Posters all over Wilsonville High School advertised the annual Fall Festival of the Arts in the month of October.  The festival is an event that shows the tremendous hard work and talent of the art programs at Wilsonville.

Early Saturday morning, dozens of student volunteers and teachers gathered to set up the main gym with meticulously displayed student paintings, sculptures, and other art pieces. They decorated tables, set up a dinner buffet, and sound system. At 4pm, the gym was spilling with smiling families and students.

The event was kicked off with Wilsonville High School’s acapella group, Soul’d Out, singing their hearts out to Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror.” The jazz band, orchestra, and choirs followed. A scene from the upcoming school play, William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, was performed by two student actors, Nathan Artman and Anna Carr. Art pieces were displayed on both sides of the gym from classes including acrylic painting, architecture, and photography.

In between performances, each art teacher was introduced to the audience and talked a little about how they are involved. Wilsonville’s visual arts teacher currently teaching his 21st year at Wilsonville, Mr. Christopher Shotola-Hardt, was extremely overjoyed with the outcome of the festival. He said, “These are not failing schools. This is the best. Students working at the highest level of thinking: creativity and innovation. The hours and hours of discipline and practice getting art, music, or a theatre piece to performance level. We need to appreciate the tens of thousands of human hours that were on display here.”

Ms. Angennette Escobar, Wilsonville’s newest art teacher in her 2nd year at Wilsonville, was just as proud of her students. She added, “I heard a parent say to me ‘these kids are so talented’ and I said ‘no they’re not, they are hard working.’ It’s not talent; they weren’t born with it. Their work ethic got them to that level. Our kids are extremely hardworking and I wish everybody could see the result of their efforts, because it’s beautiful.”

If you are interested in seeing even more art pieces on display, make sure to come to the next event, WHS Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Festival on November 1, 6-8pm. WHS Theatre’s performance of Shakespeare’s As You Like It premiers November 3. The bands, orchestra, and choirs have Winter concerts in mid-December.