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The visual arts and performing arts are vibrant entities at Shorecrest, bursting with enrichment in all grade levels, state-of-the-art facilities, over thirty Upper School course offerings with numerous Honors and AP classes, and an extraordinary level of student participation.

Performing Arts   Visual Arts

The accomplished professionals in the Arts and Humanities department have encouraged and guided our students through many successful endeavors at local, state and national levels. Shorecrest students have received awards and acclaim for their paintings, photography, TV productions, graphic design, music performances, playwrighting, film making, acting, musical theatre and dance performances.

An extension of the Arts and Humanities Department, the Cultural Enrichment program provides an additional opportunity for Shorecrest students to acquire an even broader knowledge of the arts. We expose all of our students to art, music, dance and theatre by having workshops within the classrooms and bringing national and international performers to the school. Our students also take trips to various museums and performing arts centers in St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Tampa and Sarasota.

With a strong belief that literacy in the arts is essential to the development of a well-educated person, Shorecrest provides its students with a dazzling array of cultural and intellectual arts opportunities.


PERFORMING ARTS AT SHORECREST

The Performing Arts are an integral part of a Shorecrest education. As early as 3-years-old, Shorecrest students gain experience performing onstage for an audience; hearing, playing and singing different types of music; and experiencing various types of Performing Arts.

Throughout Experiential, Lower, and Middle School, the Performing Arts - specifically Music - are a core part of the required curriculum. By the time students reach Upper School, they have robust opportunities for Performing Arts electives in Musical Theatre, Acting, Instrumental Music, Stagecraft and more.

The entire school community comes together once each year to Celebrate the Arts, a Shorecrest tradition that invites community artists of all kinds to share their expertise with students in memorable, hands-on experiences and performances, throughout one special Arts-themed week. The week culminates with an Upper School spring musical.

Experiential School

Each day in The Experiential School starts with music playing as children enter the building to begin their school day. Music instruction is integrated into The Experiential School curriculum through lively and engaging experiences. Music classes offer students the opportunity to express themselves creatively, melodically and rhythmically. A dedicated arts teacher (Atelierista), along with the classroom teachers, focuses on giving students a variety of opportunities to develop their creative skills as they understand music as a language of expression, one that connects us to each other and to the world around us. The Experiential School students learn about different genres and artists and explore the role of music within culture and society. Students engage in a variety of songs, movement games, and instrument play as they discover different ways to use their voices and bodies.

In Alpha and JK, students celebrate diversity through music exploration using a variety of instruments and are also provided with opportunities to perform.

Lower School

Music class at Shorecrest is a joyful celebration of humanity and our love of rhythm and song. Kindergarteners and first graders have music twice a week, while second through fourth graders have longer classes once a week. Students are enthusiastic participants in music class, integrating music and movement, listening for musical clues, and using their bodies as percussion instruments. They learn to love music from a wide variety of genres; James Brown, The Beatles, Elton John, John Denver, Selena, Los Lobos, and Yo Yo Ma are just a few. Lower School students experiment with a wide variety of non-pitched percussion instruments starting in Kindergarten, and they look forward to learning the basics of the ukulele in third and fourth grade. Come to any town meeting, and you’ll hear children singing their favorites - "One Day," "We Are the World," "You Are My Sunshine," and more.

Each grade level puts on a production every year, in addition to multiple opportunities to sing onstage for families and friends. 

Extracurricular activities, including band, acting, dance and musical theatre are available for Lower School through after school Auxiliary Programs.

Middle School

Students in grades 5-6 experience Performing Arts courses one trimester at a time via required electives. Rotating through Visual Art, Music, and Public Speaking/Drama, students gain growing experience in each subject area each year.

In grades 7-8, students have more choice to pursue their individual interests through robust performing arts electives including Acting Studio, Music Production & Songwriting, Vocal Music, and more. 

Starting in fifth grade with Music and Dance, students learn vocal techniques, projection, presence, vocabulary and more as they learn to read, understand and perform music. Rotating through the required elective course series, students learn theatre and performance terminology, improvisation, public speaking, theatre history and more. As students progress through the required courses and into their choices of electives, the performing arts are connected to the rest of the 5th-8th grade Middle School curriculum through interdisciplinary projects. 

Students have additional opportunities to engage in the Performing Arts through clubs such as Jr. Thespians Troupe 88197, and events like the annual Middle School Musical and the Variety Show. 

Upper School

Students in the 9th-12th grade Upper School have robust opportunities to study the Performing Arts in depth, with a wide variety of electives in Instrumental Music, Acting, Musical Theatre, Stagecraft and more. The Performing Arts courses and faculty support students at all levels of performance, from the interested novice to the experienced performer who intends to continue studying Performing Arts in college.

Extracurricular activities like International Thespian Society Troupe 3140, plays, musicals, Treblecrest a Cappella Ensemble, and Band give students the opportunity to perform for different types of audiences in many types of venues. 

Performing Arts classes in Shorecrest Upper School offer opportunities to experience, explore, and master a variety of performing arts. Classes include opportunities like Musical Theatre, Acting Studio, Music Theory, Introduction to Piano, Introduction to Guitar, Advanced Band, Introduction to Recording Arts & Music Production, Stagecraft, and Theatre Technology and Production.*

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

Shorecrest offers instrumental music courses and opportunities available to aspiring musicians at all levels. Some instrumental music courses meet outside the regular school-day schedule to allow for more flexibility for students who are interested in multiple performing arts tracks. 

Course offerings include AP Music Theory, Band, Guitar, Piano, Intro to Recording Arts and Music Production and more.*

Shorecrest musicians have opportunities to perform in showcases and concerts, Rock Band performances, special events, and even in student-initiated individual concerts. Audiences include fellow students, parents and family members, and the greater community. 

Fun Fact: Shorecrest singer-songwriter Lauren Brumbelow ‘24 worked with Band Director Ethan Updike to present a student-led concert featuring her original work. She was accompanied by a band of Shorecrest student musicians.

ACTING & MUSICAL THEATRE

From delivering monologues, to performing in a musical ensemble, to the history of the acting craft, students have the opportunity to experience all different aspects of acting and musical theatre through performing arts coursework and co-curricular opportunities like competing with Thespian Troupe 3140. 

Shorecrest actors have opportunities to perform in showcases, a signature Broadway-style musical each spring before an audience of hundreds, Thespian competitions, special events, and more. 

Fun Fact: Shorecrest's Thespian Troupe 3140 has garnered many top honors at both the District and State levels, including presenting one-acts and mainstage productions at the Florida State Thespian Festival at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, dazzling an audience of over 2,000!

STAGECRAFT & THEATRE TECHNOLOGY

Shorecrest stagecraft and tech students take leadership roles in running and producing award-winning and visually stunning sets, lights, sound, and more. These behind-the-scenes opportunities allow students to to develop real-world, hands-on skills that are applicable not only to the performing arts but in other fields, too. 

Fun Fact: Stage Manager Reanna Hossain ‘24 won a Broadway Star of the Future Award for her work on the 2022 Shorecrest musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street." She was one of 9 Shorecrest students nominated for Broadway Stars Awards in 2022. 

INDEPENDENT STUDY

Students who wish to pursue topics above and beyond the scope of what is offered in the curriculum may propose an independent study course, under the supervision of a member of the Shorecrest Upper School faculty. Independent study courses may be of any approved topic of field, including the performing arts. For example student Wade LeCain '22 was passionate about Classical Guitar and developed his own independent study of the topic. Part of his final assessment for the course was a live public performance of his work, which was held in the Janet Root Theatre at Shorecrest. 

* Courses are subject to change. For a comprehensive list of current performing arts offerings, please see the current Upper School Curriculum Guide on the Upper School page.

MORE FUN FACTS

  • Shorecrest alumnus Patrick Wilson '91 received a Tony nomination in both 2001 and 2002 for his Broadway performances. He also starred on screen in "The Alamo", "Phantom of the Opera", "Insidious", and received Emmy and Golden Globe award nominations in 2003 for his acting in "Angels in America.Watch Patrick's recent Shorecrest Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award acceptance.
  • Shorecrest alumna Monica Raymund '04 won the 2013 Imagen Award for Best Actress in Television. You may have seen her on TV starring in "Lie To Me" or "Chicago Fire".
  • Students from the Shorecrest Playwriting Class have had their works produced and performed in theaters off-Broadway - in Los Angeles, California, and in Telluride, Colorado - as well as in Tampa and St. Petersburg.
  • Shorecrest theatre, musical theatre, playwriting and dance students have won "Superior" and "Critics' Choice" ratings at District, State and International Thespian Competitions.
  • The Shorecrest Concert Band has been invited to play at a presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C.
  • The 600+ seat, state-of-the-art Janet Root Theatre has a stage size comparable to professional theaters, fantastic acoustics, real dressing rooms, good sightlines and a black box rehearsal theatre on the side. This space becomes a home away from home for many students.

PERFORMING ARTS FACILITIES

  • Lower School Music Room
  • Middle School Music Room
  • Middle School Drama Room 
  • Janet Root Theatre with scene shop & dressing rooms
  • Black Box Theatre 
  • Band Classroom and Recording Studio 
  • Outdoor Performances - Weiss Family Pavilion 


VISUAL ARTS AT SHORECREST

Through experiences in the arts, students learn essential skills that are transferable across disciplines. In art classrooms students learn creativity and innovation. They learn that problems can have multiple answers. They have opportunities for experimentation and learning from mistakes, and learn to be self-sufficient thinkers – not memorizers. In a world where we want our children to develop the 21st century skills to be inventive in the workplace, these are invaluable skills to embed at a young age.

Our youngest learners receive general arts education from a certified arts specialist. In Middle and Upper school, students typically receive arts education through required electives. In addition to stand-alone arts courses, many classes and cross-curricular projects integrate creative components. Students also benefit from guest artists, arts-related field trips (like mural tours), and more.

The entire school community comes together once each year to Celebrate the Arts, a week-long Shorecrest tradition that invites local artists of all kinds to share their expertise with students in memorable, hands-on experiences and performances.

Our visual arts program supports our mission and dedication to social-emotional learning by helping students share unspoken feelings, work through puzzling thoughts, and contend with abstract thinking. Students with a variety of different learning styles build confidence and get a chance to shine.

Experiential School

Experiential School students benefit from the expertise of a dedicated arts specialist, or Atelerista, an artist/educator with a special interest in early childhood education. This integral early childhood educator role supports learning of visual arts, performing arts, music and dance, technology and more. Students may be learning to use a digital camera one week, and throwing clay on a potter’s wheel the next week.

Experiential School art experiences are process-focused, rather than product-focused, meaning that each student’s work is unique and original; there is no right or wrong way to create or sample to follow. Students use a number of different tools, techniques and media to create and express themselves. Art is incorporated throughout the ES curriculum.

Lower School

Children practice visioning, craftsmanship, and more in the Lower School art studio. The year begins with studying the elements of art, like line and color and learning about tools, like choosing the best brush for the job. Students work with a wide range of materials: watercolors, paints, sculptural materials like clay and wood, and even digital technologies. Inspired by artists like Keith Haring, students engage their creativity to construct paintings, murals, and sculptures. Projects in art class often connect to cultural celebrations like Día de los Muertos, or to curricular themes like the third grade wetlands investigation. Shorecrest is a school awash in the arts, and it all starts in the Lower School!

Middle School

In fifth and sixth grades, the elements of art are introduced through a variety of activities. Artists of different cultures and ethnicities are examined. Students practice drawing in journals, painting on different surfaces, throwing clay and printmaking skills. Projects are often done in collaboration with the English and social studies curricula to enhance students’ learning experience. Technology is integrated for research or enhancement of the subject and is used as an application choice. Fifth grade art is a new opportunity for students as they experience more structure, grades, and choices in their experience in art class. Students have many opportunities to be creative and grow as artists through universal design thinking.

Seventh and eighth grade students may choose visual arts as an elective. Their choices include:

3D ART

This course offers the opportunity to explore three dimensional art mediums such as sculpture and clay. The artworks and styles of different peoples, time periods and cultures will be explored through the lens of sculpture. Students learn to incorporate their ideas visually, utilizing the Elements of Art and Principles of Design.

DIGITAL STORYTELLING

This course focuses on the aspects of storytelling through a digital lens. A variety of mediums will be used to bring narratives to life. Students will explore the features commonly found in digital narratives and how story creators utilize digital tools, platforms, and interfaces to add interactivity to their narratives. Both fiction and non-fiction narratives will be covered as well as how stories are told through game creation. A few examples of the mediums used in this course include Book Creator, Scratch programming, and iMovie.

STUDIO ART

This course offers the opportunity to explore various two dimensional art mediums such as painting and drawing. The artworks and styles of different peoples, time periods and cultures are also explored. Students learn to incorporate their ideas visually, utilizing the Elements of Art and Principles of Design.

Upper School

The accomplished professionals in the Arts and Humanities department have encouraged and guided our students through many successful endeavors at local, state and national levels. Shorecrest students have received awards and acclaim for their paintings, photography, and graphic design. Shorecrest  invests in students, to ensure the best creative results. We want our students to feel confident in their skills, their submitted art portfolios, and their understanding of the differences between varied techniques, different types of paints on different surfaces, and how quality of supplies can make a difference in a final product. At the same time, students experiment with nature and upcycled materials as art medium, blending execution with their regular environments - art in plain sight.

THE RIGHT TOOLS: THE BEST RESULTS

Although reduced funds for the Arts seems to be a worldwide epidemic, the Shorecrest Upper School continues to invest in the right supplies for our students, to ensure the best creative results. We want our students to feel confident in their skills, their submitted art portfolios, and their understanding of the differences between varied techniques, different types of paints on different surfaces, and how quality of supplies can make a difference in a final product. At the same time, students experiment with nature and upcycled materials as art medium, blending execution with their regular environments - art in plain sight.

Some of the tools our students frequently work with include:

  • Drawing (drawing pencils and color pencils, charcoals, erasers, markers, various papers)
  • Painting (oil, acrylic, watercolor: paints, brushes, easels)
  • Linoleum block printing (inks, carving tools, brayers, barens, linoleum blocks)
  • Comic Life app for comic book design
  • 35mm black and white film photography (complete with darkroom: film development and printing)
  • Art books

VISUAL ARTS & HUMANITIES CLASSES

Visual Arts and Humanities classes in our Upper School range from intro level through AP, and include:

  • Art History
  • Humanities
  • Women's Studies
  • World Religions
  • 2-D Studio Art and 3-D Design (Painting, drawing, sculpting, printing, etc.)
  • Graphic Design
  • Black and White Photography
  • Filmmaking
  • "Crestviews" Yearbook

Descriptions may be found in the Upper School Course Catalog.

Flickr album: Arts Cottage Mural - Service Week 2023 | Height: auto | Theme: Default | Skin: Default Skin

 

VISUAL ARTS FACILITIES

  • Lower School Art Studio
  • Middle School Art Studio
  • Sophia “Yi” Daily Upper School Visual Arts Studio
  • Upper School Graphic Design lab
  • Upper School 3D Arts Classroom

Honoring Janet Root

Arts Faculty and Staff

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