Funding Philosophy

Funds are received from two primary sources: community parents during Back to School Sign Up (BSSU) and our cornerstone benfactor, La Fiesta de la Seis Banderas.

HP Arts is dedicated to funding arts related activities and capital purchases which expose students to the arts at all eight HPISD campuses.

Teachers are given freedom to make requests, facilitating exposure to a wide variety of visual and performing arts including Art, Band, Choir, Dance, Orchestra, Opera, Symphony, Theater, and Literature. HP Arts also supports arts integration within core and non-arts classes.

HP Arts Funding 2020-2021

  • Art: Silk-screening materials for HPMS art classes; MacBook Air with adapter for projector to support Art II: Pre-AP Digital Photography class
  • Band: Clinicians and master classes with renowned musicians at HPHS and HPMS; Two timpani drums for the HPMS bands; Two professional-level euphoniums and a piccolo for the HPHS band
  • Choir: Clinicians and master classes with renowned musicians at HPHS and HPMS; Recording equipment for HPHS Choir submissions for the virtual Texas All State Choir; Audio and video support for the HPHS Choral concert held at Highlander Stadium; UIL Sight Reading Library for HPMS Choirs; Sound system for the HPHS’s Vocal Ensemble room
  • Dance: Choreography for the HPHS Belle Lieutenants; Two sets of jazz streamers for the HPHS Belles; Part of the HPHS Belle’s all-weather Gore-Tex uniform warmups
  • Literary Arts: Support for the Highland Park Literary Festival Student Writing Workshops
  • Orchestra: Clinicians and master classes with renowned musicians at HPHS and HPMS; Music stands for the HPHS Orchestras
  • Theater: One Act Play workshop
  • Programs at Elementary Schools: Fiber Arts project through Explore Fiber and visiting artist Christine Miller; Note Knacks Magnets and Dots and Beams Magnets for Armstrong Elementary’s music classroom; Orff Schulwerk Level II Workshop for Boone Elementary’s Music teacher
  • Outside of Fine Arts: CNC Cutter for the HPHS MAPS program; Two sets of portable microscopes for the STEAM programs at MIS and all the elementary schools to use for photography on iPhones/iPads
  • Senior Scholarships: Two $2,000 HP Arts Linda Raya scholarships awarded to students who demonstrated a continuous commitment to the arts in high school and who plan to pursue their art in college
  • Special Project: Piano truck for the HPHS Palmer Auditorium’s grand piano
  • Teacher Appreciation: Annual recognition celebration for all HPISD fine arts teachers; Awards – Fine Arts Teacher of the Year Award, a non-fine arts teacher who integrates arts into their classroom (Arts in Education Teacher Award), and a community member who supports the arts (Arts Advocate Award)

HP Arts Funding 2019-2020

  • Art: Pottery wheels and stools for HPMS Ceramics classes; Frames for student photography in the newly renovated MIS/HPMS hallways; Silk-screening materials for HPMS art classes; A steel flat file drawer unit to store student artwork at HPHS Art department
  • Band: Musical instrument purchases for HPHS and MIS/HPMS; Clinicians and master classes with renowned musicians at HPHS and MIS/HPMS; MIS “Meet the Instruments” professional screeners for transition from 5th to 6th grade band students
  • Choir: Vocal clinicians; District-wide piano tuning; Piano accompanist and piano brackets/dollies for the HPMS Choir department
  • Debate: Consultant for practice, argument construction, and judging during competition
  • Literary Arts: Highland Park Literary Festival Student Writing Workshops at HPHS; author presentation – Stacy McAnulty, MIS and Armstrong Elementary; Victoria Coe, University Park Elementary
  • Orchestra: Clinicians and master classes with renowned musicians at HPHS and MIS/HPMS; SMU Julius Quartet Chamber Music clinic for HPHS orchestra classes
  • Theater: Cyclorama backdrop for HPMS auditorium; Audio package for the new HPMS Black Box Theater
  • Programs at Elementary Schools: A high-energy percussion program, Rhythm Path Day of Drumming; Presentation by inspirational artist Desmond Blair; Fiber Arts project through Explore Fiber and visiting artist Christine Miller; Djembe drums for the Armstrong Elementary music program; Science-related artwork created by students for the University Park Elementary science lab; Piano accompanist for Bradfield Elementary Winter Concert; Dallas Symphony Orchestra program for 4th graders at Armstrong Elementary
  • Outside of Fine Arts: Installation of the OmniGlobe for the Grand Opening and Dedication of the Moody Advanced Professional Studies Center at HPHS; 6th grade Social Studies Latin dance class with Ernesto Plazola from United Dance Academy at MIS
  • Senior Scholarships: $2,000 HP Arts Linda Raya scholarship awarded to a student who demonstrated a continuous commitment to the arts in high school and who plans to pursue their art in college
  • Special Project: Finishing out and lighting of a new HPMS Black Box Theater
  • Teacher Appreciation: Annual recognition celebration for all HPISD fine arts teachers; Awards – inaugural Fine Arts Teacher of the Year Award, a non-fine arts teacher who integrates arts into their classroom (Arts in Education Teacher Award), and a community member who supports the arts (Arts Advocate Award)

HP Arts Funding 2018-2019

  • Art: Ceramics equipment and a new kiln at HPHS and MIS/HPMS; silk screening supplies for a partnership project between MIS/HPMS and the elementary campuses
  • Band: Musical instrument purchases for HPHS and MIS/HPMS; Clinicians and master classes with renowned musicians at HPHS and MIS/HPMS
  • Choir: Vocal clinicians, sheet music, and sight-reading software at MIS/HPMS; District-wide piano tuning
  • Dance: Choreography and sound equipment for the Highland Belles
  • Debate: Consultant for practice, argument construction and judging during competition
  • Literary Arts: Highland Park Literary Festival workshops with authors, songwriters, bloggers, and photo jouranlists at HPHS; author presentation – Nathan Hale, author and illustrator of The New York Times best-selling graphic novel series on American history “Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales” at MIS/HPMS
  • Orchestra: Musical instrument purchases for HPHS and MIS/HPMS; Clinicians and master classes with renowned musicians at HPHS and MIS/HPMS
  • Theater: State-of-the-art projection system, software, and laptop for the theater program and auditorium at HPHS; improvisation and reactivity workshop at HPHS
  • Programs at Elementary Schools: A high-energy percussion program called “Strike, Shake & Scrape” with Mark Shelton; Presentation by inspirational artist Desmond Blair; Shakespeare on the Go; Fort Worth Opera;Silk screening supplies for a partnership project between MIS/HPMS and the elementary campuses
  • Outside of Fine Arts: Google Expedition kit including virtual reality headsets and software to allow virtual tours of art museums and cultural landmarks worldwide for the Languages Other Than English department at HPHS; Equipment for Audio Visual production program at HPHS
  • Senior Art Awards: Nine students received prizes for their work in photography, 2D and 3D art
  • Senior Scholarships: Two $2,000 HP Arts Linda Raya scholarships awarded to students who demonstrated a continuous commitment to the arts in high school and who plan to pursue their art in college
  • Special Project: State-of-the-art projection system, software, and laptop for the theater program and auditorium at HPHS
  • Teacher Appreciation: Annual recognition celebration for all HPISD fine arts teachers; Recognition teacher awards – a non-fine arts teacher who integrates arts into their classroom (Arts in Education Teacher Award) and a community member who supports the arts (Arts Advocate)

HP Arts Funding 2017-2018

  • Art: HPMS Silk screen squeegees and tape, drying racks for large art work, Desmond Blair speaker, clay for ceramics classes
  • Band: Three French horns, original musical arrangement for percussion group at PASIC, Eddie Green conductor coaching and wind instrument pedagogue, sectional coaches and UIL clinicians, music stands and racks, full orchestra clinician (combined band and orchestra)
  • Choir: Digital piano repair, piano tuning, music stands
  • Dance: Guest dance instructor to teach dance classes cultural dances from Africa, India and Spain, box light interactive touchscreen display for dance analysis for Belles, partial funding for competition uniforms, choreographer for new dances for Belles
  • Debate: Consultant for practice, argument construction and judging during competition, fine arts study materials
  • Literary Arts: Funded half of the LitFest workshops, Grove Music Encyclopedia research software, Naxos Music Library with streaming access across all genres
  • Orchestra: Bass extensions, adjustable cushioned bass studio chairs, UIL clinicians, bass, cello, viola and violin bows, violas, viola cases, SMU quartet to perform and coach student groups and individuals, refining repertoire clinician, full orchestra clinician (combined band and orchestra)
  • Programs at Elementary Schools: Shakespeare performance and interactive workshop, Mark Shelton Strike, Shake & Scrape, Ft. Worth Children’s Opera, Bluebonnet award winner Susan Stevens Crummel, piano accompanist for concert, Note Knacks interactive music notations teaching tool, silk screen printing
  • Theater: Stage combat workshop; Wound and Scar Makeup workshop, Improv and reactivity workshop, Choreographer Hilary teaching West Side Story Broadway musical, Kabuki/Japanese Theater workshop, Pulitzer & Tony award winning playwright Doug Wright
  • Outside of Fine Arts: Academic Decathlon coaches to work with student groups and individuals and purchase of required art and music study materials and print resource guides for the 2018-2019 competition season, Zumba classes
  • Senior Art Awards: Nine students received prizes for their work in photography, 2D and 3D art
  • Senior Scholarships: Two $1,000 scholarship awarded to students who demonstrated a continuous commitment to the arts in high school and have a serious intention to concentrate in fine arts in college
  • Special Project: Auditorium Lighting at MIS/HPMS

HP Arts Funding 2016-2017

  • Art: Screen print washout booth, Wacom penand digitizer tablets offering natural feel of pen and paper while drawing on a Mac or PC, Museum workshop for two teachers to learn strategies to teach, interpret and use works of art in the classroom
  • Band: New PA system for marching practice and clinics, two Bass clarinets, one wooden bassoon, percussion marching instructor, sectional coaches and UIL clinicians
  • Choir: Sheet music for sight-reading practice, accompanist for Honor Choir and one tuner/ metronomes
  • Dance: Belle’s received weather proof sound system, master teacher for Jazz, Hip Hop, Modern, and guest artists to teach cultural dances from the regions of Africa, Spain, China, Scotland and India
  • Debate: Consultants, Art, Music, and Literature quizzes
  • Literary Arts: LitFest partial funding, writing workshops, author visits and poetry workshops
  • Programs at Elementary Schools: Ballet Folklorico, DSO Yes! introducing string instruments, 123 Andres a Rockstar for young language learners, Ft Worth Opera Studio, Strike, Shake & Scrape, Shakespeare program, pianist for concert
  • Theater: Instructors for stage combat, acting for the camera, improvisation, choreography, college audition coaching, makeup workshops, ballroom dancing, fight choreography, and Kabuki theater
  • Orchestra: For spring concert, professional arranger for “Alexander Hamilton” and “Say What You Mean to Say” for guitar/vocalist and percussionist, sectional coaches, two tuner/ metronomes and two UIL clinicians
  • Outside of Fine Arts: Academic Decathlon Team arts related materials and partial funding of print resource guides for 2017-2018 competition season, Spanish/French Nepris site licenses, Zumba, Legends of the Lone Star State Theatre celebrating the legends, heroes and tall tales that make up Texas History, Ft Worth Capoeira Company – Brazilian martial art combining elements of dance, acrobatics and music.

Cornerstone Benefactor

HP Arts thanks La Fiesta de las Seis Banderas for their generous support of the arts in our community.