Celebrating the Art of Community: The 2019 ISAS Arts Festival

Upholding the longstanding tradition of celebrating students’ artistic endeavors and achievements, St. Stephen’s was honored to host the 52nd annual ISAS Arts Festival in April. The festival is a jewel in the crown of the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest. It has provided amazing opportunities for students to perform, learn, share and grow their artistry for more than half a century.
 
Dedicated to visual art, music, dance, theatre, film and creative writing, the ISAS Arts Festival is intended to be a joyous celebration of the arts in all forms. This year’s festival brought together close to 4,000 students and faculty from nearly 50 ISAS schools across the southwest. Our hope was for every participant to leave our campus with enriching new ideas and exciting experiences that they could take back to the studio or practice room, to their next lesson or class, to enhance their learning.
 
After more than a year of planning and logistical coordination, the St. Stephen’s campus was transformed in amazing ways. We turned gyms into theatres and art exhibition spaces, classrooms into performance venues, monstrously large tents into dining areas and live music halls, and natural greenspaces into outdoor classrooms.
 
Finally, early in the morning of April 11, the first of almost 80 charter buses rumbled onto campus. And in an instant, the 2019 ISAS Arts Festival sprang to life. Every student performance and exhibited work of art was reviewed by professional artists, who provided students with thoughtful critiques and creative encouragement. And thanks to our own faculty’s connections, this year’s festival boasted nearly 150 special workshops and master classes in addition to scheduled performances and exhibitions.
 
For many students, the ISAS Arts Festival is a defining experience in their Upper School years. As students see the work of other students with shared interests and that of professional artists, they leave the festival with new inspiration and ideas, and the impetus to find and continue to develop their own unique artistic and expressive voices. Regardless of the careers they choose, students’ lives are made richer, more interesting and more thrilling when they explore and develop their creativity.
 
“Being able to experience a performance with hundreds of people from all over has been absolutely incredible,” said senior Griffin Foster. “The festival has given me a whole different perspective on how I interact with people, because it has given me the ability to embrace music and use that to create connections with others.”
 
“I knew students were going to leave this festival with extraordinary memories of friends that they met and special experiences they had with artists and their teachers,” said Head of School Chris Gunnin. “These are memories that will last a lifetime.”
 
Elizabeth Hansing Moon, fine arts department chair
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Address: 6500 St. Stephen's Dr., Austin, TX 78746
Phone: (512) 327-1213