Highland Park High School FOCUS on the Arts 2013 Presents Art Night

On April 10, 2013, FOCUS on the Arts will present Art Night, showcasing an eclectic selection of professional and student artists who will display their work and demonstrate their processes. Art Night will be held at Highland Park High School from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, and is free and open to the public. Over 40 exhibits will be featured, including sculpture, textile painting, print-making, mosaic, bead-weaving, jewelry and fashion design, ceramics, architecture and photography. Guests will have an opportunity to interact with the artists and learn about their techniques.

“Art Night will be more interactive than ever before with hands-on opportunities for silk screening, black clay board sketching, paper collage, knitting, origami design and participating in a nationwide project to recreate Betsy Ross’s original American flag,” notes Art Night Co-Chair Alison Bloom.

One of the highlights of Art Night will be a project where Wolters Field will be built out of cans of food. The theme of the project is, “One small can makes a GIANT difference,” and community members are encouraged to bring canned goods to donate during Art Night. These contributions along with the cans used to make the art project will be given to the Moraine Township Food Pantry after Art Night.

Several other large-scale projects will take place during Art Night, including graffiti artists NICE-ONE, LUCX and AMUSE 126 updating our Public Art wall, ArtBeat Live performance painting by Elliott From and chalk art by Nancy Pochis Bank. In addition, benches created by HPHS students and Ada Colorina, a visiting artist from Highland Park’s Sister City Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, will be dedicated during Art Night and displayed permanently at the school.  

In April, Highland Park High School will host FOCUS on the Arts 2013: Explore,
Engage, Enlighten. The mission of FOCUS has been to increase appreciation and understanding of the visual and performing arts and the professionals engaged in them. FOCUS has been the catalyst for careers and the inspiration for lifelong interest in the arts for many people.

Presented every other year for HPHS students and the local community, FOCUS
explores a broad variety of art forms by engaging students through direct
interaction and involvement with a diverse array of professionals in the arts.
The students come away from this experience enlightened with a new appreciation and understanding of the arts. Many students will also have the opportunity to share their own visual and performing arts works will fellow students and the community during FOCUS.

Hundreds of volunteers including parents, HPHS staff and faculty, students and
community members work together to coordinate three days and four nights of
programming on the HPHS Campus. All programs are open to the public and free of charge. Go to www.HPHSFOCUS.org for more info.