Why Arts Matter at Park
At Park, the Arts are a core part of student life, not just a set of separate classes. Through visual arts, drama, music, and performance, students of all ages are encouraged to explore creativity, build confidence, and express themselves in meaningful ways. The arts here are more than skills — they shape how students think, feel, and connect with the world.
From early childhood through Upper School, Park’s arts offerings help students:
- Cultivate imagination and creative thinking
- Develop technical skill across different media
- Communicate ideas with confidence
- Collaborate with peers in performance and production
- Celebrate diverse cultures and artistic points of view
These experiences build not only artistic talent but lifelong skills — critical thinking, empathy, resilience, and innovation.
The Performing Arts
Where Story, Sound & Stage Come Alive
Drama & Theater
Students participate in plays, musicals, and theater productions spanning lower through upper grades.
Drama programs build confidence, teamwork, empathy, focus, and creative problem-solving as students act, collaborate, and engage in performance creation.
Opportunities exist for both on-stage and behind-the-scenes roles (costumes, set painting, props, stage management).
Annual performance events — from fall plays to winter shows and spring musicals — are major community highlights.
Music & Vocal Performance
Choir and instrumental ensembles welcome students at all experience levels.
Beginning instrumental lessons introduce foundational music skills; advancing students join ensembles in middle and upper school.
Vocal programs offer choirs and small group vocal lessons that build technique and musical literacy, often including community performances and opportunities to participate in regional festivals.
Students are encouraged to create as well as perform, composing solos and collaborating on original works.
The visual Arts
Building Vision & Artistic Voice
Studio Culture & Creative Growth
Across age levels, students engage with drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, woodworking, and mixed media.
Young students begin with foundational art activities that spark curiosity and comfort with materials; older students expand into complex techniques and conceptual work.
The curriculum includes exposure to art history and inspiration from a diversity of artists and cultures, encouraging insight as well as skill. Students also take field trips to locations such as the Burchfield-Penny Art Gallery and the AKG.
Electives & Specialization
In middle and upper grades, students choose electives like ceramics, figure drawing, sculpture, advanced painting, and more — ensuring they explore areas that match their artistic interests.
Electives support developing deeper creative confidence and technical mastery.
Bringing It Together
Cross-Disciplinary Arts Experiences
Collaborative showcases and exhibits where music, drama, and visual art meet.
School-wide events like concerts, gallery installations, and performances that engage the whole community.
This unified approach ensures students not only learn art but live it — integrating creativity into academics and community life.
Electives showcases, where students present woodshop pieces, prints, ceramics, portraits, and theatrical projects side-by-side.
Celebrating Student Work & Community Engagement
Park regularly showcases creative achievements through:
- Art exhibits featuring student work
- Musical concerts and vocal performances
- Full-scale theater productions
- Community arts events and cross-disciplinary festivals
In these moments, the artistic growth of students is shared with families, faculty, and peers — reinforcing how the arts enrich student life and community culture.
SUPPORT & RESOURCES
Parents and community members are encouraged to support Park’s arts mission — from attending performances and exhibitions to contributing to initiatives that expand arts facilities and programs. The school’s ongoing campaign includes plans for a dedicated Visual and Performing Arts Center that will elevate creative spaces and opportunities for future generations.
