From face painting to performances by the jazz band and Sweet Madelines, a writing workshop, and much more, the Arts Association has taken it upon itself to reorganize Fine Arts Week at the Mount in order to showcase the importance of art and allow all students to participate in various art based activities.
Beginning March 2nd and going to March 6th, Fine Arts Week encompasses visual, language and theatrical arts. The week brings awareness to the importance of art in both the Mount community and the world at large by providing artistic opportunities to students who aren’t involved in the art programs.
“Our aim was to get activities that everybody could enjoy and value so that we could expand the arts beyond the specific arts-centered classes and things like that,” Arts Association president, Grace Balkowski ’26, said.
One of the main goals of the Arts Association is to give creatively talented students the same recognition and opportunities as athletes. Often, student artists’ work is celebrated in the classroom but not brought to schoolwide acknowledgment. The Arts Association has set up many new events and arrangements to give artists the appreciation they deserve.
“Schools tend to put so much focus on athletics, but there’s this whole other world of students who are growing their talents and interested in creative pursuits,” Co-curricular coordinator Ms. Cilio ’12 said.
While Fine Arts Week is a fun time for students, it is also a time for them to explore new passions and further discover themselves.
“It is important to give those students an outlet to learn and grow and try new types of art and just kind of figure out where their passion really lies,” Cilio said.
Monday of Fine Arts Week featured a student-led presentation during advisory where members of the Arts Association described what the association is and the events planned for the week. Both lunches on Monday showcased musical talent at the Mount with performances by the Sweet Madeleines in Fontbonne.
On Tuesday, students in the National Art Honor Society led face painting during both lunches, exciting both students and faculty alike.
“I am the most excited for face painting by the National Art Honor Society because those girls are so talented, and to have a piece of their art with me all day would be so cool,” Cilio said.
Wednesday featured a coloring sheet open for all members of the Mount community to add their own creative touch.
Thursday promoted language arts at the Mount with a writing workshop led by the Arts Association’s senior language arts representative, Violet Binczewski ’26, during advisory. In this workshop, students were encouraged to make mascots for their advisories after following a series of prompts. Later in the day, the jazz band performed during both lunches.
Fine Arts Week came to a colorful close Friday with a dress-down day where students were encouraged to wear the brightest colors in their closet and donate to ArtWell. ArtWell is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization that supports young people in their creative endeavors and promotes art education.
Friday also featured a preview of Acadram’s Peter Pan during advisory, building excitement for the show’s opening night.
