Maine West Art Students Receive Recognition and Scholarships at Regional IHSAE Exhibition #207Now @mainewestart #art #creativityfuelsthefuture

The 9th Annual Illinois High School Art Exhibition brings the best student artists from 100 Illinois suburban, public and private high schools to compete and celebrate the power of art in their lives. Four Maine West students will have have art in this prestigious art exhibit and competition. The students representing Maine West this year are: 

Laura Grahn, Mixed Media
Weronika Kmieć, Acrylic Painting 
Gabby Szewczyk, Photo
Natalia Habczyk, Drawing

Zensanna Yost, Digital Art

These students' works will be on exhibit, along with the works of over 500 students artists from across the Chicago region, at the Bridgeport Art Center (1200 W. 35th Street, Chicago, IL 60609) from March 13th-April 28th.

The work of these students will be adjudicated, with the potential of receiving special awards and recognition at the IHSAE Awards Ceremony and Reception Event, which is open to the public, and is on Sunday, March 13th, 2022 from 11:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the Bridgeport Art Center. Come out to see the incredible work by all of the student artists, and to cheer on our Maine West artists in the show! HERE is the schedule of events for the day.

SENIOR SCHOLARSHIP EXHIBITION

Four Maine West senior artists submitted portfolios to the Senior Scholarship Exhibition, an exhibit of some 300 senior artworks and a scholarship program that offers college tuition scholarships totaling over $119 million dollars. 

The students from Maine West who were offered art scholarships for a combined amount of $1,156,000 are: 

Mya Caceres
Joanna Contreras
Jack Dinse
Kyra Harrington

Representing West at the Senior Exhibition is:

Kyra Harrington

Lastly, the IHSAE Art Throwdown is an in person Art Competition with approximately 30 students competition to showcase their creative talents in front of a live audience. Representing West in the Throwdown Challenge is:

Kyra Harrington

Zensanna Yost

Enjoy the submissions by West artists below:

Weronika Kmieć (Painting)

Laura Grahn (Mixed Media)

Natalia Habczyk (Drawing)

Zensanna Yost (Digital Art)

Gabriela Szewczyk (Photography)

Kyra Harrington (Senior Exhibition)

Congratulations to the Maine West Choirs on Their Inspiring Spring Concert! #207Now @mainewestchoir #musiced #choir #sing #useyourvoice @desplainesparkdistrict #prairielakes

Congratulations to the students in the Maine West Choirs, as well as their directors, Mr. Jim Schiffer and Ms. Shayna Lee (student teacher)! Last night's concert was absolutely inspiring, and lifted the spirits of everyone in attendance! 

Thank you to the Des Plaines Park District for hosting us in the Prairie Lakes Theater! Your beautiful space was a perfect venue for our choral concert, and your staff was amazing!

Tuesday, March 8, 2022 

PROGRAM

Choraliers

M.L.K by U2, arr. Marty Sirvatka

White Winter Hymnal by Robin Pecknold, arr. Alan Bilingsley

Good Old A Capella by L. Carter & O. Nevada, arr. Deke Sharon 

Mixed Chorus

Come Travel With Me by Scott Farthing

Nine Hundred Miles by Philip E. Silvey (guest conducted by student Ali Krieger)

Shine On Me by Traditional, arr. Rollo Dilworth

Vocal Solo Night - Best in Room

Someone Else's Story by Benny Anderson, Tim Rick & Bjorn Ulvaeus (soloist Dulf Vincent Genis)

Concert Choir

What Happens When a Woman? by Alexandra Olsavsky

Seal Lullaby by Eric Whitacre

Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel? by Traditional, arr. Moses Hogan

Chamber Choir

Tshotsholoza! (Go Forward!) by Traditional, arr. Jeffrey Ames

Flight Song by Kim André Arnesen

He'll Make A Way by Byron J. Smith

Combined Choirs

The Awakening by Joseph M. Martin

More pictures from the Spring Choir Concert can be found HERE. 

A video from the concert can be found on the WMTH YouTube Channel HERE.

Join Us for Maine West Choir's Spring Concert! #207Now #sing @mainewestchoir

Join us for an evening of beautiful music by the Maine West Choirs! The concert is on Tuesday, March 8th at 7:00 p.m. at Des Plaines Park District's Prairie Lakes Theatre (515 E. Thacker St. Des Plaines, IL 60016). The concert will feature music by the Choraliers, Mixed Chorus, Concert Choir, and Chamber Choir, as well as the "Best of Day" soloist from Vocal Solo Night, Dulf Vincent Genis.

For friends and family not able to make the live performance, a live-stream will be available on the WMTH YouTube Channel HERE.

Congratulations to the District 62 Bands on their Performances at the MW/D62 Band Festival! #207Now #62learns #62workingtogether @62schools @Algonquin.DesPlaines @iroquois_school

Today, the Maine West Band program welcomed 7th and 8th grade band students from three District 62 schools: Chippewa, Iroquois and Algonquin. Each band performed one piece at the festival, and after the performance, Mr. Gerstmayr gave each band a clinic on their piece. At the end of the festival, students performed alongside Maine West Band students on a piece.

Chippewa, Iroquois and Algonquin Band Students 
(aka Future Warrior Band Members): 
Bravo on a fantastic performance at the festival! We can't wait to welcome you as members of the Warrior Band!

HERE are more photos from today's festival.

Maine West's BEYOND THESE WALLS Art Exhibit Features Artwork Created OUTSIDE of the Classroom by Students #207Now #art #artislife @mainewestart @lahartanddesign #creativityfuelsthefuture #independentlearning #selfmotivation

There is a new art exhibit this year - Beyond These Walls - a curated sampling of art created by West students OUTSIDE of the walls of West. Many students at West create art - with a variety of media - outside of the school day. Some students even sell their art to the community or via sites like Etsy. This art exhibit is an opportunity for self-motivated artists at West to showcase the work they are doing independently. 

You are encouraged to check out the exhibit in lower E wing!

A HUGE thank you to Ms. Lahart for organizing this wonderful exhibit and opportunity for the students of Maine West!

Congratulations to the Performers at Maine West's Vocal Solo Night! #207Now #sing #useyourvoice @mainewestchoir @mainewestfab

Congratulations to the vocal soloists who performed spectacularly at Maine West Vocal Solo Night! This event, organized by Mr. Schiffer, provides singers in the Maine West Choir program the opportunity to sing with an accompanist for a judge who then provides valuable feedback, in a masterclass style and setting. Thank you to Mr. Matthew Hanes, South High Choir Director, for being an amazing adjudicator, and for providing such valuable feedback. We all learned so much about singing through your thoughtful and insightful comments.

HERE are photos from tonight's event.

Congratulations to Maine West Band Students on a Successful Winter Concert! #207Now #band @mainewestband

Tonight, the students in the Maine West combined Symphonic and Concert Bands and Wind Ensemble performed spectacularly in their Winter Band Concert! The ensembles performed a wide variety of literature, each with unique tone colors and styles, which kept the audiences attention throughout. The pieces were executed impressively by the students. Congratulations to the musicians on a successful concert!

More pictures from tonight's concert can be found HERE.

PROGRAM

Symphonic and Concert Bands

Moscow 1941 by Brian Balmages

The Spirit of Kilkenny by Carol Brittin Chambers

Red Giant by Jorge Vargas

Bazaar by Randall Standridge

Percussion Techniques

Sweep Dreams by Danny Raymond

Wind Ensemble

In Flight by Samuel Hazo

Choreography by Robert Sheldon

English Folk Song Suite, I. March by Ralph Vaughan-Williams

Ruckus by Randall Standridge