Fine Arts in December

If you look at the December calendar you’ll see it is FULL of concerts celebrating the season. We love the time of year that has produced such great music and wonderful works of art. I hope you find the time to join us at a concert venue or gallery. 

Third Graders enjoy a SPARK! Dance Enhancement
All of our third graders will get the opportunity to go the The University of Montana for a unique experience watching dancers from the university perform and then open up the floor for questions and discussion.

Hellgate Senior Studio Art Show
The Hellgate Visual Arts Department’s Senior Studio class will have the official opening of their art show at Frame of Mind on Friday, December 6th from 4:30-6:30pm.  The show will run until January 18th. Come prepared to be amazed by the talent and skill you will see demonstrated by these artists. Senior Studio is available to students who have demonstrated outstanding work in previous art classes. This class is their opportunity to hone their skills under the guidance of our wonderful visual arts staff. Who knows….you may be seeing the early work of our next great artist! 

Missoula Youth Orchestra 
One of our middle school honor orchestras is the Missoula Youth Orchestra. Each December they take a tour to two of our elementary schools and “The Springs” Senior Living. This ensemble is made up of MS students from all three of our schools plus Target Range and Hellgate Elementary. They were an award winning ensemble last year and sound even better this year. It’s great to let our senior citizens hear what our young musicians are doing and also be out in a couple of elementary schools each year to provide inspiration.

High School Top Singers Tour Area Middle Schools
The best singers from each of our high school choral programs join forces to tour area middle schools with the Ugly Sweater Tour each December. They find their best example of horrible holiday sweaters and wear them proudly as they dazzle their audience with some fantastic singing. 
It’s a great way to let those middle school students know that they can keep singing and do lots of other stuff in high school.  It’s one of the most fun events of the year!

Behind the Scenes
When you go to any of our concerts this month, please take a moment to note the number of risers being used. They don’t get there with elf magic. Those risers are all carried by hand via our dray truck drivers and put up by each school’s custodial staff. After the concert, they are taken down and sent back to our main storage area for the next “gig”. We couldn’t do it without these willing and capable hands. 
Putting together any kind of a public performance or art showing requires a lot of diligent effort on the part of everyone involved. Thank you so much for showing your appreciation for all their hard work and dedication.  We love what we do with your children!

  Missoula named a 2019 BEST Community for Music Education