Student Artist of the Month: December 2017

In partnership with Forsyth County high schools and Windsor Jewelers, The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County is proud to present the Student Artist of the Month.

All Forsyth County high schools (private, public, and charter) that have arts programming were invited to participate in the Student Artist of the Month program. Arts educators and administrators from each school will select one student each month for recognition based on academic rigor and artistic merit.  A variety of arts disciplines will be recognized over the course of the school year.

Ben Armentrout

Atkins Academic & Technology High School

Principal: Joe Childers

SAM Coordinator: Janet Blakely

Nominating Teacher: Justin Sumners

Arts Discipline: Music

Grade: 10

GPA/QPA: 4.0/4.5

What is your favorite part of the arts genre in which you were selected? I love being able to jam with my fellow musicians and just make great sounds. Jazz music is definitely my favorite because it gives me more opportunity to improve and be creative.

Where would you most like to attend college and what might be your major? I would most like to attend MIT and major in a math-intensive engineering.

What is your proudest artistic accomplishment? My proudest artistic accomplishment is being selected to be the pianist for the Camel City Youth Jazz Orchestra.

How will the arts influence your future career? Although I will not pursue a career in music, I hope it will still continue to be a part of my life as I move on from high school.

Timmy Kammire

Bishop McGuinness High School

Principal: Tracy Shaw

Nominating Teacher: Martha Garrett

Arts Discipline: Pottery

Grade: 11

GPA/QPA: 4.3

What is your favorite part of the arts genre in which you were selected? In pottery, I thoroughly enjoy how each and everyday you learn something new and are constantly challenged. The atmosphere is always enthusiastic and very lively in my class, adding to the reasons why pottery is passion of mine.

Where would you most like to attend college and what might be your major? I plan to attend either Clemson University, University of Florida, or San Diego State University. I hope to major in either Business Management or Entrepreneurship.

What is your proudest artistic accomplishment? I have to say the proudest moment of mine in Pottery would be the day I was able to center the clay on the potters’ wheel, in just a few seconds. This was a goal I had hoped to achieve and was proud of accomplishing.

How will the arts influence your future career? Pottery has influenced my future career by giving me a sense of innovation, that I was not aware I had. In pottery you have to work efficiently and with creativity to excel, which motivates me in the future to not only work hard, but with delicate care.

Brandon Kearse

Carver High School

Principal: Carol Montague-Davis

SAM Coordinator: Julia Puckett

Nominating Teacher: Juan Eckard

Arts Discipline: Music

Grade: 12

GPA/QPA: 3.3

What is your favorite part of the arts genre in which you were selected? Enjoying the different sounds and how when they come together the sound is very melodic.

Where would you most like to attend college and what might be your major? Bethune-Cookman University. Music or IT.

What is your proudest artistic accomplishment? Continuing to learn to play different instruments.

How will the arts influence your future career? Music is becoming diverse so it hopefully take me all over the world should I continue to pursue it to the fullest. I would like to have an impact on other young minds by showing them the many opportunities music can provide.

Briana Tabor

East Forsyth High School

Principal: Rodney Bass

SAM Coordinator: Roman Brady

Nominating Teacher: Dawn Shopshire Swaim

Arts Discipline: Dance

Grade: 9

What is your favorite part of the arts genre in which you were selected? My favorite part of the arts is how you can express everything your feeling for your past your present and your future. And in modern dance you get to express every raw emotion with no boundaries. And I think that’s beautiful.

Where would you most like to attend college and what might be your major? I would like to attend UNC Greensboro or NYU for college. They are both very big in the arts and it is something I am planning on pursuing through my life. I would like to major in creative writing, theater, dance, or teaching. I would also love to travel and maybe look into an exchange student program.

What is your proudest artistic accomplishment? I haven’t been dancing long, but I would say my proudest artistic accomplishment is when your dancing and you can feel the music speak to you and all the sudden it’s not just movement but a language I speak. One day in dance class we were doing an identity project and everyone was practicing and I got into the movement like I never have before a couple tears were shed from me, and everyone got quiet and just watched and I expressed who I am through dance. That is my proudest artistic accomplished so far.

How will the arts influence your future career? My plan is to be as involved in dance as I can be. It’s a therapy for me. And I want people to be able to look at the world and see the beauty. And the best way I can do that is to be apart of the arts. Weather that mean I’m writing poetry and dancing for people or even acting. It’s a dream I have always felt I am obligated to portray for people.

Andrew Claybrook

Forsyth Country Day

Head of School: Gardner Barrier

SAM Coordinator: John Kildahl

Nominating Teacher: Aaron Craven

Arts Discipline: Orchestra

Grade: 12

GPA/QPA: 4.2

What is your favorite part of the arts genre in which you were selected? My favorite part is the performance – getting to share the music we’ve worked on with others.

Where would you most like to attend college and what might be your major? I don’t have a #1 choice, but I am interested in Appalachian State, UNC Chapel Hill, and Davidson College. At all three, I want to study some combination of political science and English.

What is your proudest artistic accomplishment? Deciding to learn double bass after playing trombone for six years. I’m proud of the relatively short time I took for me to learn to play.

How will the arts influence your future career? While I don’t plan to major in music, playing has provided a discipline, patience, and a methodical nature that will help me no matter what I pursue.

Sarah Bluff

Glenn High School

Principal: Brad Craddock

SAM Coordinator: Jonathan Miller

Nominating Teacher: Allison Dawkins

Arts Discipline: Dance, Theatre

Grade: 12

GPA/QPA: 4.0

What is your favorite part of the arts genre in which you were selected? Being able to express myself and my emotions through movement and connecting with others who enjoy doing the same.

Where would you most like to attend college and what might be your major? I would most like to attend college at Appalachian State University. I am choosing to major in either Dance studies or forensic science.

What is your proudest artistic accomplishment? Becoming Captain of the Bobcat Dance Team my senior year.

How will the arts influence your future career? If I choose to major in Dance studies, I hope that will lead me to becoming a dance teacher at a high school or a college.

Giselle Salina-Medina

Kennedy High School

Principal: Keisha Gabriel

SAM Coordinator: Kaitlin Bryant

Nominating Teacher: Kaitlyn Bryant

Arts Discipline: Visual Art

Grade: 11

GPA/QPA: 3.9

What is your favorite part of the arts genre in which you were selected? What I like most about Visual arts is the different projects we do. It’s a variety of things, and all require different techniques and different mediums.

Where would you most like to attend college and what might be your major? I don’t know where I want to go to college yet, but I have my sights set on majoring in Graphic  design.

What is your proudest artistic accomplishment? My cubism project, because I sorta just throw random colors and just did a bunch of random stuff without thinking it through, and it came out looking pretty neat.

How will the arts influence your future career? I actually want to major in the art department, it actually will be pretty important in the future.

Lauren Kochy

Mount Tabor High School

Principal: Ed Weiss

Nominating Teacher: Colin Choat

Arts Discipline: Band

Grade: 12

GPA/QPA: 3.2

What is your favorite part of the arts genre in which you were selected? My favorite part of Band is being able to create music with students who are as passionate as I am in a way that truly moves the audience.

Where would you most like to attend college and what might be your major? My first choice for school is Western Carolina University for Music Education.

What is your proudest artistic accomplishment? My proudest accomplishment is my acceptance and completion of the 2017 session of NC Governor’s School East as an instrumental Music student.

How will the arts influence your future career? My career path has been laid out as a music educator due to the positive impact of arts programs on my life. As such, the arts have everything to do with my future.

Nathan Russell

Parkland High School

Principal: Spencer Hardy

SAM Coordinator: Tara Hauser

Nominating Teacher: Tara Hauser

Arts Discipline: Theatre Arts

Grade: 11

GPA/QPA: 4.33

What is your favorite part of the arts genre in which you were selected? My favorite part about being in Theater is the improvisation that we do, because you never know what is going to happen, and you can make it very funny.

Where would you most like to attend college and what might be your major? I am still deciding on College, but I am interested in Appalachian state and Wake Forest. I would like to major in something that is art related, but I am not sure.

What is your proudest artistic accomplishment? Being in the Nutcracker for six years in a row as a party boy.

How will the arts influence your future career? The arts will influence my future career, in that it has taught me to work with other people in a creative setting and use my creative problem solving skills. I do plan on having a career in the arts, either with comedic writing or with music.

Gabriela Giulumian

Reagan High School

Principal: Brad Royal

SAM Coordinator: Jennifer Willard

Nominating Teacher: Erin Roberts

Arts Discipline: Dance

Grade: 9

What is your favorite part of the arts genre in which you were selected? My favorite part of dance is being able to share my passion and emotion with everyone watching.  I also enjoy feeling free while doing it and being on the stage making memories with my friends.

Where would you most like to attend college and what might be your major? I will most likely attend UNC Chapel Hill or Wake Forest, and I would either major in biology, psychology, or dance, and I definitely want to try to make my college’s dance team.

What is your proudest artistic accomplishment? My proudest achievement is when I was dancing at a competition last year, and I brought the audience to tears. I felt like I was really doing my job being able to share emotion and the love for what I do to the audience.

How will the arts influence your future career? The arts will influence my future career because I want to hopeful be able to teach and pass on my love to future generations. Dance is also a way for me to channel my stress and emotions into something beautiful, and if I can share that with other people maybe this can help encourage peace.

Chelsea Hignite

Reynolds High School

Principal: Leslie Alexander

SAM Coordinator: Karen Morris

Nominating Teacher: Amelia Hailey

Arts Discipline: Dance

Grade: 11

GPA/QPA: 4.92

What is your favorite part of the arts genre in which you were selected? I love being able to be completely myself when I am dancing and when I am taking a dance class. I have met my lifelong best friends and favorite teachers ever through dance. The ability to build relationships with others that also share your same passion and love is unlike anything else. Dance is a way for me to forget about anything that is currently stressing me out and enjoy myself. I am so thankful for dance and all of the happiness that it brings me.

Where would you most like to attend college and what might be your major? I would like to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I am currently hoping to major in pre-med studies with a minor in dance.

What is your proudest artistic accomplishment? My proudest artistic accomplishment is being chosen to perform a solo in the RJR 2016 Spring dance concert. There were only a few soloists in the concert and I was so honored to be selected as one of them. The theme of the concert was “the movies” and my solo was to “When You Wish Upon a Star” from Pinocchio. I loved the movie when I was younger and still remembered all of the words to the song. I was so excited to have been chosen as a soloist and absolutely loved performing in the dance concert. It is one of my favorite memories and my proudest accomplishment in terms of dance

How will the arts influence your future career? In the future I want to continue to dance as much as possible. Although I do not currently plan on trying to join a company or do anything in a professional field with dance, I do plan on teaching or taking dance classes on a regular basis. Dance makes me so happy and I do not know what I would do without it. I hope to dance as often as possible for as long as possible no matter what my future career is.

Riley Cullen

Salem Academy

Head of School: Mary Lorick Thompson

SAM Coordinator: Maria Robinson

Nominating Teacher: Kerry Lawson

Arts Discipline: Theatre Arts

Grade: 12

GPA/QPA: 3.6

What is your favorite part of the arts genre in which you were selected? I love being onstage and sharing my talent with other people. I hope that my performances inspire them to pursue theatre like I have.

Where would you most like to attend college and what might be your major? I would most like to attend The American Musical and Dramatic Academy for musical theatre or I would like to attend The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and double major in political science and performing arts.

What is your proudest artistic accomplishment? y proudest artistic accomplishment was being accepted into The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. This just showed me that my hard work pays off!

How will the arts influence your future career? I hope to someday either be on Broadway or in the White House. By doing theatre now, that will prepare me for Broadway. Politics also involve theatre, so this also prepares me for campaigns.

Abby Martin

Walkertown High School

Principal: Misty Walker

SAM Coordinator: Quincy Lundy

Nominating Teacher: Nina Street

Arts Discipline: Visual Arts

Grade: 12

GPA/QPA: 4.0

What is your favorite part of the arts genre in which you were selected? I love how beautiful and captivating Art can be, and also how it enriches lives and can be comforting to people.

Where would you most like to attend college and what might be your major? I would like to attend Greensboro College majoring in Studio Art.

What is your proudest artistic accomplishment? My Proudest accomplishment was receiving first place for the school in the Dixie Classic Fair and being selected to compete in the Artizan.

How will the arts influence your future career? The arts influence me greatly as I am planning on becoming an illustrator.

Grayson Fulp

West Forsyth High School

Principal: Charles McAninich

Nominating Teacher: Renae Hubbard

Arts Discipline: Theatre Arts

Grade: 11

GPA/QPA: 4.09

What is your favorite part of the arts genre in which you were selected? There are a lot of things that I love about Theater, but one part that I never fais to make everything worth it is at curtain call, when everyone in the audience and onstage applauds and celebrates your effort and your accomplishments.

Where would you most like to attend college and what might be your major? Somewhere such as UNCG, where I could pursue a BFA degree in Acting or Design and Technical Production.

What is your proudest artistic accomplishment? Having the guts to audition for my very first High School play, The Tempest.

How will the arts influence your future career? If I get my way, my career will be entirely focused on the arts. I’m still undecided as to what precisely I want to to with my life, but what I do know is that I love Theater and I want to continue doing it forever.

Jyuana Gray

Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy

Principal: Reggie Hunt

SAM Coordinator: Shanice Bullock

Nominating Teachers: Shanice McKinney, Paul Evans, Yvette Matthews Phiffer, Inkem Kaizen, Cameron Snyder

Arts Discipline: Visual Art

Grade: 12

GPA/QPA: 4.04

What is your favorite part of the arts genre in which you were selected? My favorite part about Visual Art is the bond that we share in the class. There is never a dull moment in there. Mr. Evans is very helpful and he always looks out for other students.

Where would you most like to attend college and what might be your major? I want to attend UNC Charlotte and would like to major in Criminal Justice. I hope to be a Defense Attorney or Criminologist.

What is your proudest artistic accomplishment? The collage that I submitted for the Dixie Classic Fair. It was about Domestic Violence. I put a lot of time into it and it was something that I can relate too. I’ve seen different people go through it and I feel like people around me should be aware of it.

How will the arts influence your future career? I don’t currently have a direct connection between visual art and criminal justice. However, I have been enrolled in art class since the 8th grade and I really appreciate the bond that I have created with Mr. Evans.

The Arts Council would like to thank music teacher, Danny Green, who not only initiated the Student Artist of the Month program, but is serving as the volunteer liaison between the Arts Council and the schools for this project.

If you have questions or comments about this program, please contact us.

Danny Green, Student Artist of the Month Program Coordinator: sam.wsfchs@gmail.com