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In keeping with the school’s philosophy, the St. Gregory Fine Arts Program strives to educate the whole child by encouraging rich, aesthetic inquiry into the arts.  Both middle and upper school students are provided many opportunities for in-depth study in both performing and visual art.  Our six fine-arts professionals, each accomplished artists and performers in their respective fields, bring many years of professional experience both in and out of the classroom.

We are proud to offer a wide variety of artistic pursuits for our students. Our performing arts department features programs in drama, dance, concert choir, and ensemble band. Those interested in the visual arts can choose from classes in studio art, sculpture, and photography. For students inspired to extend their arts education we offer music composition, AP Music Theory, a survey of art and music, and AP Studio Art.

We also understand that a truly valuable arts education must reach beyond the classroom.  Extracurricular activities – including after-school plays and musicals, ensemble strings, and a wide variety of dance classes – allow our students to hone their skills and develop a lifelong love of the arts.

Individual Areas

Music
The Music Department offers several different opportunities for students to enhance their academic pursuits as both a pastime and a career.  We offer four performing groups: Middle School Band, Upper School Band, Concert Choir, and the St. Gregory Strings.   The Concert Choir travels and competes yearly in the Northern Arizona University Jazz and Madrigal Festival, as well as performing throughout the year in and around the community.  For our advanced music students we offer AP Music Theory and Advanced Music Theory Composition classes.  All upper school students are required to take the Survey of Art and Music class, which is designed to provide the students with a well-rounded overview of many of the major works of music and visual art.

Studio Art
Middle School Art introduces students to the elements and principles of design and uses these to help students develop their own skills and techniques. Classes include overviews of historical art styles as well as contemporary trends and artists.  Foundational work in drawing, painting, design, and sculpture techniques are developed, improved, and readied for further investigation in the Upper School.

The Upper School Art Program offers classes for beginning, intermediate, and advanced-level students and also Advanced Placement studio art, which includes the creation of a college portfolio. Drawing, painting, design, and sculpture techniques are built upon over the course of a semester or accumulated years.

Both the Upper and Middle School Art programs continuously display student work throughout campus, in school publications, and at events and festivals. Many of our outstanding students have their work entered into a variety of city, state, and national art contests. Students are encouraged to use their curiosity and imagination in addition to strengthening the critical thinking and problem-solving skills needed to thrive in the 21st century. Student work is often lively, creative, colorful, and thought provoking.

Photography
The photography classes offered at St. Gregory College Preparatory School consist of Beginning Digital, Intermediate Digital, and Advanced Digital (to be taken in that order).  Students are taught the basic functions of shooting with a DSLR and/or standard SLR camera, as well as the fundamentals and rules of shooting.  All editing and processing of images is done in Photoshop and Lightroom.  Students are also taught alternative photographic processes such as cyanotypes and polaroid transfers.  

As students move up in courses, they are given the freedom to work on projects and the personal, artistic works of their choice.  They are taught how to write artist statements, resumes, and art reviews, as well as how to edit their work into specific portfolios.  Each student is required to keep a journal of writings about their photographs, the world around them, and all that inspires them.  They are introduced to a variety of artists throughout each course and we take full advantage of our local art community by visiting galleries and museums within the Tucson area.  Students are taught to properly apply to exhibitions and competitions and are strongly encouraged to do so. Every class, from beginning to end, is designed to prepare our students for all artistic opportunities awaiting them after their high school career.  

Drama
The Theatre Department at St. Gregory offers students many opportunities to become involved in the theatre arts, including every aspect of on-stage and backstage production. Dance and drama classes start in the sixth grade and extend through twelfth grade. In the Middle School we focus on the basics of the creative process, the development of performance skills, and the integration of the arts with the core academic curriculum.  

In the Upper School, all students can audition for the opportunity to act, sing, and dance in every school production. Technical Theatre students design and build sets as well as run the shows backstage. Classes offered include stagecraft, theatre production and design, and beginning, intermediate, and advanced drama. We offer our audiences a wide variety of dramatic offerings, producing rave reviews and sold-out houses. Past performances have included such shows as "West Side Story", "Annie", "Fools", "The Sound of Music", "Anne Frank & Me", "Peter Pan", "A Funny Thing Happen on the Way to the Forum", and "Our Town".

We are happy to offer our technically-inclined students unique opportunities in our Theatre Arts program. Students are taught how to use the lighting and sound systems in the theatre and run these systems during our productions. Stagecraft students gain valuable experience in the theatre shop, tool cage, costume shop, and set and property department.

Each year we produce two main-stage plays and one school-wide musical. All Upper School students are invited to audition and perform in the first main stage play and all Upper and Middle students are welcome to participate in the musical. The Intermediate and Advanced Drama classes produce a main-stage play at St. Gregory and participate in the Arizona Thespian Conference, the Southern Arizona Acting Festival, and the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest Fine Arts Festival.

Facilities
St. Gregory has a beautiful, state-of-the-art performing theatre, which seats over 370 people. Productions are enhanced by a computerized lighting and sound booth, a spacious stage, an orchestra pit, full dressing rooms and a lovely lobby area for receptions.    
In addition to our traditional studio workshops, the Fine Arts Department has expanded to include Upper and Middle School facilities with abundant, high-quality materials, kilns and pottery wheels, as well as computers and Smart Board technologies.

It is the goal of the photography department to keep up with and maintain a strong, working digital studio.  Please visit the facilities page on our website to view all we have to offer:  http://www.stgregoryschool.org/ssmith2/pages/facilities.php