Author: ChiArts Admin

ChiArts Jazz Combo to Join More Than 40 of Chicago’s Cultural Icons for the First Time at Navy Pier for Chicago LIVE Again!

by ChiArts Admin

For the first time ever Chicago’s brightest marquee names will light up Navy Pier…

ChiArts is thrilled to announce the ChiArts Jazz Combo will be performing at Chicago Live Again!, Navy Pier’s two-day festival of free outdoor performances from more than 40 of Chicago’s brightest cultural icons, all performing in one place for the very first time. We are honored to join the ranks of performers from Broadway in Chicago, Joffrey Ballet, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Second City, the Lyric Opera and many more! 

Join us in celebrating the return of live performance and the brilliant artists—onstage and backstage—finally doing what they do best. All performances are live and free on September 24 and 25 at Navy Pier. The ChiArts Jazz Combo will be performing on Saturday, September 25 at 4:30 PM on the Navy Pier Lake Stage located south of the pier in Polk Bros Park. Huge congratulations to ChiArts Jazz Combo musicians, Jay Cebrero on bass, Leo Milano on saxophone, Austin Nichols on piano, and Chase Wilkins on drums. Visit Navy Pier’s website linked here for more information regarding the schedule, COVID protocols, and admire our amazing ChiArts Jazz Combo featured on the homepage! 

Chicago Live Again! will also provide masterclasses to ChiArts scholar-artists from professionals at Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Hubbard Street Dance. We are grateful for the opportunities Navy Pier has provided to showcase our scholar-artists’ talent and help grow their pre-professional training.

To learn more about ChiArts’ involvement in Chicago Live Again!, read our press release here. 

See ChiArts Artistic Director Tina Boyer Brown on ABC 7’s Chicago Live Again! feature here.

 

Curtain Call Begins May 13

by ChiArts Admin

ChiArts’ end-of-year production series CURTAIN CALL launches tomorrow Thursday, May 13. The graduating class of our Creative Writing Conservatory will premiere an original reading-within-a-play! This performance will spotlight both the seniors’ individual accomplishments as writers as well as their strength in collaboration.

PRODUCTION SUMMARY
The year is 2031. ChiArts’ 2021 graduating class of creative writers is celebrating their ten-year reunion by gathering across the globe via Google Meet. They have all seen incredible success in their chosen fields, and they’re meeting to read some of their best works to each other, to share their gifts and reminisce about the olden days. But as the reading begins, things start to go wrong. The writers get strange alerts on their phone that seem to suggest that — can it be?! — the world is ending. What will they do in these dire straits?

CLICK HERE TO WATCH ON CHIARTS’ PRODUCTION WEBSITE STARTING MAY 13

DOWNLOAD ON GUMROAD STARTING MAY 13, CODE: CLASSOF2021

UPCOMING CURTAIN CALL SHOWS  
Curtain Call, Dance: May 27, 2021
Senior Showcase Online Exhibition: May 28, 2021 (Curtain Call, Visual Arts)
Curtain Call, Instrumental: June 2, 2021
Curtain Call, Voice: June 3, 2021
Curtain Call, Musical Theatre: June 11, 2021

COVID-19 Updates

by ChiArts Admin

ChiArts is here to support our scholar-artists, families, and staff as much as possible during our closure due to COVID-19. This page includes resources from CPS and lists the most up-to-date school-wide communications sent to all ChiArts families via email. 

APRIL 20, 2020 UPDATE: Click here for the Remote Learning FAQ

APRIL 17, 2020 UPDATE: Click here for Statement from CPS Office of Communications; click here for Statement from Principal and Assistant Principal

APRIL 6, 2020 UPDATE: Click here for the Remote Learning Plan

APRIL 1, 2020 UPDATE: Click here for the district’s updated meal distribution plan beginning April 6, 2020

MARCH 31, 2020 UPDATE: Click here for announcement regarding prolonged school closure through April 30, 2020; haz clic aquí para español

MARCH 22, 2020 UPDATE: Click here for faculty communication schedules 

MARCH 19, 2020 UPDATE: Click here for announcement regarding school closure until April 21, 2020

MARCH 18, 2020 UPDATE: Click here for ISBE Guidance Regarding Grading

MARCH 16, 2020 UPDATE: Click here for Official School Policy & Procedure

MARCH 6, 2020 UPDATE: Click here for overview of ChiArts/CPS guidelines for COVID-19

JULY 17, 2020 UPDATE:
Click here for CPS Reopening Framework Press Release
Click here for Preliminary Reopening Framework Packet

AUGUST 5, 2020 UPDATE:
ChiArts will now be starting the upcoming school year in a Remote Learning model. CPS CEO Dr. Jackson announced this morning that the RL model will run through the end of fall quarter, November 6 2020, and then transition to a Hybrid model.

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 UPDATE:
Welcome to the first day of online school!
Click here for ChiArts Remote Learning Guide. 

+ For academic specific questions, please contact your teacher directly or Ms. Cullen, Assistant Principal. 
+ For arts conservatory related questions, please contact your Arts Heads directly or Ms. Boyer Brown, Artistic Director.

CPS FREE MEAL PROGRAM: All students are provided free meals at CPS school locations. Every student in the household will receive a food bag which will contain three days of breakfast and lunch meals. Families can pick up meals at the district school that’s closest to them Monday through Friday, between 9 AM and 1 PM. ChiArts is not a pick-up location for meals, click here to find your nearest school.

For more information from Chicago Public Schools, read this Frequently Asked Questions document.

3 ChiArts Winter Shows You Cannot Miss

by ChiArts Admin
ChiArts produces over 70 showcases a year! From creative writing readings to jazz showcases, we work hard to balance a full academic load, conservatory classes, and rehearsals! Here are three upcoming winter showcases that truly champion ChiArts’ overachiever spirit. 
 
Student Choreography Showcase: On January 28, senior dancers become choreographers! Watch ChiArts original pieces choreographed, auditioned, and directed by the dance class of 2020. Each senior will speak on behalf of their piece, along with their industry mentor who helps guide the process and production.
 
Spring Large Ensemble: The ChiArts music department is currently the number one high school program in the state! This concert on February 14 showcases our instrumental ensembles, and will include pieces they will perform at the IHSA competition.
 
Feature Musical: Every year, we produce a full scale musical inviting all five conservatories to audition! This year, a cast of 50+ scholar-artists from all conservatories will perform the Tony- and Grammy-nominated show CHICAGO, THE MUSICAL. The production will run from March 8-10, 2020.

 

Visual Artist Honored by YoungArts 2020 Awards

by ChiArts Admin
Visual Arts senior, Nayla Vasquez was recognized by the National YoungArts Foundation as one of the nation’s top leading teenage artists. Nayla received an Honorable Mention in Visual Arts for the YoungArts 2020 Awards. In an interview, she enthusiastically shared “I knew YoungArts was a big deal from the start. But, I never thought I would receive an honorable mention! This is just the beginning of my artistic journey leading to college. I now know I have a strong portfolio to start with, and the credentials to back it up.”
 
Nayla also spoke on her concentration in the visual arts, as she prepares to exhibit at ChiArts’ senior showcase this spring. Nayla shared,“Through my sculptures, I educate people about the political, social, economic effects, and realities of being a Latina woman through a lens outside the white woman hegemony. A lot of popular mainstream feminist artists are white women, which are important to feminism in their own right. However, it’s vital that women of color are recognized and not lost within the world of whitewashed feminism. We should be allies, not competitors.”
 
Since ChiArts was founded, YoungArts has honored a total of 24 scholar-artists for their high caliber of artistic achievement. 

ChiArts Working to Correct Data with ISBE and CPS

by ChiArts Admin

It has recently come to our attention that the 2018-2019 Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) report card wrongly lists ChiArts as one of the lowest performing schools in the state.  Specifically, the report incorrectly states that ChiArts has a 2.2% graduation rate, which is grossly inaccurate. We know that 98.5% (132 out of 134 students) of our 2019 senior class graduated by the end of this summer. ISBE reports from the past five years consistently note much higher stats for our school and a commendable designation, and CPS ranks ChiArts as one of the top high schools in the city.  

We are actively and urgently working with ISBE and CPS to uncover the data problem and to ensure that it is corrected. Once we get corrected information, we will contact the Sun-Times to update their story with the accurate rankings and data and further update this website.

As always, we thank you for your interest in ChiArts, our students and staff.

ChiArts Seniors Sarah Bonds & Victor Garcia Featured in The Chicago Sun-Times

by ChiArts Admin
Sarah Bonds (Theatre Conservatory) and Victor Garcia (Visual Arts Conservatory) are two rising senior artists, multifaceted leaders, and both wise beyond their years. This fall, Sarah and Victor were accepted into Chicago’s 2019 Rising Star Honor Roll and featured in The Chicago Sun-Times. We’re so proud of all they’ve accomplished and the knowledge they continue to share in our communities. Click the links or images below to learn more about their work and watch video features! 
 
 
 
These profiles are part of a series made possible by Allstate as part of its commitment to support young artists in Chicago and to empower the next generation of rising stars.

ChiArts Senior Visual Artists to exhibit at MANA CONTEMPORARY

by ChiArts Admin

For the fourth year in a row, MANA Contemporary will host The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts®) Visual Art Department’s Senior Showcase Exhibition. The special exhibition will include original works made by this year’s graduating students from the Class of 2017, and will be on view from April 21 – April 30, 2017. A public reception will be held on Friday, April 21, 2017 from 6PM-9PM.

The Senior Showcase is the culminating exhibition of a ChiArts visual art student’s high school career. The works on view will include selections from students’ year-long thesis investigations as part of their Major AP Studio Art Course. ChiArts’ Visual Arts Department offers the following majors: Drawing/Painting, Photography, Sculpture, and Visual Communications. Students will also exhibit works made in their elective courses, including Digital Media, Wearable Sculpture, Sequential Art and Contemporary Practices: Performance and Installation.

ChiArts thanks Columbia College Chicago for loaning their exhibition walls for ChiArts’ use in this exhibit and MANA Contemporary for hosting this exhibition. Read the full press release: ChiArts Senior Visual Artists to Exhibit at MANA Contemporary.

ChiArts Visual Arts Department Senior Showcase Exhibition 2017
April 21 – April 30, 2017
Public Reception: April 21st, 6 – 9PM

ChiArts’ Visual Arts Class of 2017:

Kaelyn Andrade
Gabriel Antos
Natalie Aparicio
Sam Barber Kennedy
Gregory Buckner
Evan Calabrese
Guadalupe Campos
Anieya Cauthen
Yasmeen Cisneros
Cameron Collins
Meka Cruz
Seann Dunham
Jordon Eason
Maya Franklin
Srinidi Gopal
Tyler Jackson
Trinitty Jeffries
Steven Jones
Nefertari Louden
Cassandra Magana
Christian Martinez
Alexander Payne
Carri Ponder
Deborah Pozo-Tovar
Andrea Reyes
Ricardo Rivera
Marlina Romero-Saulsberry
Carolina Sandoval
Chyanne Spencer
Molly Sullivan
Pierson Talbott
Cassandra Magana

ChiArts to Celebrate 6th Annual Kerfuffle! Benefit

by ChiArts Admin

ChiArts to Celebrate 6th Annual Kerfuffle! Benefit
And release a children’s book to celebrate the “past, present, and future” of ChiArts


Chicago, IL, March 7, 2017 – The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts), along with the school’s Board of Directors and event co-chairs John Hart, Pam Strobel, and Neal Zucker, will host its 6th annual Kerfuffle! benefit from 6-9:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 27, 2017 at the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark.

About Kerfuffle!
Kerfuffle!, ChiArts’ spring gala and presentation, welcomes supporters, arts partners, and civic leaders. The evening will include a welcome cocktail reception, student performance “exhibits,” a short performance in the theater, dinner buffet by Jewell Catering, and entertainment throughout the museum’s second floor. Guests will be able to interact with students representing each of ChiArts’ five arts conservatories: Creative Writing, Dance, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts. The Chicago History Museum’s spacious ballroom will be furnished elegantly by Kehoe Designs and guests will enjoy wine generously provided by Hart Davis Hart Wine Company. Funds raised at Kerfuffle! are integral to the operations of ChiArts’ tuition-free arts programs, which serve 600 students each year.

Illustration by Alan Cortes (Class of 2016)

“This year’s Kerfuffle! will celebrate the past, present, and future of ChiArts,” says Executive and Artistic Director José Ochoa. “With the recent launch of ChiArts’ first summer camp and the school’s first class of freshmen scheduled to graduate from four-year universities this spring, the event will celebrate the arc of development ChiArts offers to young, talented, and diverse artists from all of Chicago’s fifty wards.”

This year’s Kerfuffle! will feature the release of an original children’s book sponsored by State Farm Insurance. Anita’s Drum tells the story of diverse, creative children in Chicago seeking a place to learn and practice their art. ChiArts has commissioned Visual Arts alumnus Alan Cortes and current Creative Writing major Ysobel Gallo to provide illustrations and narrative for the book, which will be featured in a presentation during the event.

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About ChiArts
ChiArts is Chicago’s first and only public high school for the arts, providing each student with a pre-professional arts training program paired with a high-quality college-preparatory curriculum. Ranked in the top 6% of high schools by US News and World Report and listed as a 1+ school by the CPS School Quality Rating Policy (SQRP), ChiArts is a citywide institution that aims to reflect the racial, socio-economic, geographic, and artistic diversity of Chicago. For more information, please visit www.chiarts.org.

Mary Elliott of National Museum of African American History and Culture visits ChiArts

by ChiArts Admin

On Tuesday, February 28, ChiArts students gathered as a whole school to welcome Mary Elliott, Co-Curator of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. The museum, which opened in September, aims to tell American history through an African American lens. Over one million people have already visited and there is currently a months-long waiting list for passes. Mary’s visit was a special behind-the-scenes look into the museum’s exhibits, highlighting the human context of African American history throughout the museum’s five floors.

ChiArts is grateful to BMO Harris Bank for bringing this special presentation to our students, and to Mary Elliott and the National Museum of African American History and Culture for an inspiring and transformative morning to close out Black History Month.