WHAT: Leavitt Area High School’s Arts Gala

WHEN: 6 p.m. Thursday, March 30

WHERE: the high school in Turner

ADMITTANCE: free to the general public

Creativity in a class by itself
Professional artists help students find artistic expression not only on the stage and in art studios – but in their everyday lives.

By Marie Rossiter

Special to the Sun Journal

Visual and performing arts will take center stage – in math, English and other academic classes – at Leavitt Area High School in Turner the week of March 27.

Fifteen local, professional poets, musicians, dancers, jugglers and other artists will work with students during the school’s 7th annual Arts Gala Week. A performing juggler may lead a math class focusing on patterns. Dancers may perform to a poem recited in an English class.

And in the meantime, students are creating their own pieces of sculpture, two-dimensional art, installations and pottery – as well as creating music and writing poetry.

Everyone’s creative efforts will culminate in a gala Thursday, March 30, when attendees can hear the school’s jazz band play, watch a one-act play, watch and/or participate in a coffeehouse-style poetry slam/music jam, view works of art and take part in a pottery throw down – with participants sitting in front of a pottery wheel with 10 pounds of clay and only 10 minutes to create a work of art.

Each year, the school’s art department, with the help of a Partners in Arts and Learning grant, invites artists into classrooms to not only share insights into the beauty of the arts, but also to show how the arts play a role in students’ daily lives.

“Students get to see real, working artists,” said Jonathan Mess, a member of Leavitt’s fine arts faculty. “They benefit by seeing what it takes to be an artist – the skill, the talent and even the business aspects of it all. Art is more than just working in a studio, and that’s one thing our students get out of it. It’s also great for teachers to see how the arts can be integrated into their specialties as well.”

The students’ energy is evident in their preparation and work for the event – and what keeps Mike Miclon, owner of the Oddfellow Theater in Buckfield and repeat artist-in-residence during Arts Gala Week, coming back.

“Kids are so adventurous. They want to try everything and this is perfect because it lets the kids try something new for a day or two,” said Miclon, a 20-year veteran of the variety stage who has performed across the United States and in Europe. “My goal is to have the students up and moving for the entire 80-minute period. I try to tailor my scene work to a group setting so it is less threatening.”

“For me, the draw of the Arts Gala week is the opportunity to work with younger folks,” Miclon said. “For some of them, this will be first venture into formalized theater. Many have seen it, but never had any kind of formal theater training. My perspective is that even if I bring in one student out of a hundred into the world of the arts, then I’m making a difference.”

“All students in our department are required to participate in Gala Week on some level, said fine arts teacher Wendy Schlotterbeck, one of the people responsible for organizing the original Arts Gala.

“Most of them will create pieces to display and they are responsible for every aspect of their show, from the actual artwork to creating the environment in which the work will be presented,” she explained.

Participating in his fourth Arts Gala, senior Wil Siveman said he looks forward to the event each year. “It gives me a chance to go around and see what others are working on and find out what they’re doing. There’s also a lot of pride to it. It’s amazing to be able to show the art I’ve worked on all year and have others look at it, ask questions and appreciate it.”

“There is something for everyone,” said Mess, who will emcee the gala March 30. “We try to make sure that when the community comes here, that they just wander around and experience as many aspects of the arts as possible.”