On October 15, 2022 our school hosted the very first ACHS Arts & Music Festival.
The event featured several works of art in a variety of forms; photography, dance, and music were only a few examples. ACHS students and alumni participated by either submitting their art or performing live at the festival in front of a small(yet very supportive) audience.
Festival attendees were also encouraged to vote for their favorite art works and performances in each of these categories: visual arts and painting, photography, sculpture and ceramics, dance, poetry and prose, music(group), and music(individual or duo).
Despite taking place on campus, this event was actually held by the American Canyon Arts Foundation. Since its establishment in 1992, the ACAF has made it a goal to support the arts in local public schools. According to their website, they strive to provide financial and other assistance to public school arts programs, as well as encourage and promote local artists. Through this event, students were able to promote their art in a supportive environment, gaining exposure and experience through the process.
One student even had the opportunity to sell her artwork at the festival.
Alexandra Castro(grade 11) has always had a passion for visual arts; “I've always been interested in art since I was little. It wasn't until May 2022 that I started taking it seriously and creating something out of it,” she said in an interview. “To me art is everywhere, it makes up everything. Art drives every passion I have, I think that art can represent the things I find beautiful in life.”
Alex started her own small business in 2021, through which she makes and sells unique, one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces. Her repertoire of handmade pieces include necklaces, rings, keychains, phone charms, and shoe charms(all sold on her Instagram account @alexsrooom). However, these weren’t the items she sold at the festival- instead, she was selling zines(similar to a magazine) and stickers that she designed herself.
“Oftentimes with my jewelry I feel like I can't exactly accommodate something to completely fit my vision since I'm not in full control of it,” Alex remarked. “When it comes to artwork and zines I have more creative freedom to do what I feel best about.”
Recounting her experience at the ACHS Arts & Music Festival, Alex said she thought it was a positive experience. “I think that the ACHS Arts Festival was a good experience and allowed me to be seen more as an artist and less as someone who sells jewelry, although I love both I would like to experiment more in the arts. I hope to see this event become an annual thing and hopefully gain more traction in the following years.”
Another ACHS student, Kaya Querubin(grade 12) participated in the festival by performing a few songs using both her guitar and her voice.
Despite her obvious talent, Kaya’s passion for singing took quite a while to develop. “When I was little, I used to start crying when relatives asked me to sing,” she recalled in a recent interview. “The first time I performed for my family, my mom actually gave me a pair of sunglasses to wear while I sang because I was so afraid of the attention.” She started off as a band kid in middle school, and didn’t join choir until she began taking voice lessons.
“...when my parents enrolled me into singing lessons, my teacher held a recital. This was my first time performing, and I was of course super nervous because I rarely performed for my family. My teacher had several other students who brought their families as well so there was a small audience. Once it was my turn, looking at the crowd, all I wanted to do was walk off the stage and quit, but I was tired of always letting fear get the best of me, and I was already standing on the stage. So, once the music started playing, I sang right on queue, and didn’t stop.” Kaya’s retelling of her first experience performing solo is in stark contrast to her most recent performance at the festival, where she received an award for the best solo musical performance.
“I was actually very surprised. I didn’t get the chance to watch all of the performances, but the people I did watch were very talented… After winning the award, I had flashbacks of my young stage fright, and how I’ve grown from performing with sunglasses on for just my family, to creating my own song sets to sing for live audiences. So, winning the award felt very fulfilling, and I was proud of myself at the end of the day.”
Over the past few years, Kaya’s love and appreciation of music has only continued to grow deeper and deeper. “My dad once said, “Music is the closest thing we have to magic,” and I’ve found that this statement has been proven many times over the course of my life. Music helped me build confidence, make new friends, get closer with my family, heal my mental and emotional health, and because of this I’m able to share its benefits with others by singing and performing. I’ve found that music IS magic, but it’s mostly medicine, which is why it has so much meaning to me and a huge impact on others.”
Both Alex and Kaya’s passions for art and music show how essential it is that students have an outlet where they can express themselves creatively. As the years go on, we hope to see the ACHS Arts & Music Festival grow in respect and popularity, so that the students with a love for art are able to express themselves freely in a supportive and welcoming environment.
We are extremely proud of everyone who put themselves out there by submitting their art or performing live at the festival! Everyone who participated did a wonderful job.
We would also like to give a special congratulations to all the talented students who won awards for their submissions/performances:
Visual arts: Peyton Carter
Photography: Alisha Saini
Sculpture and Ceramics: Giselle Hinahon
Dance: ACHS Polynesian Club
Poetry: Lyra Nerona
Music Group: ACHS Jazz Band
Music Individual: Kaya Querubin
Drama performance: ACHS Theater
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