Performing and Visual Arts

At Hillbrook, the Arts are the foundation for making a difference in the world.

Arts learning furthers Hillbrook's mission to value individuals as they develop knowledge, skills, and confidence to discover, problem-solve, and express themselves using a variety of visual and performing arts. With each year, we build curiosity, awareness, appreciation, familiarity, technical skill, and discernment to lay a foundation for each student's lifelong connection to the arts.

Our students hone their perception, acquire skills and methods, build flexible thinking and transdisciplinary skills, create and make in conversation, and make a difference while learning that creation conveys deliberation, intention, and power. At Hillbrook, students will be met where they are, be able to hone their abilities, and be supported through wonder and discovery as they find themselves in conversation with the sights, sounds, designs, and crafts all around us.

Lower School

Visual Arts with Ms. Susie

In Visual Art, students begin by learning the elements of art: Line, Shape, Color, Value, Space, Form and Texture. Throughout the year, projects are focused on giving the children experiences with each of the elements. The curriculum is kept lively by incorporating inspiration from literature, music, and the world around us. Many of our projects are inspired by picture books, specifically ones about art and famous artists. We explore a variety of mediums including markers, color sticks, sharpie markers, oil pastels, chalk pastels, watercolor paint, and clay.

Music with Ms. Jamie

Junior Kindergarten - 1st grade is a time where play, dance, and exploration are the building blocks for music learning. In the lower grades, students learn about echo, beat, singing in tune, moving with expression and confidence, dynamics, and tone. In 2nd - 4th grade, students begin to develop their own musicianship and tap into the creativity in music by learning musical notation, music theory, part singing, playing Orff instruments, and begin to hone performance skills and stage presence.

4th Grade Theater with VanNessa

Middle School

Visual Arts with Ms. Hale

Middle School students in the 5th and 6th grades undertake an exploration of painting, drawing, ceramic, and mixed media projects through one quarter of an Art Sampler. These courses are designed to expose students to a range and variety of processes and media that may inform their selections of media-specific electives in the 7th and 8th grades. The elements of Art studied in Middle School Art are: Line, Shape, Color, Value, Space, Form, and Texture. The principles of design are: Balance, Emphasis, Movement, Pattern, Repetition, Proportion, Rhythm, Variety, and Unity.

Photography with Mr. Stamos

Through their middle school photography elective, students look through the lens and capture real-time moments in classrooms and across campus. A professional photographer and longtime Hillbrook teacher, Mr. Stamos's photography students learn the traditional tools and rules of photography (F-Stops, shutter speeds, lighting, and more) as they learn to see the world through a photographer's lens to capture amazing moments in action.

The Hub with Ken

With over 3,000 square feet of sprawling space for collaboration and creation, the Hub is the epicenter of making, engineering, and art on Hillbrook’s campus. The Hub features a digital music space, a podcast studio, a green screen area, and a digital photography lab. This open, barn-like structure provides ample spill-out space for large-scale student creation and artwork, with a variety of workspaces and room for students to tinker, explore, innovate, and problem-solve using traditional woodshop tools. The Hub is also equipped with modern devices, including laser cutters and 3-D printers, making this a well-stocked place where students are given permission to turn creative ideas into reality.

The Hub Loft with Ms. Ngo

Have you ever wanted to code your own arcade game? Learn how to use a 3-D printer? Design and sew your own stuffed animal or a cool patch for your backpack? At the intersection of art, crafts, Making, physics, math, computer engineering, and so much more, you'll find Ms. Ngo's Elective Classes in the Hub, where middle school students stretch their thinking and creative skills in many wonderful ways.

Performing Arts with VanNessa

Middle School performing arts students have a plethora of opportunities to hone their skills both on stage and back stage. 5th and 6th grade students experience a performing arts wheel that includes: theater technique, music, dance, and theater tech. 5th and 6th grade students are able to join the Hillbrook Singers, Rock Band, Instrumental Ensemble, and Drama Club as a lunch-time elective. All 5th and 6th grade students participate in the annual Winter Concert.

In 7th and 8th grade, students dive into electives offerings that challenge, increase knowledge, and push the boundaries of a traditional middle school performing arts program. The 2022-2023 elective offerings are: Hillbrook Show Choir, Rock Band, Theater Tech, Spring Musical, Instrumental Ensemble, Drama Club, and throughout the year, a myriad of extra performance opportunities abound. Students participate in the Winter Concert, tech for the lower school music events, and the Spring Musical.

The Spring Musical

As an age- old tradition at Hillbrook, the 8th grade class collaborates with directors, parents, and other middle school students to put on the 8th grade musical. The 8th grade class is responsible for the entire musical production, from choosing the show to running tech, front of house, and backstage to acting on stage. Each student is responsible for a crucial part of the show and collaborates with industry professionals to create a once-in-a lifetime experience.

This year's show is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and debuts on May 24th and 25th, 2023.

Upper School

The Visual and Performing Arts program will be expansive in breadth and depth. With offerings in visual arts and thinking, dance, music and theater, we will emphasize the creative process as much as the final product or production. The art program deepens student understanding of inspiration and context, while emphasizing critical-thinking and communication skills. With a digital and physical design center and full suite of music and art studios, Hillbrook students will have access to state-of-the-art spaces for reactive endeavors. At the core of the program will be the belief that the arts help make us fully realized human beings, as we learn new ways to see and think about ourselves and others. All ninth grade students will take a course in Human Centered Design: Creating Space, an arts and engineering course which provides students an introduction to digital and physical fabrication, as well as visual art.

Learn more about the arts courses that will be offered at our Upper School in the Hillbrook Upper School Course Catalog.