Fine Arts

Mile High’s outstanding fine arts program provides our students with artistic and musical challenges, lifelong interests, and a place to showcase their individual talents. We have 304 students involved in performing arts alone—almost half our school population! Three-fourths of our student body also takes art; sixth and seventh grade classes change quarterly and eighth grade classes are for a semester.

The performing arts program includes beginning and advanced sections of choir and orchestra. We also have a percussion ensemble and four sections of band: beginning, intermediate, advanced, and jazz. The opportunity to perform in the school and public settings builds self-esteem, a sense of accomplishment, and a sense of community. Performances to a full house in Hendrix Auditorium include friends, family members, and the community. The beginning band performs three times a year; intermediate, advanced, and jazz bands give concerts quarterly. Additionally, the intermediate and advanced bands get adjudicated at the Northwest Arizona Middle School Music Festival in March. Jazz band has been to the NAU Jazz Festival and the Deer Valley Jazz Fest. Our jazz band is highlighted at the Tri-City Arts Showcase each year. They tour the elementary schools in the spring and also perform at the United Way of Yavapai County’s Recognition Event in February.

Advanced band also performs at the Yavapai County Fair, for our district kindergartners in December, and for the district fifth graders in May. They have also played at a Prescott High School (PHS) football game with the Granite Mountain Middle School (GMMS) advanced band and the PHS marching band.

Choir incorporates music appreciation with vocal opportunities such as singing holiday music to elementary students and entertaining residents in nursing homes. The choir performs quarterly to a full house of parents, family, friends, and community members; the Winter Choral Concert is held at PHS's Ruth Street Theatre in conjunction with the choirs from GMMS and the high school. They also attend the solo and ensemble all-star auditions in Flagstaff yearly.

As visitors pass our giant cottonwood tree, cross the bridge over Granite Creek, and enter the parking lot area, the first thing they see is an example of the creative process of Mile High’s art students. The school’s stone nameplate is embellished with student made mosaic tiles, which also decorate the flowerbed borders leading into the entrance of the administration building. These student designed tiles and panels of mosaics are a product of artist Juanita Clark’s Artist-in-Residency program. A program such as this reinforces the visual arts department’s philosophy of introducing students to the creative process and divergent thinking skills. It encourages them to think outside the box as they plan, design, and execute their art projects. An upcoming project is a totem pole, which will be carved out of our cottonwood’s sister tree by local artist Gary Cassidy and completed by art students. It will serve as a historical tribute to Prescott.

Sixth and seventh grade art students were part of the mosaic project and will also be working on the totem pole project. Their sequentially based curriculum explores clay, watercolor, shading, realistic, non-objective and abstract drawings. As eighth graders, the techniques they have learned are used to produce varied projects. Some of the featured art projects are mask making, master chair painting where students select a master’s two dimensional work to portray on a three dimensional chair, and ceramic teapots. Individually designed and glazed teapots are presented to family members at an elaborate tea held in the administration lobby; the orchestra provides music during this popular, well-attended celebration.

The work of our 464 art students is prominently displayed throughout the year in a number of art exhibits throughout the community. Major displays are the PUSD School Fair at the Yavapai County Fair, Prescott Gateway Mall, Mayors’ Breakfast at the Prescott Resort, Bashford Courts, Yavapai College Performance Hall, and the Tri City Showcase to name a few. Additionally, the Courier honors Mile High’s Artist of the Month with a photo in the paper. Two of our artists were featured in the February/March '05 issue of Prescott Living Magazine.