Creativity in the Time of Covid-Jan. 17, 2021

We hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend and taking time to reflect on the legacy of Dr. King. If you weren’t aware, there will be a small service commemorating King at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park at 2 p.m. on Monday. During the event, food vouchers will be distributed.

Also, as a reminder, Jan. 19-22 is midterm exam week, with early release days on Thursday and Friday. Please see the bell schedule below; remote students and those quarantined: note that exam schedules are very different and be sure to make note of it as you prepare the week of Zoom log-ons.

Good luck to all on exams! We know you’ve got this!

January 25 is a professional day (no classes), and school will resume for the second semester on Jan. 26.

Film & Animation Students Win Big at Scholastic Arts     

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Congratulations to VPA Film & Animation, which enjoyed many successes for this year’s Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Senior Maren Timpe’s short animated film “Empty Nest” earned the Gold Key Award and the American Visionary Award; senior Rosalea Wolff (along with senior Myles Summerlin) won the Silver Key Award with the live-action film “Talking Teddy;” senior Tallulah Bonifield’s animated short “Animal Anthology” won the Silver Key Award; and Maren Timpe earned another award, the Silver Key Award, with her animated short “Ducks in the Walls.”

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is one of the nation’s most prestigious and widely known student arts competitions, recognizing and nurturing outstanding achievement in art and writing since 1923.

Visual Art Represented in “Black Muse” 2021 Exhibit

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Junior Sadie Smith has had artworks selected to be included in the 2021 Black Muse high school art exhibit, which features powerful African American artworks. Due to pandemic, this year the exhibit, on display Jan. 28-March 5, will be done virtually.

Black Muse is a collaboration between Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative, The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), and the Art Center of Sarasota, and its mission is to recognize and celebrate artists of African descent. At the professional level, it is a juried art show; as an educational mission, it provides visibility and nurturance for black artists. Here’s the link.

New Scholarship for VPA Theatre Students

A new scholarship will be available for Theatre students seeking postsecondary education in the arts: The Sam Mossler Memorial Scholarship will offer about $5,000 to a graduating Theatre student with aspirations in theatre, visual arts, writing or music, all areas of passion for the late Sam Mossler, VPA Theatre alum (class of ’93).

The Sarasota and Booker High School VPA communities were shaken last October by the untimely death of Mossler, whose life was taken at the age of 45 from an apparent heart attack. Mossler was a celebrated actor in the community, a regular on the Florida Studio Theatre stage, as well as a playwright and writing educator. Friends describe him as a one-of-a-kind personality, a human of great wisdom and charity of character, and VPA alum have joined together to create this scholarship in his name to keep his legacy alive. The scholarship was founded by friends and fellow VPA alum David Dewald (class of ’91) and Jay Duval (class of ’92), and the fund is accepting donations.

An official scholarship application is in the works and will be available in a few weeks, but it will entail a combination of performance, writing, and interview with selection panel. We highly encourage Theatre students to apply. Check out more about this scholarship opportunity here.