Scholarship Alert (Seniors): DGN-FOFA Senior Scholarships

What is the Senior Scholarship?

The Downers Grove North Friends of Fine Arts (FOFA) are pleased to announce our Senior Scholarship Award Program. FOFA will award scholarships to seniors who are planning to continue their education in the fall following their high school graduation and who plan to participate in some capacity in the fine arts. The FOFA Senior Scholarship Committee reviews the applications in a blind format.

Who may apply?

Current DGN seniors may apply for a scholarship if they are planning to be both involved in the fine arts and continue their education in the fall of 2021. To be eligible, the student must be enrolled in a Fine Arts course during their senior year and have completed 6 semesters of Fine Arts courses upon graduation from Downers Grove North High School.  

• At least one scholarship will be awarded to a senior attending a college in the fall where they will be pursuing a degree involving Fine Arts.

• At least one scholarship will be awarded to a senior who is pursuing an area of study outside of the Fine Arts but plans to continue a Fine Arts activity in college during their freshman year.

To what may the award be applied? 

Recipients will use this one-time award towards tuition at an accredited two or four-year institution of higher learning. The FOFA Senior Scholarship will be administered and awarded in compliance with the DGN Student/Parent Handbook and Code of Conduct Policy.

How do I apply?

Complete the application (fillable Google Form), which can be found HERE or at https://tinyurl.com/DGN-FOFA-SeniorScholarship2021.  The application requires a typed parent/guardian acknowledgment signature. Applications must be submitted electronically via the Google Form no later than 11:59 pm, Wednesday, March 24, 2021.  Mr. Brayer Teague, Fine Arts Department Chairperson, will then accept all applications, remove the student’s name from the application, assign the application an ID number, and submit it to the Scholarship Review Committee for blind review.

What are the criteria for selecting winners?

The Scholarship Review Committee will review the applicant’s grades in the Fine Arts, school activities involving the Fine Arts, activities outside of school involving the Fine Arts, other extracurriculars at DGN, civic/community service, work experience, and essays about the applicant’s future plans and growth as an artist/musician/thespian.  All of these components will be judged blindly and relative to other applicants with similar future plans. Semi-finalists may be required to attend an interview with the Scholarship Review Committee in April. The recipients will be presented with the scholarship at the DGN Senior Awards Night (currently scheduled for Wednesday, May 5th, 2021), or by a phone call from the FOFA President.

Please note: If you are the recipient of a full Fine Arts or full academic grant/scholarship for college, we ask that you do not apply for the FOFA Scholarship as you will not be eligible.

Checklist for completion:

1. Complete the Google application form in its entirety, including student and parent electronic signature and date.   We suggest you use Google Docs or another tool to create your essay responses, then copy these to the form.  

2. Submit the completed application by 11:59 PM, Wednesday, March 24, 2021. You will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours that your submission has been received. If you do not receive an email, please re-submit. 

All-State Musician Tradition!

Each year, on the day that North High's All-State Musicians depart for their performances in Peoria, IL, the DGN Fine Arts Department honors these students with a display of cardboard cut-outs in the Main Street Lobby. COVID-19 has cancelled the in-person All-State concerts this year, but the pandemic has not thwarted our pride in these amazing musicians! 

Congratulations, again, to the 19 students who earned All-State Musician honors in 2020-21:

CHORUS

Bridget Callaghan (11) – Soprano II

Cole Cook (12) – Tenor II

Leah Costello (10) – Alto I

Jaclyn Duellman (12) – Alto I

Cora Lingenfelter (11) – Soprano II

Ian Stagaman (11) – Bass I 

FUTURE MUSIC EDUCATOR SEMINAR 

Carissa Blumka (12)

Raegan Novak (12) 

JAZZ

MacKenzie McGuire (12) – Vocal Jazz Soprano

ORCHESTRA STRINGS

Isaac Hsu (11) – Cello

Nicole Moravec (10) – Violin I

Noah Pardue (12) – Viola 

Melissa Parkinson (11) – Double Bass

Caitlyn Stocki (11) – Harp 

Jesse Wei (12) – Viola

WINDS and PERCUSSION

Cameron Hejny (10) – Clarinet (Band)

Francesca Korbitz (11) – Flute (Band)

Angelica Kowara (12) – Trombone (Band)

Katelynn Ohk (12) – Piccolo (Orchestra)

DGN Visual Artists Honored - 2021 Scholastic Art Awards

The Fine Arts Department at Downers Grove North High School is proud to announce the results of the judging from the 2021 Scholastic Art Awards held at Downers Grove North High School and hosted by the Community High School District 99 Fine Arts Departments.  695 student artists representing 109 arts educators submitted 1,739 works of art for adjudication. 475 total works were honored with recognitions. North High artists won 62 awards, including 17 Gold Key Awards, 18 Silver Key Awards, and 27 Honorable Mention Awards.

“We always look forward to hosting the Chicago-area regional exhibition at North High,” said Brayer Teague, Fine Arts Department Chairman. “COVID-19 necessitates that we pivot to a virtual exhibition, but the honor for students to be recognized through the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is untarnished. The amazing display of student creativity will be a testament to the wonderful art teaching that is happening in District 99.”  According to Teague, the art teachers from both North and South High School play an important role in putting the exhibition together.  “Our District 99 art teachers are the engine behind this regional affiliate of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.  Their dedication and tireless commitment enables student artists from all over the suburban region to have their work evaluated by professional artists. The collection and adjudication of work, in the midst of a pandemic, was a Herculean task. I'm immeasurably proud of our District 99 faculty for their perseverance to organize the 2021 exhibition, assuring this important opportunity for students and art educators all over Chicago."  

GOLD KEY AWARDS (17)

CLICK HERE to view a portfolio of all DGN Gold Key Awards.

Elyse Adams (Jewelry) Queen's Colony

Charlie Belcastro (Jewelry) The Two Claws

Ethan Bell (Photography) Masks On

Adam Blair-Smith (Photography) Fatigue

Reed Brandt (Photography) Commute

Danylo Chepil (Photography) Rani in Downtown

Sarisa Chulanon (Photography) Deadly Alive

Patricia Kroczka (Photography) Bipolar Disorder

Mary Lerch (Jewelry) Willow by the Pier

Elisse Martin (Ceramics & Glass) Dream

Eliot Michaels (Drawing & Illustration) That's Okay

Eliot Michaels (Drawing & Illustration) Upstream

Eliot Michaels (Art Portfolio) A Release of Grief

Emily Nemeth (Jewelry) Day and Night

Olivia Shirk (Photography) BLM and CPD

Olivia Shirk (Photography) Embracing, At Last

Olivia Shirk (Photography) Blurred Out

SILVER KEY AWARDS (18)

Ethan Bell (Photography) Greedy Flame

Lillian Cawthorne (Painting) Alone

Sarisa Chulanon (Photography) half alive

Gavin Crowson (Photography) Fire & Ice

Natasha Fugate (Photography) Rose Colored Glasses

Gracie Gwozdz (Mixed Media) Are You Afraid?

Gracie Gwozdz (Ceramics & Glass) Red Drip

Ohana Jeron (Drawing & Illustration) Her Majesty

Eliot Michaels (Drawing & Illustration) Cat Machine

Eliot Michaels (Drawing & Illustration) Crow Trio

Madeline Pearson (Digital Art) Plague Doctor

Christina Powell (Photography) Modern Day Cain

Vidmantas Revuckas (Digital Art) TV Corruption

Olivia Shirk (Photography) Black Women in America

Olivia Shirk (Photography) Standing Up

Olivia Shirk (Photography) Rainbow Eyes

Benedikt Strempfer (Photography) Dramatic Lighting

Molly Tappmeyer (Photography) Charlie

HONORABLE MENTION (27)

Elyse Adams (Art Portfolio) Grandma's Box

Lillian Cawthorne (Painting) Mimi

Lillian Cawthorne (Drawing & Illustration) Comfort

Sarisa Chulanon (Photography) In The Alley

Natasha Fugate (Photography) Secrets of the Universe

Zack Gaytan (Jewelry) see through

Zack Gaytan (Art Portfolio) Freedom and New Beginnings

Ohana Jeron (Drawing & Illustration) Lady of the Hunt

Elina Lee (Photography) philocaly

Charlie Michaels (Sculpture) Endangered Beauty

Eliot Michaels (Digital Art) Lost Cat

Eliot Michaels (Art Portfolio) Bird Brain

Alexa Moy (Jewelry) Burst

Alexa Moy (Photography) Hawaiian Story

Gretchen Nelson (Photography) Masked

Avery Nowka (Ceramics & Glass) Mugs Of Emotions

Jack Oakes (Digital Art) The Merge

Jack Oakes (Digital Art) Running Out of Time

Madeline Pearson (Digital Art) Movie night

Haley Phillips (Jewelry) Holding My Own Hand

Aiden Robinson (Jewelry) Frozen Elegance

Olivia Shirk (Photography) I Like You

Olivia Shirk (Art Portfolio) Black Lives Matter Through a Lens

Benedikt Strempfer (Photography) boy and forest double exposure

Ashleigh Szydlowski (Photography) Masked Winter

Jacob Tyszkowski (Photography) Touch deprived

Lilly Vodak (Photography) Hidden Beauty

DGN Band Alumnus Kristin Bowers at Presidential Inaugural

Downers Grove North High School alumnus Kristin (King) Bowers, clarinetist with "The President's Own" United States Marine Band, will perform at the Presidential Inaugural ceremonies on Wednesday, January 20, 2021.

CLICK HERE to view a short message from Staff Sergeant Bowers, about the Inauguration performance.

The Marine Band is America’s oldest continuously active professional musical organization. Founded in 1798, the band has performed for every U.S. president since John Adams. Known as “The President’s Own” since the days of Thomas Jefferson, the Marine Band’s mission is to provide music for the President of the United States and the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

Staff Sergeant Kristin Bowers of Downers Grove, Ill., joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in May 2017.

Bowers began her musical training on clarinet at age 10. After graduating in 2002 from Downers Grove North High School, she attended Indiana University in Bloomington where she earned a bachelor’s degree in clarinet performance in 2006 and studied with Howard Klug. In 2008, she earned master’s degree in clarinet performance from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., and studied with Steve Cohen of Northwestern and Lawrie Bloom of the Chicago Symphony.

Prior to joining “The President’s Own,” Staff Sgt. Bowers performed with the South Bend Symphony in Indiana and served as principal clarinet in the United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C., from 2011-17.

Staff Sgt. Bowers performs with the Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra at the White House, in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, and across the country during the band’s annual concert tour.

Recently, Staff Sgt. Bowers Bowers chatted with her high school band director, DGN Fine Arts Department Chairperson Brayer Teague, and answered questions about her work with "The President's Own."

Teague: You auditioned into "The President's Own" United States Marine Band in 2017, so this is your first Inauguration as a member of the band. Previously, you were the Principal Clarinetist with the Air Force Band of Washington, D.C. Have you ever participated in official Inaugural events as a musician with the Air Force?

Bowers: I first participated in inaugural events in 2013 as a member of The United States Air Force Band.  I was honored to march in the inaugural parade for the second inauguration of President Obama.  I also had the privilege of performing at an inaugural ball that night, and vividly remember being just feet away from Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys!  I did not participate in the 2017 Inauguration--I watched from home as I took care of my infant daughter!

Teague: The mission of "The President's Own" is to perform for the President of the United States and the Commandant of the Marine Corps. I imagine that there is a great deal of professional pride that comes with each and every performance, but is the Inauguration a special or unique opportunity for the musicians of the United States Marine Band?

Bowers: There's nothing quite like performing for the Inauguration of a President.  I am so greatly honored to be one of the few who will witness this historical event in person.

Teague: The Inaugural Ceremony is likely the most public and most watched of the band's performances. What are some other important performances that are a part of the band's mission, but maybe less-seen by the general public? 

Bowers: Many of our most important performances happen inside the White House!  Members of The President's Own are present for almost every historic event that occurs at the White House.  Whether it is a State Dinner, bill signing, important speech or reception--the Marine Band is there!  The Marine Band also performs Full Honors Funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, honoring the deceased service men and women of the United States Marine Corps. The President's Own takes great pride in presenting free concerts to the public throughout the DC area and across the country.  Some of our most rewarding work is participating in educational outreach programs which provide us the opportunity to connect with music students of all ages. 

Teague: COVID-19 has significantly changed the traditional ways in which musicians are able to come together and rehearse. How has this impacted "The President's Own" protocols for rehearsing in preparation for the Inauguration this year?

Bowers: Honestly, it has been wonderful and somewhat surreal to be rehearsing as a large band for this event.  All members of the band were tested for COVID-19 before rehearsals began.  We have subsequently been tested twice for entrance into the Inauguration dress rehearsal and main event. Our chairs are placed in a socially distanced setup, and the most directional instruments have plexi glass between rows. We also rehearse for only 40 minutes before taking a break to allow aerosols to disperse.  

Scholarship Alert (Freshmen/Sophomores/Juniors): Summer Study Grant in the Fine Arts! (DGN FOFA)

If you are interested in continuing your Fine Arts studies this summer at a music, theatre, or visual art camp/workshop, and would benefit from financial assistance to attend, please consider applying for a scholarship from the DGN Friends of Fine Arts, which annually supports $8,000 - $10,000 in Summer Study Grants to student musicians, thespians and visual artists.

To be considered, your application must be submitted by Sunday, April 11, 2021. The Summer Study Grant application is on a Google form, completely paperless. You may complete the form here:

https://tinyurl.com/2021DGNSummerFineArtsGrant

Scholarship Awards will be announced in early May.  Questions about the application process? Please ask Mr. Teague, Downers Grove North Fine Arts Department Chairperson.

Scholarship Alert (Freshman/Sophomores/Juniors): Downers Grove Music Club Rising Stars Music Awards

$400 Awards for Freshman, Sophomores & Juniors in Music

The Downers Grove Music Club will present multiple $400 Rising Stars Music Awards.  Awards are given to students enrolled in the District 99 high schools in the areas of Band, Choir or Orchestra.  Award recipients are selected based on the merit of their musical accomplishments, as described on the application form and the quality of the musical performance provided on the recording portion of the application. The goal of these awards is to recognize and reward those students who have worked very hard in their musical pursuits and have achieved a high level of accomplishment as a musician.

Freshman, Sophomores, and Juniors may apply for one of the multiple Rising Stars Awards ($400 each).  Additional information, on the Downers Grove Music Club website, may be found HERE.

Who Is Eligible?
Any  District 99 high school band, choir or orchestra student, currently in his/her junior year, pursuing a musical educational experience during the summer in which tuition is charged, is eligible to apply for a Rising Stars Award. Pianists may apply in the musical category with which they are affiliated.
 

Award recipients are required to perform the following year at the DGMC Rising Stars program, usually scheduled on a Tuesday evening in April.

How Can I Apply?
The application, and submission of performance video, must be completed online.

All entries must be DATE/TIME STAMPED by the deadline date of April 1, 2021 to be eligible for review.

Questions should be sent to:  musiced@downersgrovemusicclub.org.

Scholarship Alert (Seniors): DG Music Club College Music Award

The Downers Grove Music Club will present a $1,000 College Music Award to at least one student enrolled in Band, Choir or Orchestra in District 99. Award recipients will be selected based on the merit of their musical accomplishments, as described on the application form, and the quality of the musical performance provided on the video recording portion of the application.  The goal of these awards is to recognize and reward those students who have worked very hard in their musical pursuits and have achieved a high level of accomplishment as a musician.

Seniors may apply for one of the two possible College Music Awards ($1,000 each). Additional information, on the Downers Grove Music Club website, may be found HERE.

Who Is Eligible?
Any District 99 high school band, choir or orchestra senior, who will be graduating during the this academic year and who will be attending college in the fall of 2021, is eligible to apply.

How Can I Apply?
The application must be completed and submitted, along with a performance video recording, as directed on the submission website, by April 1, 2021.  Award recipients will be chosen only from among the applications received by the deadline date.

All entries must be DATE/TIME STAMPED by the deadline date of April 1, 2021 to be eligible for review.

Questions should be sent to:  musiced@downersgrovemusicclub.org.