By Allyson Hinkle, Editor in Chief
The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor’s College of Visual and Performing Arts gained a new branch this summer with the emergence of the Arts Academy. The Arts Academy, founded and overseen by Mrs. Cherry Garasi, offers a different kind of arts experience to students and to the community.
The Arts Academy was formerly known as the UMHB Conservatory of Music. Previously, the UMHB Music Conservatory offered lessons and classes in music to our community. The Conservatory has been in existence for decades and has provided numerous opportunities for generations to study music on a non-collegiate level.
Yet over the summer the college of visual and performing arts decided it was time for a change. After vigorous rebranding, a $100,000 renovation to the second floor of Presser and a full-time position offered to Garasi, the Arts Academy was born. When asked how the Arts Academy differed from the other two branches of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, the art department and the music department, Garasi stated the following:
“The Arts Academy exists to provide quality, innovative Arts instruction and experiences for all ages within a Christian environment, teaching skills and techniques that will enhance not only the lives of our students but, in turn, the quality of life within the community in which we live."
The music and art education majors are not the only ones who benefit from the classes offered by the academy; several classes offered are geared towards younger children in the community who are looking to get involved in the arts, with some students being as young as a couple of years old.
Not only does the Arts Academy offer a variety of classes, the program is also looking to build community relationships as described by Garasi in the following statement:
“I have a vision for this to be for us to make a difference in our community. We're going to do events, and different kinds of events. We are branching out into offering events to the community and also to our music and art educators here in our public schools and private schools. We are [also] going to try to become more of a support for the big homeschooled population here.”
Some of the events include an elementary bucket drumming competition on Oct. 3 and a community Christmas carol.
The Arts Academy’s other notable distinction from the other branches of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, as well as its distinction from the past UMHB Conservatory of Music, is that Garasi is wanting to expand the program to highlight all of the arts.
“We're able to include visual arts, media arts, and eventually my dream is to have theater, musical theater, dance, any form of art … [as] the Arts Academy opens the door for us to include all arts of any kind. Even [further] I would like for us to get into creative writing, and publishing kinds of things,” Garasi happily exclaimed.
Currently the Arts Academy is currently looking for more teachers as they expand their program further. The teachers they have currently range from students in the music or arts department to some of the department’s faculty. Qualifications for becoming an Arts Academy teacher are that one is a current student in the music or art department or that one has graduated with a degree in the arts.
