April 3, 2023

Beloved District-wide Fine Arts Night returns as a live event on April 19.

K-12 Art Showcase Connects Community and Heightens Student Connection.

Essex Jct, Vermont, April 2023 After a brief hiatus due to Covid protocols, Essex Westford School District proudly announces the return of Fine Arts Night at Essex High School on Wednesday, April 19 from 530-830 pm. Art installations, performances, and live demonstrations from students K-12 transform the high school into a lively pop-up gallery and concert hall showcasing the depth of art practice and collaborative meaning-making across the district. The theme for this year’s event is Celebrating Our Creative Community.

“Fine Arts Night legitimizes the potential vibrancy of our learning institutions to behave as cultural hubs of well-being and connection when art is centered. We see and feel one another’s value and we connect to something larger than ourselves,” said EHS Performance Arts teacher Aly Perry.

As EWSD works toward generating an inspired and sustainable Portrait of the Graduate, Fine Arts Night highlights the creative thinking and complex connections that the EWSD arts curriculum provides for students. As EWSD works to center social-emotional learning and well-being in the curriculum they provide, the arts have emerged as thought-leaders and robust examples of how creative practice prepares young people for ways of being in the community.

“Younger students witness the work of older students and can see the exciting opportunities for expression and community as they progress through the District. As adults, we have the opportunity to absorb what young people are thinking and feeling,” said EHS AP Arts teacher Julian Bradshaw. “This event in particular generates a lot of continued interest in the role of the artist as a connector. By amplifying student work in this way, we foster a sense of pride in those students for having their work shown and seen. We validate them as people and learners,” said EHS Digital Arts teacher Keri-Anne Lesure. Fine Arts Night has been a historically popular event with high attendance. Parking is available at EHS and in the surrounding areas.

Plan your visit and learn more at ewsd.org.

Contact Information: Ben Dickie, Communications Coordinator Essex Westford School District 51 Park Street, Essex Junction, VT 05452 Office: (802) 857-7035

Thomas Fleming School

EWSD Fine Arts Night