By Lauren Whelan’14, Arts and Entertainment Editor

As the 2013-2014 school year gets underway, the Newark Academy Arts Department is hard at work preparing for the upcoming fall events. As usual, the fall Arts are sure to impress, ranging from the Artist-In-Residence gallery display, to the annual Fall Dance Concert, to the fresh-faced Fall Drama production.

The McGraw Art Gallery welcomed students back to school by featuring the works of Ms. Sarah Petruziello. The drawings- using charcoal and pencil as a medium- depict scenes inspired by subjects such as dreams and Ms. Petruziello’s children. IB Artist Julia Blanchard’14 stated, “Her intricate realism is incredible. Our whole class was just astounded by her patience and accuracy and creativity in her subjects. All of her pieces mean something to her, too, which is always admirable.” Ms. Petruziello’s work hanging in the gallery, along with her presence in the art classes this fall, will surely inspire many Newark Academy artists this season.

Looking ahead, another anticipated annual event is the Fall Dance Concert. This year, the Concert will have an interesting new twist, encompassing more than the dancers of the Arts Department. The renowned Newark Academy Jazz Band has teamed up with Ms. Luxenberg and the dance classes in order to perform an entire dance concert choreographed to live jazz music, complete with vocals. Abby Whelan ’14 commented, “I definitely look forward to the collaboration between the dancers and musicians!” This dynamic duo is sure to dazzle the community, as it combines the talents of so many Newark Academy students.

Finally, the Newark Academy Theatre Program will be putting on the annual Fall Drama. However, this fall, the drama will be completely original. Co-directed by Mr. Jacoby and Ms. Addison, the fall drama will seek to continue the discussions started last spring by the Michael Fowlin presentation, the Gay-Straight Alliance presentation, and the People of Color Conference. The performance will address current topics of conversation in the Newark Academy community, and will feature a new approach, which Mr. Jacoby describes as “less about the performance, more about the process.”  The drama will also feature the work of many students, who will in fact be creating the fall drama themselves.  The production is sure to be one of the highlight events this season.

Across every discipline, the Newark Academy Arts Department has so much to offer this season, featuring the hard work and talents of many students, faculty, and guests alike. Be sure to put these events on your calendar, as they are not to be missed.