NKSD Festival of the Arts draws into KJH June 1

Published 8:00 pm Wednesday, May 31, 2006

KINGSTON — In education, the arts are the emotional outlet that complements the academic rigor students are consistently challenged with.

In 2002, Kingston Junior High School began hosting a festival to display that artistic emotion for the community at-large with a small collection of KJH paintings, sculptures and visual art.

“Now we’ve got all four art forms,” KJH art teacher James Andrews said of the 2006 festival. “Now it’s just huge.”

This year, dancers, thespians, artists, poets and musicians from every school in the North Kitsap School District and parts of the community will be coming together from 6-9 p.m. Thursday at the KJH campus to create an amalgamation of the arts.

This year, the NKSD Festival of the Arts will reach beyond a typical art show, Andrews said.

“Many performances will be going on simultaneously in different areas of the building in true festival style,” Andrews said. “Also many local arts organizations, businesses and institutions will have informational displays for the festival-goers.”

The Kitsap Mineral and Gem Society will be on hand in the KJH tech room, not only displaying its jeweled artwork, but also providing visitors the opportunity to craft their own creations.

In this spirit of creation, a large canvas will be placed near the entrance of KJH on which attendees can add their piece of creativity to what Andrews hopes to be a festival of the arts mural.

“It’s a way to say that you were part of the festival, you made your mark,” Andrews said.

One person who has made her mark on arts in education through legislation, Washington State Supt. of Public Instruction Dr. Terry Bergeson, will be the guest of honor at the event.

After the festival’s open viewing session from 6-6:30 p.m., Dr. Bergeson will be accepting an award from the NKSD for her dedication to arts in Washington’s schools which she will follow with a brief speech about what she thinks makes the arts an important facet of education.

The remainder of the evening will be dedicated to students.

“This is the first year I’ve been in an art class,” said KJH ninth-grader Emily Kelleigh. “I’m really glad that I did because it’s a class where you can express yourself.”

This year, for the first time, students will also be expressing themselves through the theater as Toby Kemper’s drama classes will be performing selected scenes from 7:30-8:30 p.m. in the KJH commons.

The student thespians will be followed by a student-led fashion show, which will end the event. On the musical side of things, the SASSE drum group from Suquamish Elementary will be performing in the commons following Bergeson’s address.

And in the gym, four different dance groups will also be performing from 6:50-7:40 p.m.