As sounds of the pop-up jazz band floated through the air, Lakeside teachers, family, and friends gathered in Red Square to celebrate student accomplishment in a wide variety of artistic pursuits. They eagerly awaited the performances and gallery showings to come as they huddled around tables, snacking on SAGE-catered food. On the 21st of May, Arts Fest returned for its 39th year since its birth in 1986, when Arts Department Head Al Snapp first envisioned it. Arts Fest is the largest Lakeside arts event of the year, and a celebration of the culmination of students’ hard work, passion, and creativity.
The Pigott Arts Center was the visual arts hotspot — housing everything from senior showpieces and mixed media paintings to dramatic photography and ornate sculptures. The gallery and lobby music was provided by the Beatmaking class — a subtle intermingling of mediums.
Downstairs, in the Pigott atrium, Mariah M. ’28 (one of the many pop musicians featured during the night) played the guzheng to a rapt audience who enjoyed snacking on donuts, cookies, and other desserts, while others admired the collaborative ceramics sculptures made of polished, interconnected spheres.
Also in Pigott, popular hands-on experiences returned, with Lakeside families invited to participate in ceramics and painting activities. Kids of all ages, supervised by drawing and painting students, splashed lion murals with colorful paint, and the ceramics studio was alive with chatter as onlookers crowded around students throwing pieces on the wheel.
Inside of McKay Chapel, in front of charcoal painting and photography boards, Drama students put on staged readings, shared film festival projects, and performed monologues. Drama III wowed with clever adaptations of children’s books, such as Mo Willems’ That Is Not A Good Idea!, Don and Audrey Wood’s The Big Hungry Bear, and an eerie rendition of Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight Moon. Drama II students guided the audience through a character’s psyche with photo-inspired monologues.
Finally, in St. Nicholas Hall, Lakesiders put on a concert featuring the choir, the jazz and concert bands, and the string orchestra. The performances featured an impressive breadth of style. The dark theatre was charged with excitement as the choir opened the evening with the haunting melody of “Alleluia Incantation,” continuing to “Tau Ya Thaba,” a traditional Sesotho Folk Song arranged by Sabelo Mthembu. Other performances included the Jazz Band and Choir’s “Sir Duke” by Stevie Wonder, the Concert Band’s two movements from “1st Suite in Eb for Military Band” by Gustav Holst, Orchestra’s “Fancy Free” by Leonard Bernstein, combined ensembles’ “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa and more. For the first time, the concert was recorded, allowing anyone to revisit the event’s magic.
As the final performances in St. Nicks and the Chapel ended to resounding applause, families and friends slowly filtered out into the spring evening. All Lakesiders are required to take at least two years of the arts, and many find a passion for the medium that carries them to senior year. Because of this, Arts Fest is a celebration for all — from middle schoolers painting rainbow lions to adults curious to try their hand at the wheel. It is the conclusion of a year packed with extensive creativity and dedication. As Arts Fest approaches its fourth decade of existence, it remains a cherished tradition, sustained by students’ passion for creation.