At University High School, the Fine Arts department includes music, theatre, dance and a range of other visual and performing arts. This year, senior Ariana Raetz and junior Alan Hu, the Associated Student Body Fine Arts Commissioners, are determined to highlight all forms of arts and make it welcoming and accessible to everyone on campus. While both Hu and Raetz have taken part in various aspects of campus life, from assisting with Spirit Night to participating in the UHS Theatre, this is their first year of official involvement in ASB as Fine Arts Commissioners.
UHS’s Fine Arts Program works to unify the diverse interests of students. The program spotlights students’ talents, plans Fine Arts Week and even hosts Univision segments.
“It’s more of just a way to make sure that we highlight how diverse and how versatile our arts program is at Uni,” Raetz said. “I think that the term ‘fine arts’ and what fine arts really means to Uni is spotlighting people’s niche talents . . . within the arts program and bringing them to life.”
Students can look forward to changes in the UHS Fine Arts Program. Hu and Raetz look forward to collaborating with the Wellness Center and focusing more on Univision episodes. Furthermore, they plan to make changes to social media and the ways arts are shared.
“Instead of just spotlighting one artist a month . . . this year we’re going to change it to be Art of the Month, where we not only get to spotlight more than one person, but we also get to talk more about the art itself,” Hu said. “I think that this will help a lot with people getting more exposure to the different kinds of arts and what they can offer.”
One of their goals is to broaden their audience by appealing to students who aren’t necessarily artistic. They are looking forward to taking an outside perspective, removing the need for students to join a class in order to gain a better understanding of the program.
“We’re kind of trying to tie the line and bridge the gap between artists and people who aren’t necessarily in the arts and create something that can be interesting on both sides,” Raetz said. “The different things that we’re trying to implement this year through our Instagram are all in efforts to get people who aren’t necessarily into arts and give them a good grasp of what we do within the department.”
The commissioners also work throughout the year to prepare for the two Fine Arts Weeks, which occur on Nov. 17-21 and April 20-24. These week-long events involve lunchfests, displays in the library and theatre and choir and orchestra performances.
“So that’s really our week to demonstrate whatever we want to demonstrate to the world,” Raetz said. “Our second arts week is in the second semester, and that’s when we get to show what the artists have been working on. That’s really our opportunity to show them during school time because these people have been working so hard.”
