A note from the Fine Arts Coordinator
First, I want to extend a special invitation to everyone to join us on the evening of June 6th, at 5:00 pm, in the gym, IPAC, and gym/IPAC hallways to attend the Fine Arts Showcase. This will be a special evening featuring the artwork of the K-12 students of IC Imagine, performances by both the MS and US Jazz bands, performances from the US Mixed Chorus, US Section Ensemble, and US Chamber Choir, as well as performances by the MS Theater Classes. We will also take the time to recognize the seniors of the Fine Arts and celebrate them. This evening will also be a fundraiser for the Fine Arts departments, and will have raffles for tickets to next year’s theater productions, special seating at chorus and band concerts, artwork from our very own Visual Arts teachers, and more! Please make sure to join us!
Lastly, as the year is coming to a close, I want to reflect back on some of the Fine Arts highlights of this year at IC Imagine:
Songs for Peace: We had a group of 5th-8th grade students participate in the Spring LEAF Festival at Lake Eden, performing a song that they spent a month and a half writing together. You can view the video here.
Our Kingfisher Theatre produced three successful productions:
Alice in Wonderland
Frozen Kids
Mean Girls
Additionally, our Upper School theater students participated in adjudicated performances at the Thespian Competition.
Our Band program participated in adjudicated performances at both Carowinds and Busch Gardens. Additionally, we had one student, Arya Patel, participate in the All-State Band Clinic and Jude Wall was selected to participate in the All-Region Jazz Band.
Our Visual Arts program participated in the Brevard Invitational as well as the Congressional Art Show, with student work being displayed at both. Middle School Visual Arts had a gallery show at Push. Kendall Todd was selected to attend Governor’s School this summer for Visual Arts.
Our Choral program participated in the North Carolina Music Performance Adjudications, receiving several scores of excellent and superior. They also participated in the Carowinds adjudicated performances. Senior Makenna Johnson was selected to participate in the Mars Hill Choral Festival.
Overall, it’s been another exciting and successful year for the Fine Arts at IC Imagine. A special thank you goes out to Mr. Jackson (LS Art), Mr. Barton (MS Art), Mr. Georges (US Art), Ms. Guss (US Art), Ms. Cummings (LS Music) Ms. Montgomery (MS/US Band), Mr. Tippens (MS/US Band), Ms. Nilo (LS Theater), and Mr. Campbell (MS/US Theater) for all of their hard work and passion that they bring to their students every day!
Melanye Crayton
In the Music World
Lower School Music
Take a peek inside the LS music classroom…
Middle and Upper School Bands
The instrumental musicians are hard at work preparing for our final concert of the year on May 28th 5:30 pm in the IPAC. Additionally, members of the Wind Symphony and Symphonic Bands are getting ready for our trip to Busch Gardens-Williamsburg for a performance and a day in the park.
Don’t forget-members of the Wind Symphony and invited Symphonic Band members are scheduled to perform for the ICI Graduation on June 15th.
Thank you so much for your support of these musicians!
Middle and Upper School Chorus
The Choruses have been working hard to prepare for their final concert of the year, despite all of the craziness that comes with the end of the school year! This final concert, on May 29th, at 6:00 pm, will be a special one. The seniors selected the theme of Songs from the Movies as their final concert. They will also have a special moment of recognition and thanks for their hard work in the choral program at IC Imagine. Additionally, we have been preparing for our final performance at Graduation.
A special thank you goes to each of our seniors for their time and dedication to the choral program at IC Imagine. We wish each of you all the best as you start a new chapter in your lives!
Henry Barrett-4 years
Analiz Bradley-6 years
Willie Gregory-8 years
Zakary Hensley-6 years
Makenna Johnson-2 years
Sofia Nilo-2 years
Johnny Place-4 years
Abby Richards-3 years
Ash Selby-6 years
Logan Vance-Castaneda-2 years
Aubrey White-7 years
In the Theater World
Lower School
Lower school theatre, students in grades k-5 have performed in informal performances throughout the school year, including sock puppets (3rd), shadow puppets (4th), and readers theatre (2nd & 3rd)
Middle School Theater
Middle School Theater is preparing their final performances for in-class grades and to showcase for family and friends during our upcoming Fine Arts Showcase on June 6 (all performances will be in the IPAC).
Middle School Beginner - Our Beginner class is in their final rehearsals for their sock puppet production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. They will be performing this production for Mrs. Nilo’s Lower School classes next week and promptly at 5pm for the Fine Arts Showcase.
Middle School Intermediate - Our Intermediate class is in their final rehearsals for their two Edgar Allen Poe One-Acts, “Tell-Tale Heart” and “William Wilson”. For the Fine Arts Showcase, “Tell-Tale Heart” will perform immediately following the Middle School Beginner production and “William Wilson” will perform immediately following the Senior Recognition in the gym.
All performances are free to attend.
Upper School Theater
Upper School Theater classes are completing their final projects for the year and in-class graded performances next week.
Thank you to everyone who came to see “Mean Girls” last week. We had amazing crowds and the kids put on an amazing show.
Show shirts and posters will be available to purchase at the Fine Arts Showcase on Friday, June 6.
We would also like to recognize this year’s Seniors who have participated in our classes, productions, and/or were a member of the International Thespian Society:
Analiz Bradley - 3 years (ITS Member - 1 year)
Malachi Mena - 4 years (ITS Member & Officer - 3 years)
Sofia Nilo - 4 years (ITS Member & Officer - 3 years)
Johnny Place - 1 year
Ash Selby - 2 years
In the Visual Arts World
Lower School Visual Art
You're Invited to Our Fine Arts Showcase!
We’re excited to invite all families to our Fine Arts Showcase on Thursday, June 6th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM! This special event celebrates the creativity and hard work of our students throughout the 2024–2025 school year. All students are welcome to participate by submitting artwork created from art class assignments. Projects can be completed or reworked at home, but they must be based on assignments from this school year. A paper invitation with details about how to title and mat artwork is being sent home with students. We hope to see you there as we honor our young artists and their amazing work!
For extra drawing fun check out my new youtube channel Artonomous!
I have guided drawings for all ages as well as some for practicing Spanish vocabulary. Subscribe to get updated when new videos go up.
Contact me for any questions or concerns: clintonjackson@icimagine.org
In Kindergarten, students are creating clay pendants using their shoe print. We will add paint and cord next to make a wearable piece of art.
First and second grade, students are learning about the Spanish Architect Antoni Gaudi. We looked at some of his most iconic buildings and drew detailed replicas of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
Third Grade Art: Celebrating Asian American Heritage Month with Jim Lee!
In third grade, this month, students are diving into the exciting world of comic book illustration in honor of Asian American Heritage Month! We’re spotlighting legendary comic book artist Jim Lee, a Korean American creator known for his iconic work on titles like X-Men, Batman, and Justice League.
Students are learning about Jim Lee’s artistic style and his impact on the comic book world, while also developing their own skills as young illustrators. Our focus is on the human figure—a key element in drawing believable superhero characters. Each student is designing their own original superhero and creating a comic book cover that showcases their character in action.
Fourth Grade Art: Designing Treehouses with Rulers, Texture, and Imagination!
In fourth grade, this week, students are putting their creativity to work as they design their own dream treehouses—complete with ladders, decks, rope swings, and unique architectural details!
A big focus of this project is developing strong ruler handling skills. Students are practicing how to properly hold and use a ruler to draw clean, straight lines and create structured forms in their artwork. While we’re not working on measuring, this project reinforces careful control, hand-eye coordination, and craftsmanship.
Once their treehouse drawings are sketched out, students are exploring texture and shading techniques to bring their designs to life. They’re learning how to make wood look rough, leaves look soft, and shadows add depth to their scenes.
In fifth grade, students practice ruler skills and drawing using a two-point perspective. We looked at the work of Renaissance architect Filippo Brunelleschi. We are creating drawings of tree houses using two vanishing points.
Middle School Visual Art
Skate Deck Art Project Makes Waves at Push Gallery
Our middle school artists have done it again! Those blank skate decks that were sitting in my classroom back in February have been transformed into the most incredible works of art.
This project has become something of a tradition for our 6-8 grade artists, and I have to say, this might be my favorite thing we do all year. There's something about giving kids a non-traditional canvas and saying "go for it" that just brings out the most amazing creativity.
I wish you could have seen their faces when they first got their hands on those professional-grade decks. For many of them, this was their first time working on something that wasn't paper or canvas. Some of the students were actually nervous to make that first mark!
We let them experiment with spray paint this year, which is not something we typically break out in the art room for obvious reasons. But with proper supervision (and plenty of ventilation), it became many students' favorite medium. Of course, we had plenty using acrylics, markers, collage materials, and just about anything else they could get their hands on.
What makes this project special isn't just the art-making process, though. It's what happens after. These aren't works that just get hung in our hallway or taken home to proud parents. These pieces got the full gallery treatment at Push, that wonderful skate shop downtown that has been supporting our young artists for years now.
You should have seen how seriously the students took the preparation for the exhibition. Suddenly they were thinking about things like presentation, artist statements, and even pricing! It's real-world learning that you just can't simulate in a classroom.
The folks who came to the opening night were genuinely impressed. I overheard more than one visitor asking, "These were really made by middle schoolers?" The range of styles was remarkable—from geometric designs that looked computer-generated (they weren't!) to cartoon characters to dreamlike landscapes. Each deck was as unique as the student who created it.
Here's the part that makes my teacher heart especially happy: through this project, our students raised $375 for The Foundation, which builds and maintains skateparks around Asheville. How amazing is that? Kids using their creativity to help create spaces where they and others can be physically creative too. It's a beautiful full-circle moment.
Projects like this remind me why I became an art teacher in the first place. I want my students to understand that art isn't just something you do for a grade. It's a way to connect with your community, to express your unique voice, and yes, sometimes even to make a positive difference in the world.
A huge thank you to Push for opening their space to our young artists, and to everyone who came out to support them. If you missed it this year, mark your calendars for next spring. These kids will amaze you, I promise.
Wow! What a month we have had!
We have 15 students submit work to the Brevard College
Small Works show. I am linking a video of the show for all to
see. It was a great show, and we are so proud of Sophia Abbott for winning and an Honorable mention for her Ceramic Head.
We had 12 students submit work to the Congressional Art Competition.
We had 3 students win awards at the Congressional Art Competition. Brinnen Shelton won 2nd Place for their Photo “Open-Ended Orange”. Makenna Johnson won 3rd place for their Oil Painting “Beads of Resilience”. Aria Armstrong Won an Honorable Mention for their Photo “Tomatillo”
Art 2 students have been busy designing and building miniature furniture—a project that continues to showcase their incredible creativity and attention to detail.
Art 4 students are creating vision boards to reflect their goals and dreams as they prepare to graduate and embark on the next chapter of their lives.
3D Art, we have been creating animals out of cardboard and looking forward to creating our kites as our final project for the year.
