Arts Guild hosted a reception to celebrate the contributing artists and award recipients.
– The 11th annual Jubilate Knight for the Arts Talent Competition, featuring student, parent, and faculty performances as well as featuring student artwork and display of departmental highlights.
CATEGORY WINNERS: (determined by audience vote)
SOLO: Ishan Lal
DUETS & TRIOS: Dessa Jones & Meghan Malone
COMEDY: Project X: Elliot Bradley, Nolan Curran, Riggs Daniel, Austin Dodge, Jackson Evette, Brayden Johnson, Walker Jones, Charles Kennedy, Jordan Plumblee, Matthew Poinsette and Martin Simon
SMALL ENSEMBLE: Maria Clark, Alex Hoverath, Phillip Stapleton and Luciana Strathern
LARGE GROUP: SJ Beliebers: Connor Bailey, Luke Bynum, James Clemence, Davis Cooney, Jack Malo, Alex Malvern, Spencer Marchant, Justin May, Walker Pace, Marcos Salgado and Derek Sheldon
BEST ADULT PERFORMANCE: David Wilson
JUDGES’ AWARDS:
1st place: Jacob Kiser
2nd place: James Clemence and Phillip Stapleton
3rd place: SJ Beliebers: Connor Bailey, Luke Bynum, James Clemence, Davis Cooney, Jack Malo, Alex Malvern, Spencer Marchant, Justin May, Walker Pace, Marcos Salgado and Derek Sheldon
In 2018-2019:
Kelly Burns (’17) – was hired as the first Thespian Intern to work the annual Palmetto Dramatic Association/SC Thespian Festival weekend.
Emily Kiser (’09) – led the SJCS summer HS Improvisation camp and was accepted into the inaugural MFA Acting program at Northwestern University
Sally Cade Holmes (’06) – won a Tony Award for her work as a producer on Hadestown.
