Even though Denton ISD campuses are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students can still grow artistically at home by playing their instruments, singing, dancing, running lines, drawing, painting, creating, making, and experiencing their art-form. Watch for email from your campus teachers and administrators for more information about resources for learning experiences at home.

Visit this Google Sheet to find an activity resource page vetted by Denton ISD Fine Arts Faculty with trusted activities for Fine Arts Enrichment at home during the school closure due to COVID-19. When you open the list, locate the content area of your student's interest on the tab at the bottom of the sheet. The grade level recommendation is in Column C on each page. Please enjoy and share as you see fit! Older kids can scroll through and find items of interest independently. Younger kids will need a little more guidance. We hope you find this tool useful in keeping kids active in the arts while at home during the closure.

All Denton ISD Fine Arts events, both on and off-campus, on the event calendars are suspended during the COVID-19 school closures.

The Greater Denton Arts Council is celebrating Youth Art Month by hosting an exhibition of Denton ISD elementary student artwork, March 5-26, at the Patterson-Appleton Center. Due to COVID-19 social distancing requirements, GDAC is now hosting the exhibit online for the public to view. Works from all 24 DISD elementary campuses are included. The photos below are from the March 5 opening night reception for all of the student artists, their families, and their art teachers. Many thanks to GDAC for hosting this exhibit in their gallery space and to our DISD elementary art teachers for coordinating this event.

Denton ISD's orchestra, middle school band, and middle school choral programs have participated in the Region 2 UIL Concert and Sight-reading Assessments for 2019-20. Each group performed a prepared concert, programmed according to the grade level of literature required for their respective UIL classification. The second evaluation was based on each group's sight-reading performance of a piece of music composed specifically for this event that the students and directors have never seen or heard before. Both performances are evaluated by a panel of three expert judges selected by UIL to assess each group according to the UIL music rubrics. Each performance is assigned a division rating on a scale of 1-5.

Congratulations to Denton ISD's music directors and students for their outstanding performances in these UIL assessments. Click the links below to see the results.

MS Bands earned 24 Division 1 ratings and 11 Sweepstakes awards

MS Choirs earned 35 Division 1 ratings and 15 Sweepstakes awards

HS and MS Orchestras earned 32 Division 1 ratings and 13 Sweepstakes awards

HS Band and Choir UIL Concert and Sight-reading Assessments have been suspended due to COVID-19 closures.

Over 100 students from Braswell, Guyer, and Ryan HS art programs participated in the Region 11 Visual Art Scholastic Event (VASE). VASE jurors interview students and evaluate artwork at the Regional Event using a rating system based on a rubric. Each student who enters VASE may receive a Certificate of Merit for participation at the Regional level. Artworks receiving a Superior Rating (IV) are presented a Regional Medal. A set percentage of artworks with Superior Ratings advance to the State Event and are presented an Area Medal. Artworks receiving an Exemplary Rating (IV) at State are awarded a State VASE medallion. The state jury panel selects Gold Seal winners from those artworks receiving an Exemplary Rating (IV) and those receive a State Gold Seal medallion. This year, State VASE will be using an electronic judging process due to COVID-19.

17 Denton HS Art students participated in the Texas Visual Art Association Show. Three DHS students had artwork selected for the TVAA Top 100 Art Show. Click here to see slideshow of the Denton ISD award-winning artwork from VASE and TVAA.

Congratulations to the 104 DISD art students that were awarded a gold medal at Region VASE. Guyer won 90 medals, Braswell won 10 medals, and Ryan won 4 medals. Congratulations to the students that had artwork advance to State VASE and the TVAA Top 100. Their artwork is pictured below.

On March 5, Braswell, Denton, and Ryan High School theatre programs performed in the 5A UIL District One Act Play Contest. Both Braswell and Ryan were selected to advance with their performances of Chemical Imbalance and Death of a Salesman respectively. Denton HS was named as the alternate to advance with its performance of Antigone. Congratulations to our outstanding theatre students and directors for their success!

UIL has suspended all activities due to COVID-19 until further notice.

Braswell HS - Chemical Imbalance

Advanced to Bi-District

Directors: Michelle Greene, Ben Parker, Clay Van Winkle

Outstanding Technician: Makenzie Milhizer

All-Star Cast: Miles Howard

Honorable Mention All-Star Cast: Joesy De Palo, Austin Hundley

Ryan HS - Death of a Salesman

Advanced to Bi-District

Directors: Jeannene Abney, Michael Thompson, Scott Thompson

Overall Best Tech

Outstanding Technician: Karigan Shook

All-Star Cast: Ava Bonhert, Levi Broom

Gabriel Morgan, Best Performer

Denton HS - Antigone

Alternate to Bi-District

Directors: Kerri Peters, Thomas Stratton

Outstanding Technician: Taylor Brokenbeck

All-Star Cast: Roya Farahani

Honorable Mention All-Star Cast: Angelina Gonzalez, Kaiah Bush, Christian Wood, Abigail Aslinger, Miles Collier, Celeste Hughes, Halle Harrigonton, Nixon Sanchez

The City of Little Elm started a project to cover utility boxes with selected art created by local students. The project is intended to beautify the city while promoting the skills and designs of young, local artists. A design created by Meleya Dunn was selected for the utility box pictured above. Meleya is a student of art teacher, Kiba Jacobson, at Braswell High School. Congratulations, Meleya!

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