Art and Impact

“The arts are such an integral part of our society,” said Charlsie Griffiths ’98, Hockaday’s Director of Orchestral Studies. “We are educating students for careers that do not even exist yet. Arts assist with creative thinking, problem-solving, and some of the softer skills that are important in all fields. By introducing and cultivating the arts in our community, we are setting up not only our students but all students, for a brighter future.”

With that in mind, many Fine Arts classes across divisions have teamed up with the Institute for Social Impact to integrate elements of social responsibility and an element of sharing talents and time with other communities. The Dance, Orchestra, and Theater programs have all teamed up with local elementary schools and senior living communities to bring the joy of performance to schools. Students from other elementary schools are brought to Hockaday for performances, and ensembles go into schools to perform. Besides the performances, the Upper School Fine Arts groups also teach or demonstrate educational experiences to younger students.

“Arts programs are often the first to be cut in public schools and community spaces, so it is imperative that those of us who have access to the creative and fine arts share with as many people as possible as often as possible,” said Emily Gray, Performing Arts Chair. “More often than not students who participate in arts programs stay in school longer and have higher test scores, and demonstrably improved mental health.”

The Fine Arts Board, which is student-run, has partnered with the Institute for Social Impact to create a food pantry at Marcus Elementary School. The students cleaned, repaired, and decorated a purposeful space and then problem-solved how to fill it with food. Over the past two years, Performing Arts events such as Leap into Lunchtime concerts, the Upper School musical, Upper School Coffee House, and the fall play all requested food donations as part of the ticket price. The Middle School Bazaar donated its entire proceeds last year to fill the pantry. Visual Arts US students ran the pantry all summer to help address food insecurity in that community.

Daisy Company, Hockaday’s Introduction to Drama class, has created a curriculum for Fifth Grade students to teach drama skills, language, and storytelling in local elementary schools. This year, Daisy Company is partnering with a local elementary school to implement this into the Language Arts curriculum for teachers, and will also be teaching workshops and sharing the materials they have created across the Fifth Grade classrooms. Advanced Art, a Social Impact Designated Class, has partnered with North Dallas Shared Ministries to paint murals to brighten up the center. The nonprofit offers services like dental and medical care, job counseling, and a clothing bank to the Dallas community, and the class was invited to visit the space and hear about its needs. The result will be three colorful, fully realized murals within the main room that integrate the North Dallas Shared Ministries’ mission with native Dallas imagery. “Comfort within an unfamiliar space makes visitors feel welcome,” said Meera Thamaran (Class of 2023). “The project focuses on impacting our community through art, spreading joy, and supporting purposeful community entities. Art generates strong emotion, expresses ideas and abstract concepts, and brings color to an environment in ways that other forms of social impact cannot.”

As part of the Orchestra curriculum, students plan and implement a Social Impact project as part of their individual coursework. “Students are responsible for the project from beginning to end,” said Ms. Griffiths. “So not only are they going and performing at an assisted living facility or elementary school, the students also set up the performance, plan the repertoire based on the target audience, find musicians, rehearse the music, create their lecture notes appropriate for the venue, and all the additional work that goes into this type of programming.”

The Orchestra is currently working on a project entitled “Carnival of the Animals,” which introduces the instruments of the orchestra as they emulate different animals. “The students are working on creative ways to engage a young audience besides simply performing the music, and to connect the music to other curriculum objectives,” said Ms. Griffiths. “The goal is to livestream the performance into different elementary schools and provide additional educational activities to accompany the performance for each of these schools from coloring sheets, animal facts, and even snacks.”

“It’s important to use every aspect of a school for students to find purpose and impact,” said Laura Day, Executive Director of the Institute for Social Impact. “The arts have such a powerful way of impacting and uniting a community. Entry points are presented in all spaces and the arts has been such a powerful and receptive place for students!”

Ms. Griffiths believes the work her department is doing is assisting students in learning how to work successfully within the community with a specific purpose in mind. “It is teaching them follow-through and how to problem-solve and troubleshoot instantly, and while you may think you have planned for everything, something will happen, whether a broken instrument or a missing performer,” she said. “How do you adjust because people are counting on you? It also provides opportunities to demonstrate compassion, arts advocacy, and cause noticeable impact whether instantaneous, like a smile from a patient with Alzheimer’s disease, or long-term, like a student deciding to study an instrument.”

Top: Hockaday Dance performed The Nutcracker for Gooch Elementary. Bottom: Students in Advanced Art work on a mural for North Dallas Shared Ministries.