Arts Day comes to the Straz and Conservatory

The Patel Conservatory at the Straz Center is gearing up for Arts Day!

Vocal arts teachers from area arts magnet schools plan their activities for
the PLC's annual Fine Arts Day.

Hillsborough County’s Fine Arts Magnet Professional Learning Community (PLC) met yesterday to finalize plans for this year’s Arts Day, which will take place here and at other area locations on Tues., Apr. 30, 2013.

Fine Arts Day is an opportunity for students from Hillsborough County arts magnet schools to come together for a collaborative learning experience.

Students from Muller Magnet Elementary, Philip Shore Elementary, Orange Grove Middle Middle School, Progress Village Middle School and Blake High School will attend a day of workshops, performances and educational experiences.

This year’s theme is Art Imitating Life, and will include a special appearance from Joey the horse, from the Broadway tour of War Horse.

Visual arts teachers plan their Arts Day activity.

War Horse is playing at the Straz Center from Apr. 30 through May 5, 2013. The show is a feat of ingenuity that includes life-sized horse puppets that breathe, gallop and charge, and are strong enough for men to ride. The puppets were created by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company.

On Arts Day, the participants will be treated to a presentation by the War Horse puppeteers. They’ll learn how the puppets work and have the opportunity to ask questions.

The students will then break into groups to create their own art work or performance piece.

Music students will attend clinics with members of the Florida Orchestra and sit in on a Florida Orchestra rehearsal; visual arts students will visit the Tampa Museum of Art and create their own 3-D models of horses; and dance students will choreograph their own piece based on the theme.

Other workshops include stage design, theater and vocal arts.

The day will culminate in afternoon performances or exhibitions from each group. Participating teachers and students will also have the opportunity to purchase discount tickets to attend the Florida premier of War Horse that evening.

Thank you to the dedicated teachers and administrators of the Professional Learning Community, and we look forward to co-hosting this year’s Arts Day!