ChiArts Spring Productions Feature Conservatory Collabs & Tributes to Black Culture

The ChiArts production team is preparing for a tremendous spring season with new conservatory collaborations and tributes to Black culture through diverse artistic lenses. This March, look forward to three premieres from the Creative Writing, Dance, and Music Conservatories. The first-ever Dance and Creative Writing collaborative showcase will lead us into the spring season on March 2-3, where dancers become writers and creative writers grow through movement. On March 15, Music presents Tribute to Black Music. Vocal Educator Charles Taylor shares, “The performance will highlight the contribution African-Americans have made to the American and world music tapestry. This year’s subject is The Evolution of the Spiritual, and will take listeners from the birth of the Spiritual to its usage and form in current times.” To close out March, Creative Writing will kick off National Poetry Month with a reading on March 30. 
 
 
 
 
 

ChiArts Alumni Network: February Highlights

ChiArts Foundation’s programming for alums has been highly engaged with our inaugural class of Alumni Ambassadors. Alongside the leadership of Programs Manager Karina Quintana, the six ambassadors have been strengthening programming by meeting with the Foundation’s Alumni Relations Board Committee, finalizing program logos, and ambassadors Daniel Gayden (Music ’17) and Coda Marcus (Theatre ’16) participated in an alum panel with current scholar-artists at ChiArts. In addition to program highlights, 2023 is starting on a high note as the 10th anniversary of ChiArts’ first graduation class! This February, alums have been making moves in their respective industries, and we are thrilled to highlight two powerful women from the Class of 2013.
 
Kyrie Courter (Theatre ’13) is making her Broadway debut on February 26 in the highly-anticipated revival of Sweeney Todd, directed by Tony Award–winning director Thomas Kail and starring Grammy nominee Josh Groban and Tony Award-winning Annaleigh Ashford! Read Kyrie’s production bio here.

 
Antoinette “Vi” Freeman (Dance ’13) brought her show-stopping energy to the Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show, dancing alongside Rihanna this past Sunday, February 12. Now based in Atlanta, Antoinette is a rising star making her name known in the dance and creative directing industries!

ChiArts Launches Summer Camp Registration

Over the past seven years, ChiArts’ Annual Summer Camp has welcomed over 450 young artists to explore the artistic disciplines of Band, Creative Writing, Dance, Voice, Theatre, and Visual Arts thanks to generous support from the Caerus Foundation. Led by ChiArts teaching artists and alums, campers receive pre-professional training in the arts throughout July. Camp Coordinator and ChiArts Spanish Educator Chris Cashman shares, “At ChiArts Summer Camp, middle schoolers from Chicago get a taste of what it is like to be a scholar-artist at ChiArts. They end up accumulating almost a semester’s worth of classroom instruction, and the vast majority of students say the camp experience positively impacts their decision to pursue ChiArts as a student.” This year, ChiArts Summer Camp will offer programs for grades 6-8 from July 10-28 onsite at ChiArts.
 
 

The Impact of ChiArts’ Arts Conservatory Heads

Under the guidance of Executive Director Tina Boyer Brown, ChiArts’ Conservatory Heads and Arts Faculty provide over 2,500 hours of tuition-free, pre-professional arts training to every scholar-artist from freshman year to graduation. Learn more about our Arts Conservatory Heads and the visionary leadership they bring to ChiArts!
 

ChiArts’ 3rd Annual Connections Week Success Stories

On October 13-19, ChiArts hosted its third annual Connections Week. The five-day event connected scholar-artists to post-secondary opportunities with support from a range of well-loved local colleges, to nationally acclaimed universities, to conservatory training programs. Highlights include: a masterclass with the Music Director of Hamilton on Broadway, audition workshops with local universities such as Northwestern and DePaul, one-on-one portfolio reviews, professional development panels from working artists, and evening performances throughout the week.
 
Dance Conservatory senior Raina Wiley took on the week with an inspiring opportunistic spirit! Raina auditioned for ChiArts as a novice with no formal training, but a great passion for dance. Four years later, Raina is now performing for top training programs at Connections Week and pursuing a career in dance. Inspired by Raina’s tenacity, FOX Chicago interviewed Raina about her journey as a scholar-artist. On the live broadcast, Raina shared “My dance experience transformed (while at ChiArts), but I also transformed into an artist and a dancer!”
 

ChiArts’ Most Diverse & Robust Production Season Yet

The ChiArts Production Department is excited to announce a full slate of shows for the 2022-23 season. The Creative Writing Conservatory kicked off the year with the release of ChiArts Writes: Volume 7 featuring original works of poetry and prose, and the School’s first Fall Festival featured the works of students across multiple conservatories. Later this season be sure to catch ChiArts’ own spin on the classic ballet The Nutcracker, an interpretation of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play In the Red and Brown Water, the return of First Year, First Look featuring all conservatory first-year students, student-produced cultural showcases, and so much more!

Download the 2022-23 ChiArts production calendar. 


 

 

Welcome Lauren Wells-Mann, ChiArts’ New Theatre Department Head!

ChiArts is thrilled to announce Lauren Wells-Mann as the new Theatre Department Head! Ms. Wells-Mann is a licensed Theatre educator with a strong background in Theatre education, leadership, and as an actor, director, dancer, and choreographer. Ms. Wells-Mann began her leadership at ChiArts on June 27, 2022 and shares, “ChiArts is an amazing institution that I have admired for years. I am so grateful for the opportunity to add to the tradition of excellence and serve students in their quest for success in the world of Theatre. I am looking forward to this upcoming school year that I anticipate will be one of the best years yet!” 

Lauren Wells-Mann is a proud company member with MPAACT, where she had the pleasure of directing the following productions: Mother of the Dark Water (Jeff Nominee for Best Ensemble, Black Excellence Nominee for Best Production and Best Direction), By Association by Shepsu Aakhu (Black Excellence Nominee for Best Production) and various podcast plays. Assistant Director credits include: Upstate by Aaron Todd Douglass, directed by Carla Stillwell and Crowns by Regina Taylor, directed by Chuck Smith.  Mrs. Wells-Mann holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Theater/Acting from Columbia College Chicago and a Masters in Secondary Education from University of Phoenix. She began her professional acting career with Eta Creative Arts Foundation. It was here that Lauren had the pleasure of working with esteemed directors such as Ilesa Duncan, Kemati Porter, Runako Jahi, and Cheryl Lynn Bruce. She has also performed with companies such as Lookingglass Theatre Company, Black Ensemble, MPAACT, Harlem Theater Company, Healthworks Theater Company, and Victory Gardens to name a few. Lauren also directed and choreographed for Eta’s summer program, Chicago on the Nile for 3 years, Black Lives Black Words – Chicago and 20% Theater Company, Perceptions Theatre, and Griot Theatre Collective. Lauren attributes her directing prowess to the tutelage of Darcelle Williams, Cheryl Frazier, and Carla Stillwell.

In addition to these accolades, Mrs. Wells-Mann has been coaching competitive acting and speech events for the Illinois High School Association for 19 years. Under her direction, students have won numerous state and national championships in various acting and public speaking activities. Lauren Wells-Mann believes in the power of the arts and the importance of BIPOC artists having autonomy over their own narratives; it is a mission to which she is deeply committed.

Congrats, ChiArts Class of 2022!

Congratulations to The Chicago High School for the Arts‘ Class of 2022! As ChiArts’ 10th graduating class, graduates have completed over 2,500 hours of pre-professional arts training and will join more than 1,000 alumni who are making their way in the world as artists, performers, educators, entrepreneurs, scientists, engineers, and more.
 
 We are incredibly proud of all 130 graduates. As Artistic Director Tina Boyer Brown shares,“Here’s the hope. You are. You are the hope and the promise– not just of the future but of the present.”
 
 

3 ChiArts Winter Shows You Cannot Miss

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.

 

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

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.