Congratulations DGN Vocal Festival Participants!

Congratulations to over 60 choir students who participated in our annual Vocal Festival today! Three guest clinicians worked in a masterclass format with our singers during each of our scheduled choir classes, providing a wonderful learning opportunity for both the soloists and the audience of choir students! 18 students were selected to compete in a "run-off" performance after school, and a small group of these students will be selected by our clinicians to sing alongside peers from DGS at our District Honors Recital in March.
We are so proud of our students' hard work and marvelous performances! Special thanks to our voice teachers for helping our students prepare for this event, and to our clinicians, Dr. Robert Sinclair, Mrs. Beth Best and Mrs. Robyn Wiper, for a wonderful day!

DGN Visual Artists Honored at 5th Annual Illinois High School Art Exhibition (IHSAE)

Congratulations to the DGN Fine Arts students who were selected to exhibit work at the Illinois High School Art Exhibition’s annual General Exhibition:

• Kaitlyn Almazan
• Audrey Lucas
• Angela Wong
• Carlos Hernandez
• Lucy Quinn

Senior Audrey Lucas received the Silver Medal in the Photography category.

Junior Angela Wong received the Silver Medal in the Pottery category. 

Junior Lucy Quinn received an Early College Program Scholarship from the University of Michigan in the Painting category. 

At the accompanying Illinois High School Art Exhibition’s annual Senior Scholarship Competition, seven DGN Fine Arts students were selected to display work at compete for more than 1.2 million in scholarships: 

• Marcus Bacerra
• Evelyn Brindl
• Benjamin Gartlan
• Marissa Justiano
• Mia Kibiloski
• Jonny McDonald
• Julia Yrkoski

The Illinois High School Art Exhibition is a not-for-profit corporation whose mission is the advancement of visual arts education through exhibition. Developed by teachers for students in 2014, the organization is run by full-time art educators who collaborate with corporate sponsors, art schools/colleges/universities, and participating public, private, and charter high schools to celebrate and award the artistic talents of Illinois high school art students. 

Congratulations and thanks are extended to District 99 Visual art teachers Mr. Josh Hoering (Board of Directors & Portfolio Coordinator) & Katherine O'Truk (General Exhibition Awards Coordinator) for their service to the IHSAE staff.

For more information, go to www.ihsae.org.

National Black History Month Spotlight: Muddy Waters (1913-1983)

February is Black History Month, and @DGNFineArts is pleased to spotlight the pioneering work of African American artists.

Muddy Waters (1913-1983) was born a sharecropper in Mississippi. He taught himself to play the harmonica and guitar by the age of 17. He moved to Chicago, and after receiving an electric guitar, began to develop his Blues sound. One of his most popular songs, “Rolling Stone,” led to the name of the successful Rock and Roll Band. Waters won 6 Grammy awards over the course of his career. He passed at the age of 70 in Downers Grove.

http://www.biography.com/people/muddy-waters-9525002#later-career

DGN Musicians Support “Feed My Starving Children”

70 DGN musicians from Band, Choir, Orchestra, and Tri-M Music Honor Society volunteered tonight at "Feed My Starving Children" and packed over 40,000 meals.

Special thanks is extended to our event volunteer coordinator, Aleena Albert.

#WeAreDGN

National Black History Month Spotlight: Augusta Savage (1892-1962)

February is Black History Month, and @DGNFineArts is pleased to spotlight the pioneering work of African American artists.

Augusta Savage (1892-1962) was a leading artist during the Harlem Renaissance as well as an activist and arts educator. Savage was one of the most respected sculptors of her time and studied art all over the world.  In 1934, she became the first African-American artist to be elected to the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors. She then launched the Savage Studio of Arts and Crafts, located in a basement on West 143rd Street in Harlem. She opened her studio to anyone who wanted to paint, draw, or sculpt. She worked throughout her career to gain equality for African- American artists nationwide.

http://www.biography.com/people/augusta-savage-40495#synopsis

Welcome Ball State University Women's Chorus

The DGN Choirs had the honor of hosting the Ball State University Women's Chorus on Wednesday afternoon! The Ball State Women's Chorus was selected through competitive audition to perform at the ACDA Central and North Central Division Conference on Thursday morning in Chicago. We enjoyed an incredible preview of their upcoming performance and our A Cappella Choir had the opportunity to sing and collaborate with the Women's Chorus. Many thanks to Dr. Kerry Glann and the Ball State University Women's Chorus for making the stop in Downers Grove to share their beautiful music!

Winter Choir Concert

Congratulations to the members of the DGN Choirs for a terrific performance at this evening's Winter Choir Concert!

Rotary Music Scholarship Applications now being accepted!

The Rotary Club of Downers Grove is now accepting applications for their annual Charles Dickerman Music Scholarship.  Each year the Rotary Club of Downers Grove presents a $2,000 scholarship check to a deserving high school senior who resides in Downers Grove or in the District 99 attendance area.  Charles Dickerman was a founding member of the Rotary Club of Downers Grove.  He was a nuclear physicist at Argonne National Laboratory who had undergraduate degrees in both physics and music.  Charles stayed involved in music throughout his life and was an avid bagpiper.

A scholarship application can be downloaded at www.dgrotary.com 

Applicants must have their forms postmarked by Wednesday, April 4, 2018.  If selected as a finalist, candidates must be available for an audition and interview of the evening on Monday, April 30, 2018.   

The qualifications to apply for this scholarship are:

• Be a graduating senior attending a public, private, parochial or home school and reside in the Downers Grove or District 99 attendance area.
• Plan to pursue a post-secondary education program.
• Have participated in high school curricular music activities and/or extra-curricular music activities.
• Composers and/or arrangers qualify for this scholarship.
• Pursuit of an undergraduate music major or minor is not required.
• Financial needs is not a criterion for selection. 

DGN Choirs In Concert Tonight!

The student musicians of the DGN Choirs are pleased and proud to present their Winter Choir Concert, tonight at 7 PM in the Clarence Johnson Auditorium. The concert is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:30 PM for general seating.

Family and friends out of town? Click HERE to be directed to the DGN Fine Arts YouTube Channel, which will stream the concert live and feature video-replay.