BARBARA INGRAM SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS FOUNDATION
Art Education School Foundation | Hagerstown, MD
In anticipation of our 2022 program, consider purchasing a SUMMER ARTS ACADEMY GIFT CERTIFICATE!
These gift certificates can be used for any of our academies – each gift certificate is $100 ($100 covers a half-day camp, $200 (two gift certificates) cover a full-day camp).
Purchase online here.
The Barbara Ingram School for the Arts Foundation is pleased to welcome Joshua Dickinson as our alumni summer intern for 2021! A recent graduate, Joshua was one of the students who transferred to BISFA when the Computer Game Development & Animation program moved from Washington County Technical High School (WCTHS). He majored in sound design under the program’s teacher, Keon Billings, and composed soundtracks for games and other standalone pieces.
Prior to attending WCTHS and BISFA, Joshua attended North Hagerstown High School and was a percussionist, as well as the Drumline Section Leader for the HUBS Marching Band. He will be attending West Virginia University in the fall for Music Education, with the goal of becoming a high school band director.
As the Foundation’s summer intern, Joshua will learn the ins and outs of running a nonprofit organization. His duties will include writing press releases, posting on social media, organizing paperwork in preparation for our annual audit, assisting with the Summer Arts Academy, researching grant opportunities, and more.
The Foundation is also pleased to welcome Taylor Shay, an incoming senior from the Dance program, as the Student Representative to our Board of Directors for the 2021-2022 school year.
Taylor had the privilege of attending the BISFA CATs and Summer Academy of the Arts programs both as a student and intern. She is an active member in many school clubs such as Link Crew, YFC, National Honor Society, etc., is a dyslexia advocate, pageant girl, and enjoys serving her community with organizations such as the Leitersburg Ruritans, Racine Multi-Sports, and more.
Taylor is a Counselor In Training and lifeguard for Antietam Recreation and also enjoys singing with the praise and worship team at her church. She looks forward to serving as SGA President where she can help partner with faculty and students to make 2021-2022 a wonderful and memorable year.
Thanks to generous funding from Washington County Arts Council, the Maryland State Arts Council, the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts Foundation, and Washington County Public Schools, the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts visual artists were able to participate in a multiple week acrylic landscape painting workshop with Maryland artist David Bottini, from April 21 – May 14 2021.
Under the direction of Mr. Bottini, each student created a painting of a Washington County landscape. Over the course of the workshop, through both in-person and virtual instruction, students learned about the composition of paint and painting materials, design composition, and the traditional method and approach to painting.
A big thank you to everyone for making the acrylic painting workshop possible. We invite you to view our work!
The workshop with David Bottini was partially funded through our BISFA Department Enrichment Grants for School Arts & Academic Activities. This grant program accepts applications from BISFA staff and faculty for programs and activities such as guest artists, master classes, performance opportunities, and other enrichment programs that will greatly enhance the overall educational opportunities for the students of BISFA.
It was a beautiful night for an open air festival! The Do What Moves You Festival, hosted by Barbara Ingram School for the Arts, was a free, family-friendly, open air festival that showcased the ever talented students of BISFA. This event would never have been possible with our our event/program sponsors!
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We would like to take a moment and thank our community for an amazing 2021 Washington County Gives! We had 58 donors that helped us raised $6,900 in the 24-hour giving period. In addition, we received the new kick-off prize of $100 and the CNB Bank Golden Ticket for $500, so our grand total for the day was $7,500!
Thank you to our donors for supporting student artists and arts education at Barbara Ingram School for the Arts!
Join the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts Foundation to celebrate our seniors! Take a stroll through downtown to see the lamp post signs for each 2021 graduate. We are incredibly proud of our students!
Stephane Mohr ‘16 closed a chapter when she graduated from the BISFA Creative Writing department and began writing a book. Her debut collection of poetry and prose, “This Heart,” is described by the author as “sad, strong [and] uplifting.” She explained, “Most of these started out as just notes I would write to myself when I was having a bad day. A lot of them are journal entries and just pieces of me remembering good things to get me through bad times… I realized I had a lot of stuff that… other people could also use.”
Mohr hopes this book reminds its readers that they are not alone and advises artists that, “the most important thing you can do is consume art in all of its forms.” “This Heart,” is available now at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.
Written by Kelsi Maddock ’17
After Josh Hollin ‘15 played upright bass as an BISFA Instrumental Music major, he dropped the bass under the stage name PAJAMA JOSH. His passion for music began at his father’s marching band rehearsals and in the backseat of his mother’s car. This encompassing love for music led him to audition for ABC’s vocal music competition, “American Idol”: “One of the first CDs I would listen to growing up was the “American Idol” Season 2 compilation CD with Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken. I would steal this CD from my mom’s car visor, pop it into my walkman, and sing (scream) along to the cast version of God Bless the USA. As I got older and watched more ‘eccentric’ contestants like Adam Lambert and Jax pave their own lane on the show. I saw that there might be a space for me, so I auditioned, and now, here we are!”
You can follow Hollin’s career on social media and music streaming platforms under the name PAJAMA JOSH, and the new season of “American Idol” premiers on Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. ET.
Written by Kelsi Maddock ’17
The Barbara Ingram School for the Arts Foundation recently asked BISFA students to share what distance learning is really like.
Please take a few moments to watch these creative, thoughtful videos that give you a peek into the day-to-day of today’s high school students, in real life (IRL). Thank you to all the students who participated!
While the Holiday Spectacular looks a little different this year, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating the season with the students and staff of BISFA!
This holiday season, Give the Gift of BISFA to someone special! Making a donation in someone’s honor is a simple way to make a meaningful impact. The Barbara Ingram School for the Arts Foundation offers a number of ways to put BISFA under the tree this year:
On December 1st, also known as Giving Tuesday, donors will receive a special BISFA Foundation-branded gift based on the levels below:
Keep it for yourself or give it as a gift! We will reach out to all Giving Tuesday donors by December 7th to coordinate a time to pick up your gift. Shipping will be available to those outside Washington County.
It’s more important than ever to support, nurture, and develop young student artists, scholars, and leaders of the future. Through the Arts young people learn respect, creativity, inclusiveness, excellence, poise, confidence, a sense of community. and so much more. And our community benefits equally by being entertained, inspired, and enriched. The benefits derived are much greater than what we give.
Thank you for supporting the BISFA Foundation on Giving Tuesday and every day!
