National Black History Month Spotlight: Viola Davis (1965 - )

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

Viola Davis is an American actress and producer. The recipient of an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Tony Awards, she is the first African-American to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012 and 2017. In 2017, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2020, The New York Times ranked her ninth on its list of the greatest actors of the 21st century up to that point.

Born in St. Matthews, South Carolina, Davis began her acting career in Central Falls, Rhode Island, starring in minor theater productions. After graduating from the Juilliard School in 1993, she won an Obie Award in 1999 for her performance as Ruby McCollum in Everybody's Ruby. She played minor roles in several films and television series in the late 1990s and early 2000s, before winning the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role as Tonya in the 2001 Broadway production of August Wilson's King Hedley II. Davis's film breakthrough came in 2008, when her role as a troubled mother in the film Doubt earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Greater success came to Davis in the 2010s. She won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for playing Rose Maxson in the Broadway revival of August Wilson's play Fences. For starring as a 1960s housemaid in the comedy-drama The Help (2011), Davis received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2014, Davis began playing lawyer Annalise Keating in the ABC television drama series How to Get Away with Murder, and in 2015, she became the first Black woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. In 2016, Davis reprised the role of Maxson in the film adaptation of Fences, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She went on to receive a BAFTA nomination for her performance in Steve McQueen's heist film Widows (2018). In 2020, Davis garnered universal acclaim for her performance in the titular role of the film adaptation of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, for which she received an NAACP Image Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. With that nomination, Davis became the most nominated Black actress in the history of the Academy Awards, with four acting nominations, and the first Black actress to have been nominated for Best Actress more than once.

Davis and her husband, Julius Tennon, are founders of a production company, JuVee Productions. Davis is also widely recognized for her advocacy and support of human rights and equal rights for women and women of color. In 2019, she became a L'Oréal Paris ambassador.

DGN Winter Guard at WGI Regional Competition

Congratulations to the DGN Winter Guard on their second-ever appearance at a Winter Guard International (WGI) Regional.  On Saturday, February 26th, the team traveled to Lincoln-Way East High School and represented DGN very well on the larger, regional stage. With a score of 73.35, the team bested their previous week total by a significant margin of 13 points. 

 

The team competed in a competition class higher than the class in which they normally compete at WGI (and two classes above where they started the season).  Despite this added challenge, the team managed to place 11^th out of 18 guards.  

Way to go DGN Winter Guard!

National Black History Month Spotlight: Omar Thomas (1984 - )

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

Omar Thomas (https://www.omarthomas.com/)

composer // arranger // educator

Described as "elegant, beautiful, sophisticated, intense, and crystal clear in emotional intent," the music of Omar Thomas continues to move listeners everywhere it is performed. Born to Guyanese parents in Brooklyn, New York in 1984, Omar moved to Boston in 2006 to pursue a Master of Music in Jazz Composition at the New England Conservatory of Music after studying Music Education at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He is the protégé of lauded composers and educators Ken Schaphorst and Frank Carlberg, and has studied under multiple Grammy-winning composer and bandleader Maria Schneider.

Hailed by Herbie Hancock as showing "great promise as a new voice in the further development of jazz in the future," educator, arranger, and award-winning composer Omar Thomas has created music extensively in the contemporary jazz ensemble idiom. It was while completing his Master of Music Degree that he was appointed the position of Assistant Professor of Harmony at Berklee College of Music at the surprisingly young age of 23. He was awarded the ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Award in 2008, and invited by the ASCAP Association to perform his music in their highly exclusive JaZzCap Showcase, held in New York City. In 2012, Omar was named the Boston Music Award's "Jazz Artist of the Year." Following his Berklee tenure, he served on faculty of the Music Theory department at The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Now a Yamaha Master Educator, he is currently an Assistant Professor of Composition and Jazz Studies at The University of Texas at Austin.

Omar's music has been performed in concert halls the world over. He has been commissioned to create works in both jazz and classical styles. His work has been performed by such diverse groups as the Eastman New Jazz Ensemble, the San Francisco and Boston Gay Mens' Choruses, and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, in addition to a number of the country's top collegiate music ensembles. Omar has had a number of celebrated singers perform over his arrangements, including Stephanie Mills, Yolanda Adams, Nona Hendryx, BeBe Winans, Kenny Lattimore, Marsha Ambrosius, Sheila E., Raul Midon, Leela James, Dionne Warwick, and Chaka Khan. His work is featured on Dianne Reeves's Grammy Award-winning album, "Beautiful Life."

Omar's first album, "I AM," debuted at #1 on iTunes Jazz Charts and peaked at #13 on the Billboard Traditional Jazz Albums Chart. His second release, " We Will Know: An LGBT Civil Rigths Piece in Four Movements," has been hailed by Grammy Award-wining drummer, composer, and producer Terri Lyne Carrington as being a "thought provoking, multi-layered masterpiece" which has "put him in the esteemed category of great artists." "We Will Know" was awarded two OUTMusic Awards, including "Album of the Year." For this work, Omar was named the 2014 Lavender Rhino Award recipient by The History Project, acknowledging his work as an up-and-coming activist in the Boston LGBTQ community. Says Terri Lyne: "Omar Thomas will prove to be one of the more important composer/arrangers of his time."

DGN Winter Guard Takes 2nd Place at Schaumburg Contest

After their recent class promotion two weeks ago, the DGN Winter Guard made their very first appearance in the SAA Class this past Sunday at the Schaumburg High School Winter Guard Contest. They were thrilled to find continued success, even when up against tougher scoring criteria.  Congratulations to the Winter Guard for rising to this new challenge and placing 2nd at this weekend's contest!  

If you haven't caught the DGN Winter Guard yet, be sure to catch their performance of "Can't Burst My Bubble" at one of their upcoming contests!  Next Saturday February 26th, the team will be taking on the WGI Chicago Regional held at Lincoln-Way East High School.  The following weekend (March 5th) they will be competing at Lake Park High School.  

Congratulations again, DGN Winter Guard!

National Black History Month Spotlight: Kadir Nelson (1974 - )

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

Kadir Nelson (kadirnelson.com/about) is an award-winning American author and artist based in Los Angeles, California. His paintings are in the permanent collections of several notable institutions including the United States House of Representatives, the Muskegon Museum of Art, The National Baseball Hall of Fame, United States Postal Museum, the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne, Switzerland, and most recently, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, the World Trade Center, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Nelson received a BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and upon graduating with highest honors, he was summoned by DreamWorks Pictures to create conceptual artwork for Steven Spielberg’s Oscar® nominated feature, “Amistad” and the animated feature, “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron”. He is the recipient of multiple awards from the Society of Illustrators in New York, including the prestigious Hamilton King Award as well the 2020 recipient of the Caldecott Medal and Coretta Scott King Award for illustration. He adds this to multiple Caldecott Honors, Coretta Scott King Author and Illustrator Awards, New York Times Best Illustrated Book Awards, several NAACP Image Awards and an Olympic Art Bronze medal, among others. Mr. Nelson has also created artwork for a host of distinguished clients, including but not limited to National Geographic, HBO, Nike, Disney, Hennessy, and Sony Music, for whom he painted the cover artwork for Michael Jackson’s posthumously released album, “Michael,” which was listed in the Guinness Book of Records® for the largest poster in the world. Nelson’s artwork was also featured on the cover of recording artist Drake’s multi-platinum selling album, “Nothing Was the Same”; over a dozen commemorative US postage stamps honoring American legends, such as Major League All-Stars Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio, NBA great Wilt Chamberlain, and most recently Motown’s Prince of Soul Marvin Gaye, which altogether have sold several million stamps.

Nelson’s masterful artwork also frequently graces the cover of The New Yorker magazine, paying tribute to historical and contemporary American figures in New York City and abroad, including the magazine’s dandy, Eustace Tilley. Additionally, Nelson has also authored and illustrated several award- winning New York Times Best Selling picture books including, “WE ARE THE SHIP: The Story of Negro League Baseball”, which was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, and “Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans”. Currently, he has over 30 children’s book titles in print with a global circulation in the millions, and in multiple languages. Nelson’s list of illustrated children’s books include titles by Debbie Allen, Will Smith, Spike and Tonya Lee, and Delores Jordan, mother of NBA great Michael Jordan.

Nelson’s primarily figurative paintings and sculptures focus on historical narratives and heroic subjects in American culture and are often informed by the Old Masters like Ingres, Michelangelo, Hopper, and Tanner. His sumptuous settings and characters, rich palette, and realistic, yet painterly technique speaks to both modern urban realism and masterly works of turn-of-the century American painters.

DGN Visual Artists Honored at Orland Park Art Alliance Exhibition

Madeline Pearson - "Resilient Oaks" [Orland Park Arts Alliance Honorable Mention]

The Orland Park Arts Alliance in conjunction with The Orland Park Arts Commission invited high school Visual Art programs in the region to nominate student artwork for exhibition. Congratulations to the 10 student artists from DGN Fine Arts who were featured: 

Sarisa Chulanon, Eve Giesler, Ali Hackett, Charlie Michaels, Bailey Mongello, Gretchen Nelson, Madeline Pearson, Matthew Poe, Lake Ragnini, Aiden Robinson.  

Two students from North High received awards:

Honorable Mention

"Resilient Oaks" - Madeline Pearson

Orland Park Arts Alliance Award

"Lost Touch" - Sarisa Chulanon

Ali Hackett

Lake Ragnini

Matthew Poe

Eve Giesler

Bailey Mongello

National Black History Month Spotlight: William Grant Still (1895-1978)

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

William Grant Still Jr. (May 11, 1895 – December 3, 1978) was an American composer of nearly 200 works, including five symphonies, four ballets, nine operas, over thirty choral works, plus art songs, chamber music and works for solo instruments.

Often referred to as the "Dean of Afro-American Composers", Still was the first American

composer to have an opera produced by the New York City Opera. Still is known primarily for his first symphony, Afro-American Symphony (1930), which was, until 1950, the most widely performed symphony composed by an American.

Born in Mississippi, he grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, attended Wilberforce University and Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and was a student of George Whitefield Chadwick and later Edgard Varèse.

Of note, Still was the first African American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra, the first to have a symphony (his 1st Symphony) performed by a leading orchestra, the first to have an opera performed by a major opera company, and the first to have an opera performed on national television.

Due to his close association and collaboration with prominent African-American literary and cultural figures, Still is considered to be part of the Harlem Renaissance movement.

DGN Jazzers @ ETHS Jazz Festival

Congratulations to the members of the DGN Jazz Ensemble and DGN Jazz Lab Band for their terrific performances at the 2022 Evanston Township High School Jazz Festival this weekend. Student musicians from the DGN Jazz program spent the weekend immersing themselves in jazz education, in addition to having some bowling fun! 

Thank you to the faculty, staff, students and parent volunteers of Evanston Township High School for creating a wonderful day of learning and opportunities to grow as musicians.

Scholarship Alert (Seniors): Rotary Club of DG - Charles Dickerman Music Scholarship

The Rotary Club of Downers Grove is now accepting applications for their annual Charles Dickerman Music Scholarships. Each year since 2009 the Rotary Club presents scholarship checks to deserving high school seniors who reside in Downers Grove or the District 99 attendance area. This year we are increasing both the number and value of the awards. We will award up to four scholarships, including a Grand Award of $4,000!

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!

An application can be downloaded at:

tinyurl.com/DGRotaryDickermanScholarship22

A scholarship application can also be requested by emailing: musicscholarship@rotarygrovefest.com
or by phoning Dave Humphreys at (630) 968-5526.

Applicants must have their forms submitted via email by Monday, March 28, 2022. If selected as a finalist, candidates will then submit a video audition by Tuesday, April 19, 2022, and must be available for a virtual interview on the evening of Sunday, April 24, 2022. The scholarship winners will be announced in May.

The qualifications to apply for this scholarship are:

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

These Charles Dickerman Music Scholarships are funded by proceeds from the annual Downers Grove Rotary GroveFest held each June in downtown Downers Grove, and the annual Thanksgiving Day Grove Express 5K.

Information:

Dave Humphreys   (he/him) 
Rotary Club of Downers Grove
630-968-5526
musicscholarship@rotarygrovefest.com

 

Congratulations DGN Bands!

Congratulations to the members of the DGN Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble for a wonderful performance at the 2022 Winter Band Concert! A special commendation is extended to soloist Kyra McComb for her performance of the James Curnow Concertino for Percussion.   

National Black History Month Spotlight: Amy Sherald (1973 - )

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

Amy Sherald (http://www.amysherald.com/) is an American painter based in Baltimore, Maryland. She is best known for her portrait paintings. Her choices of subjects look to enlarge the genre of American art historical realism by telling African-American stories within their own tradition.

She first came to prominence in 2016 when her painting, Miss Everything (Unsuppressed Deliverance), won the National Portrait Gallery's Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. The competition noted that "Sherald creates innovative, dynamic portraits that, through color and form, confront the psychological effects of stereotypical imagery on African-American subjects". She was the first woman to win the competition. Sherald's first solo exhibition, titled "the heart of the matter..." took place in fall 2019 at the Hauser & Wirth gallery in New York City.

The year after Sherald won the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, she was chosen by First Lady Michelle Obama to paint her official portrait. On February 12, 2018 the National Portrait Gallery unveiled the portrait, making Sherald the first African-American woman to paint an official First Lady portrait. The double portrait unveiling ceremony was attended by Barack and Michelle Obama. It was noted that Sherald and Kehinde Wiley, the painter of Barack Obama's portrait, were the first African-American artists to make official presidential portraits at the National Portrait Gallery, and also as artists who each early on prioritized African-American portraiture. Holland Cotter noted in a review that they both blend fact and fiction in their portraiture.

Sherald's portrait of Obama drew high numbers of visitors to the National Portrait Gallery.

Congratulations DGN Choirs!

Congratulations to the members of the Freshman Choir, Freshman Ensemble, Concert Choir, Concert Singers, Treble Choir, Treble Ensemble, All Access Choir, Chamber Choir and A Cappella Choir for a wonderful performance at the 2022 Winter Choir Concert!