Wilton High School can boast about its quality curriculum, competitive team athletics, and, of course, an award-winning Fine and Performing Arts program. The school’s dedicated student artists and musicians spend countless hours drawing, singing, painting, sculpting, playing instruments, and creating in addition to focusing on their studies. Many days throughout the year, they come into school early, stay hours after school working on projects, and spend their free time at home practicing their craft.
WHS’s esteemed band director John Rhodes says each year’s graduating class sets the tone.”The quality of the year depends on the quality of the seniors,” and he says the class of 2015 made this year a very successful one. Of course, they’re helped by an equally-dedicated faculty, who sacrifice many of their own free periods to help students practice for auditions, whether it’s arranged through WHS or not.
The school honored the fine and performing arts seniors this past Wednesday evening, May 20, in the Clune Center Auditorium, for the efforts they have put into the Music and Arts programs at the annual Fine and Performing Arts Awards (FAPA) ceremony. Each of the departments bestowed awards during the course of the night: the fine arts, such as drawing, ceramics, computer graphics, and photography; and the Performing Arts: theater, choir, orchestra, and band.
One student is awarded the very prestigious Fine and Performing Arts Award scholarship, for demonstrating exemplary dedication, leadership, and passion for the arts for all four years. In order to win the sought-after FAPA Award, the student must be involved with at least three separate arts departments at WHS. This year’s recipient, Caitlin Witty, participated in band, choir and lots and lots of theater (most recently as ‘Guinevere’ in the WHS production of Camelot).
Several dozen students were recognized including other scholarship winners:
- Al Anderson Scholarship: Vivian Hong and Isabella Palacpac
- John Rhodes Scholarship: Alika Zangivia
- Wilton Singers Scholarship: Rebecca Nisco and Evaline Xie
WHS associate principal Don Schells is a big supporter of rewarding the kind of performances for which the FAPA students demonstrated in their time at school. “When kids demonstrate achievement they should get recognized. I am glad that our school does give equal recognition across the board. Our academic awards and our artistic awards are just as important as anything. I would not want to see any student, whether they’re an athlete, a scholar, an artist, or a combination of those three, (which many of our kids are), I would not want to see any of them left out of the limelight.”
Great article, Heather. Have to be truly proud of these amazing young people. They tend to get far less attention throughout the year than some of their counterparts in sports. But the quality of their work is often world-class. Caitlin, Isabella and Evaline are certainly among those who will continue to make an impact on the arts in their college and adult careers. Three cheers to all the winners … and equally important, to the faculty members who have nurtured them through their scholastic years in Wilton.