A student-led Fine Arts Council has been created to represent the Fine and Applied Arts department. The council includes student representatives with the goal of increasing awareness of the fine arts community and encouraging students to take fine arts classes.

The department includes choir, band, orchestra, theatre, art, dance, culinary, fashion and early childhood education, with each area chaired by a student representative. The council works directly with Director of Fine and Applied Arts Patti-Anne Ford and Executive Secretary MK Guthrie. Founded by ten students, the council was created to recognize student work that often goes unnoticed and to showcase talent within the school’s fine arts programs.

“The Fine Arts Council came from a shared feeling that the fine arts community at Niles West is so much bigger than what people usually see at first glance,” senior and fashion chair Wanda Sanchez said.  “A lot of people immediately think of one or two programs, but there are so many creative spaces here, and we wanted something that brought all of them together instead of existing separately.”

In honor of Arts Appreciation week, the council created a spirit week, Artsapalooza, with activities that correlated with department classes.

“We are trying to promote the fine arts and showing all of these fun activities that are throughout the week to show what your classes could look like if you enroll in them,” senior and choir chair Angie Zaya said. “We had a soda sale with names that corresponded with each of the classes,”

Junior Soha Amin was one student who took part in the arts appreciation week festivities.

“I got tinsel in my hair which was really fun. Seeing all of the activities in the cafeteria was so great, and it was more upbeat than how it usually is in there,” Amin said.

Throughout the inaugural school celebration of Arts Appreciation Week, Guthrie has been touched by student engagement and passion.

“It has been truly heartwarming to see the enthusiasm and the initiative. Just making it known that with any grade, any capacity, you can join the fine arts and there’s so many resources for you. The students that we have in the fine arts are so smart and driven and they’re incredibly passionate about their classes … The council really cares about the longevity of their programs, and I’m super proud of them,” Guthrie said.