Arts take center stage at North High

The arts were the focus of North High School’s American Education Week presentation on Nov. 15. As guests arrived for the first of four open houses hosted by the Valley Stream Central High School District last week, they were greeted with sounds from The Breakfast Club orchestra group.

Superintendent Dr. Bill Heidenreich said with all the emphasis on state testing, very rarely do schools get a day just to celebrate the arts. He noted that despite tough budget times, the Board of Education remains committed to strong music and art programs in the district.

Heidenreich explained that the art program at North High has grown over the past five years. Art teachers Alan Nafte and Kristen Gebhard talked about the many different course offerings including cartooning and animation, web design, photography and fashion in addition to some of the basic studio art, painting, drawing and sculpture courses.

There is now an Advanced Placement art course which has 23 students. Nafte said it is a rigorous course and students have to complete two dozen assignments for their portfolio review in May. Half of the pieces must show that the students can work in a variety of mediums and styles, while the other half has to be a series of related pieces that express the student’s voice.

Nafte said that the art department is constantly seeking out art shows and competitions so the students can display their work. Many students have won awards and college scholarships for their work, he explained.

Dozens of pieces of artwork were on display in North’s library. Guests then had the opportunity to hear from the student artists themselves. Among them were Emily Leo, who showed some work from her cartooning and animation class. She talked about how she goes through many rough drafts before creating a final art project, and how sometimes it is a struggle to even get started. “Looking at a blank piece of paper is the most challenging part for me,” she said.