St. John’s Students at the ISAS Art Festival

(Top row, from left) Nina Lahoti, Maddie McZeal, Frances Hellums, Caroline Kernell, Helen Dodd and Emily Feng; (bottom row, from left) Julia Stanley, Isabella Sturgis and Elise Anthony. (Photo: Heidi Arouty)

Earlier this month, St. John’s students attended the ISAS art festival, an annual event hosted by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest. With over 88 member schools, the ISAS festival seeks to foster creativity within high schools’ fine arts programs as well as students’ individual endeavors.

Students present their artworks or perform a piece and are subsequently adjudicated by professional artists and performers. This year’s festival was held at St. Mary’s Hall in San Antonio.

Junior Yuling Zhang went for two-dimensional and three-dimensional art. She submitted a series of three scratchboards depicting the nature of death. She was given pointers on how to improve her craft and received praise for the contrast on her self-portrait. Zhang also attended several workshops such as Button Making, Zine Making, Cartooning and Advanced Drawing.

Senior Alex Gajewski, who plays the alto saxophone, traveled to the festival along with the rest of the school’s jazz band members. He viewed several choir performances and art exhibitions.

“It was very cool to see all the shockingly talented people across Texas,” Gajewski said. “It was fun to get outside of the St. John’s bubble and academic environment and see the fine arts component of education.”

(From left) Juniors Frances Hellums and Helen Dodd pose after performing "Rock It," a dance about the Houston Rockets. (Photo: Heidi Arouty)

Junior Nina Lahoti is a member of Advanced Caprice, the second-highest level of dance at St. John’s. The group performed three dances at the festival for adjudication. All were Houston-themed. 

The first one was created by guest choreographer Oliver Halkowich, a dancer at the Houston Ballet, and centered on churches in the city’s fifth ward. Another dance, choreographed by St. John’s teacher Heidi Arouty, focused on debutante balls. The last dance, composed by teacher Darrell Martin, was about the Rockets.

“It was really fun going to workshops, seeing performances and showcases, and meeting new people,” Lahoti said. “I always forget how good all of our ensembles are, and when I hear them, I’m always in shock.”

Other ISAS attendees included freshman Morgan Self, sophomore Noel Madland, juniors Frances Hellums and Helen Dodd, and senior Amy Dong.