February 20, 2002
West High celebrates art achievements
West Senior High presents National Arts Award Celebration on Thursday
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
How do you create a premier arts high school? From the ground up, one class at a time.
Since the planning stage, staff and administrators at Traverse City West High School have had the arts on their minds. Led by principal Joe Tibaldi and with extensive input from staff, the school was designed to be conducive to students of the arts in all forms: from music, drama and dance to theater, the fine arts and video production.
Acknowledging this commitment, the school won the Creative Ticket National School of Distinction earlier this year. The Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education granted this award. Only two high schools nationwide were chosen, the other one a magnet arts school in Fresno, Calif.; a middle school and two elementary schools also received the distinction. Traverse City West High School was one of 30 schools considered for the honor.
For Tibaldi, the award is a reason for the whole school to rejoice.
"We have great kids and outstanding instructors," said Tibaldi. "That's what it takes to build a program like this."
"Straight across the board, everything we do in the arts is exceptional," he noted. "It is nice to see everyone get recognized, although not everyone can go on the trip to Washington, they all contributed."
In March, a representative group of students will travel to the nation's capital to perform at the Kennedy Center and at a congressional breakfast celebrating National Arts Day. This group includes members of the award-winning Choral-Aires plus the jazz band, who will perform a medley of tunes.
"I am so excited to go," said Chelsea Kramer, a 11th grade student and a member of the Choral-Aires. "Just the fact that we get to go and show them that we're talented as a group and can make such beautiful music."
Since it opened four years ago, the broad spectrum of West High School's arts offerings has enriched students and community members alike. From myriad plays and music performances to choral tours of Europe, a homeless silhouette project and a mural at Munson Medical Center, art students and staff always strive for more.
In addition, a school-wide effort to integrate the arts into the general curriculum, one that had half the junior class taking humanities courses for their social studies requirements, have put West High School on a national map.
Students are the first to benefit from the wide variety of offerings.
"I am actually a theater person but this is my second year in pottery," said Andrea Peplau, a senior who was shaping a vase Wednesday during ceramics class. "I love everything that the school offers in the arts and I think it is nice because you get to open yourself to a lot of things here, our school offers a lot more than other schools."
To celebrate their award, West High School is holding a National Arts Award Celebration at the school at 7 p.m. this Thursday. This event is free and open to the public and will feature displays and performances by all facets of the arts curriculum. The walls will be lined with visual artwork, the pottery wheel and loom will be set up for demonstrations and other artists will paint more murals. In addition, the school's dance club will perform, as well as a variety of musical and choral groups, while videos made by students will play in the library.
Reflecting on the award and Thursday's local celebration, Russ Larimer, choral director at the school, said he is proud of the students' achievements and of the school's offerings.
"It think it all comes back to that administrative vision on the part of Joe Tibaldi," Larimer said. "He had a commitment to excellence in all areas and, although he had no arts background at all, he lobbied for the facilities and backed our proposals."
"Our facilities are beyond what most high schools of our size have."