Center for the Arts

We look forward to welcoming our new CFA students at their orientation on Tuesday, May 17, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. in the Henrico High School Auditorium.  The evening begins in the auditorium with a general session followed by breakout sessions for the 4 CFA curriculum areas.

CFA Theatre Senior Showcase is Friday, May 13!!

On Friday May 13^th, the CFA Theatre IV students present their Senior Showcase, The Exonerated at 7:30 p.m. in the CFA Black Box Theatre.

Written by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, based on interviews, letters, transcripts, case files and the public record.  The Exonerated tells the true stories of six wrongfully convicted survivors of death row in their own words.  A Moving between first-person monologues and scenes set in courtrooms and prisons, six interwoven stories paint a picture of an American criminal justice system gone horribly wrong—and of six brave souls who persevered to survive it. 

Due to the intense subject matter, this play may not be suitable for younger children.  Feel free to contact Mr. Ritter teritter@henrico.k12.va.us for further details.

Join us Friday, May 6 for the Senior Musical Theatre showcase. The show starts at 7pm.  (NOTE TIME CHANGE.) The showcase takes place in the HHS Auditorium and it’s FREE! Please come for what is always a heartfelt show as the MT seniors take the stage for the last time at HHS.

Mary Scurlock’s Senior CFA class held a reception in the HHS library on Friday, March 25th for a deeply meaningful project they accomplished with the assistance of highly-esteemed visiting artist Michael Lease. The class studied art photography and worked together with our incredible maintenance and custodial crew to create a greater sense of community here at HHS. Students were asked to interview our maintenance and custodial staff, and to create a photographic portrait. Their stories, which offer an insightful glimpse into the lives of those who work so hard to keep our school running, will be on display alongside their moving portraits in our library throughout the month of April.

Click on the link below to view a short video about the exhibit. (Thank you HCPS TV!)

CFA Portraits

Attention all CFA DANCE students – here is your Tech Week Rehearsal Schedule!  Please note these dates/times on your calendars!

Monday 4/11:

4:00-4:30 – Snacks

4:30-7:30 – Rehearsal for LEVEL I and II ONLY

Tuesday 4/12:

4:00-4:30 – Snacks

4:30-7:30 – Rehearsal for LEVEL III and IV ONLY

Wednesday 4/13 – NO REHEARSAL

Thursday 4/14:

4:00-4:30 — Dinner (pizza)

4:30-9:00 – Final Dress Rehearsal – ALL LEVELS

Friday 4/15, Saturday 4/16:

6:00 – Call

7:30 – Showcase Performance

***DANCE STUDENTS – there will be a $5.00 ticket charge for the Dance Showcase – folks will purchase tickets at the HHS Ticket Booth.  STUDENTS – you WILL BE receiving COMP TICKETS for both Friday and Saturday night shows – you will get your comp tickets during TECH WEEK.***

Mark your calendar for April 8 & 9 for the CFA Spring Theatre Showcase. This year, the theatre showcase is a production of Spoon River Anthology, a collection of poems narrating the epitaphs of the residents of Spoon River, a fictional small town. The performances start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 and will be sold in the ticket booth near the gym.

Please join us for the Musical Theatre Spring Showcase on Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the Henrico High School Auditorium. Admission is FREE. See you there!

Attention all CFA THEATRE students – here is your Tech Week Rehearsal Schedule – and yes, it is the week right after Spring Break!

All CFA Theatre students are called EACH NIGHT for these times:

Monday 4/4:

4:00-4:30 – Snacks

4:30-8:00 – Rehearsal

Tuesday 4/5:

4:00-4:30 – Snacks

4:30-8:00 – Rehearsal

Wednesday 4/6:

4:00-4:30 – Snacks

4:30-9:00 – Dress Rehearsal

Thursday 4/7:

4:00-4:30 — Dinner (pizza)

4:30-9:30 – Final Dress Rehearsal

Friday 4/8, Saturday 4/9:

6:00 – Call

7:30 – Showcase Performance

***THEATRE STUDENTS – since the Theatre Program is producing a play for this Showcase, so we have to pay for rights.  So there will be a $5.00 ticket charge – folks will purchase tickets at the HHS Ticket Booth.  STUDENTS – you WILL BE receiving COMP TICKETS for both Friday and Saturday night shows – you will get your comp tickets during TECH WEEK.***

We are so proud of our Center for the Arts teachers and CFA arts infused academic teachers who earned special recognition in the month of March.  Read about these inspiring teachers below.

HHS Staff member of the month….Mr. Morgan Day! He earned this honor with the tremendous leadership, dedication, passion and innovation he consistently brings to the music department! Mr. Day is open-minded and he is always willing to experiment or try new ideas. In fact, colleagues affectionately refer to him as our “idea guy.” Not only does he come up with new ideas (for everything from recruitment opportunities to performance experiences) but he also finds creative ways to implement his ideas and put them into action! Examples of his initiative-in-action include the annual Spirituals Concert which he coordinates with two other HCPS choral departments (this year it was Tucker and Deep Run High Schools); the CFA Infusion-Symposium, which he organized and coordinated with the MT & Theatre teachers to bring first-rate Guest Artists from the Greater Richmond Community to HHS to work with the CFA students; and the Norfolk University Chorus tour, in which he coordinated their visit to HHS in honor of Black History Month.

Congratulations to Mr. Todd Ritter, this year’s REB Nominee for Henrico HS. Mr Ritter is an exceptionally effective teacher and his students and team love him. He is energetic, uses humor freely, and has authority within the classroom. Todd’s influence in the classroom, and on particular students, extends beyond his own classroom. He interacts with students from every level and group within the school through the Drama Club. He also has an effect on the overall school climate by implementing programs and activities that creates a very tolerant and inclusive environment within Warrior Nation. Many of Mr. Ritter’s students have gone on to college and have made career choices involving the theatre. Todd Ritter makes a difference to his students by giving them such superlative skills that they are able to compete with the best, outside of Henrico High School and beyond Richmond. He opens up to them the STAGE OF LIFE!

CFA Director Dr. Stephanie Poxon has been nominated for this year’s Excellence in Education monthly award sponsored by NBC12 and Henrico Federal Credit Union. Dr. Poxon’s effective leadership, vision, dedication and inspiration to her team, parents and students has created a premier specialty center locally, nationally and internationally!

Congratulations to our HHS Teachers of the Year 2015-16: Ms. Fender, Ms. Gay & Ms. Bobcombe-Ring! (Pictured left to right.)  Ms. Fender is Henrico High’s teacher of the year. Ms. Fender serves as department chair, new teacher mentor, NSBRI teacher and Fellow of Nano Science Tech. at the Science Innovation Center. She is also a CFA arts-infused teacher, bringing the arts into her science classrooms. Ms. Fender is a member of Kappa Delta Pi and completed her studies at William & Mary. Ms. Fender shared, “Not only am I working to teach the curriculum, but I feel I am teaching students to love science, to love learning and to have pride in what they can achieve!”

Below is the list of the Center for the Arts recipients of 2016 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards:

47 Total awards:

1 gold portfolio

3 silver portfolios

7 individual golds

22 individual silvers

13 honorable mentions

Madeline Taylor Art Portfolio Gold Key Art Portfolio Illusions Henrico High School

Emily Mustian Art Portfolio Silver Key Art Portfolio Equilibrium Henrico High School

Olivia Erika Duke Art Portfolio Silver Key Art Portfolio Occurences of Man Henrico High School

Joseph Zampetti Art Portfolio Silver Key Art Portfolio Persona Henrico High School

Zach Duke Art Gold Key Drawing and Illustration In Suspension Henrico High School

Madison McDonnell Art Gold Key Sculpture broken water sunstice Henrico High School

Emily Mustian Art Gold Key Mixed Media Symbiosis Henrico High School

Emily Mustian Art Gold Key Mixed Media Molten Henrico High School

Jajsani Roane Art Gold Key Mixed Media CityEscape Henrico High School

Madeline Taylor Art Gold Key Photography Cosmic Henrico High School

Hallie Wilson Art Gold Key Mixed Media Stitched Henrico High School

Tiffany Choi Art Silver Key Mixed Media What are My Thoughts Henrico High School

Zach Duke Art Silver Key Photography Blades Henrico High School

Zach Duke Art Silver Key Drawing and Illustration Beau Henrico High School

Olivia Dunham Art Silver Key Mixed Media cliques Henrico High School

Sofie Falasco Art Silver Key Drawing and Illustration Self Portrait Henrico High School

Sofie Falasco Art Silver Key Drawing and Illustration Gabby Henrico High School

Erykah Hatch Art Silver Key Sculpture Blue Henrico High School

Katie Hennessee Art Silver Key Mixed Media Fruit Salad Henrico High School

Katie Hennessee Art Silver Key Mixed Media Material in Descent Henrico High School

Madison McDonnell Art Silver Key Mixed Media plastic tower Henrico High School

Abbi Morin Art Silver Key Mixed Media Reprioritizing Henrico High School

Emily Mustian Art Silver Key Mixed Media Benthic Zone Henrico High School

Jason Phan Art Silver Key Mixed Media Swirld Henrico High School

Renessa Rabenda Art Silver Key Drawing and Illustration Pressure Henrico High School

Rose Rea Art Silver Key Film & Animation Pageant Sixty-Six Henrico High School

Madeline Taylor Art Silver Key Photography Ethereal Henrico High School

Madeline Taylor Art Silver Key Photography Gilded Henrico High School

Joseph Zampetti Art Silver Key Drawing and Illustration Eye Study Henrico High School

Joseph Zampetti Art Silver Key Drawing and Illustration Tyler Henrico High School

Joseph Zampetti Art Silver Key Drawing and Illustration Fragmentation Henrico High School

Madeline Taylor Art Silver Key Photography Overflowed Henrico High School

Camille Varner Art Silver Key Drawing and Illustration Doubt Henrico High School

Joshua Bynum Art Honorable Mention Photography BLIND SIDED Henrico High School

Joshua Bynum Art Honorable Mention Mixed Media perception. Henrico High School

Tiffany Choi Art Honorable Mention Painting Olivia Henrico High School

Brady Clem Art Honorable Mention Drawing and Illustration Construction Henrico High School

Olivia Erika Duke Art Honorable Mention Painting In Limbo Henrico High School

Emmanuelle Garcia Art Honorable Mention Mixed Media The Journey of a Woman Henrico High School

Gracyn Gigante Art Honorable Mention Drawing and Illustration The Happiness and Instability Club

Gracyn Gigante Art Honorable Mention Mixed Media Truth Henrico High School

Katie Hennessee Art Honorable Mention Painting Three Views of a Dead Cicada Henrico High School

Katie Hennessee Art Honorable Mention Drawing and Illustration Heavenly Ascension Henrico High

Madison McDonnell Art Honorable Mention Mixed Media tiptoe Henrico High School

Rachel Morrissey Art Honorable Mention Mixed Media Study of the Map of my Childhood Home Henrico

Joseph Zampetti Art Honorable Mention Ceramics & Glass Stacked Vessel Henrico High School