Meany Middle School presents the second annual and final Jaguar Arts Festival on Thursday, May 14, 2009 from 5 pm to 8 pm. The Jaguar Arts Festival was founded to highlight student artistic achievement, to promote an arts integrated learning model and artistic Advanced Learning Opportunities (ALO), and celebrate student participation in ART. This school year, the Seattle School Board voted to close the program at Meany, amoung others, effective July 2009. Therefore, this event will incorporate aspects of Meany’s history, alumni, and a final farewell to a school that has been a community fixture in the Central District since 1963.
This year’s Jaguar Arts Festival will transform the school into an art walk museum, featuring student fine art (drawings, paintings, mixed media), special education arts, student ALOs in art (independent work in photography, drawing, oil pastels, pen & ink, watercolors, acrylics, scratch boards and science models), and science & language arts. Live student art performances in breakdancing, graffiti art, and skateboarding will take place. Another feature will be our music department in terms of Mr. Fred Strom’s fantasic work with the beginning and advanced orchestras, plus Arts in Motion’s residency creating a student Jazz Ensemble. Other student talents in poetry, singing, dancing, piano playing, fashion, drill team, and choir will fill the building with energy during the Jaguar Performance Showcase. While we honor the contribution of William Cummings and Joe Max Emminger at Meany, Chic Street Man’s work with the students will also be on display. Dinner is provided from 5-6:30 pm by Flame Catering and a free photobooth will be operating the entire festival for students, families, and staff to capture a memory from the evening. A Silent Auction will offer student art work from years past, as the school is closing, many works will need new homes. SANCA Circus Arts will demostrate with students from their residency time at Meany, and other performance art and interactive drumming is expected.
If you attended Meany, your children attended or currently attend Meany, if you have worked at Meany, or have contributed to Meany’s presence in the neighborhood, we invite you to join us in the celebration of its history, its current students, and its final farewell at the Jaguar Arts Festival next week!