On May 18, the fifth annual San Gabriel Unified School District Artsfest was held at Gabrielino High School, featuring art, music, and performances from students across the district. The event went from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and included a packed schedule of student performances and showcases to entertain a bustling crowd of friends and families.
“Gabrielino comes alive with student artwork from all over the district,” Samantha Theisen remarked, director of Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) for the San Gabriel Unified School District (SGUSD). “It’s always such a fun event—seeing people and having a chance to have fun together.”
Artsfest saw booths from each elementary school adorn the Gabrielino quad, featuring their own special art projects and gallery. Attendees were invited to make colorful paper lantern jellyfish, create fuzzy pipe cleaner creations, and pipette sand to draw whatever they wanted.
Superintendent Jim Simmons commented that the event was “great” and in its 5th year, has gotten “bigger and bigger” with “more and more people” attending.
The stars of the show, however, were students themselves, with Artsfest including performances from groups at Jefferson Middle School, Del Mar High School, Gabrielino, and several other SGUSD elementary students. These included choirs, orchestras, jazz ensembles, and an honor band consisting of elementary students from across the district.
Students performed under a large white tent set up in the middle of the Gabrielino quad, with additional spaces on the stage and in the Goodson Theater. The tight schedule saw many students rush in and out of the venue at Gabrielino constantly, as new groups arrived and prepared to perform.
Performances began promptly at 10:05 a.m. with the Gabrielino Choir’s performance of a single song. This was followed by the Elementary Honor Band conducted by Nathaniel Coyne, music director at Jefferson Middle School.
“I’m here to watch my brother [play in the Honor Band],” Freshman Ethan Chiu commented, a member of the Gabrielino String Orchestra, who attended and performed at Artsfest.
Coyne would also conduct the Jefferson Concert Band and Jazz Band, an opportunity for Chiu to reflect on the band he had played for the year prior by bringing together groups from all grade levels.
“They’re really good, they play really well,” Chiu continued. “I’m just jealous they have more clarinets than we had last year.”
In the morning, students from Del Mar High School were also allowed to showcase their work.
“The class is called modern band [at Del Mar] and students have the option to learn guitar, bass, or drums,” Marawan Nassar, music teacher at Del Mar High School, explained. “We started the second trimester of this past year […] and they’re already up here performing, which is amazing.”
Productions from Nassar’s music class were featured throughout the event and were mainly playing during breaks in performances. They showcased the individual compositions and work of Del Mar students. Additionally, several students were also able to perform in a live band with guitar, bass, drums, and vocals.
“Raise your hand if you heard a loud guttural scream,” Nassar announced after one of the tracks played, who also served as the master of ceremonies for the event.
Jefferson students had two showcase events in the Goodson Theater, consisting of pre-recorded videos projected for the audience. The first was a production from Jefferson Drama, as well as individual videos from Jefferson’s Music Production Class focusing on the overall theme for Artsfest: “Traversing the Waters of the Globe.”
The final performance in the theater was a modernized, live production of “The Birds” by the Gabrielino Drama Department.
Returning outside, performances continued with the Jefferson Advanced Orchestra in addition to a solo performance on the harp by student Robin Yang.
The spotlight was also given to three girls who had been learning aerial acrobatics outside of the district, performing their routines under a specialized apparatus in the middle of the quad.
This was followed by the final middle school group of the day, the Jefferson Concert Choir and Jazz Ensemble. The Gabrielino String Orchestra and Jazz Band rounded out the student performances for Artsfest.
“It was really fast as the last performance of the year,” junior Owen Dowell reflected, a guitarist for Jazz Band. “It was a good way to be here at Artsfest to show it off as the final send off.”
The day ended with a Flamenco dancing demonstration, highlighting the district’s growing offerings for dance.
Artsfest got its start in 2019, a part of a wider plan for community outreach from SGUSD VAPA to conduct a “district-wide celebration of the arts”. Originally scheduled for 2020, the first Artsfest took place online in 2021 as a series of videos showcasing student work, Artsfest briefly moved to Grapevine Park in San Gabriel before finally settling at Gabrielino.
This year, Theisen has been helped out by a variety of music and art teachers across the district, many of whom were honored at Artsfest, including Nassar, Coyne, and Bobby Hundley, Gabrielino drama teacher.
Many students also helped to volunteer, arriving early in the morning to assist with set up and staying after the event to help take everything down. Alex Tang, 8th grader and a part of Jefferson’s Advanced Orchestra, chose to volunteer in time before performing, helping to face paint, and found the experience fun.
What had started as a bustling day full of parents and students from across the district ended much more quietly, with attendees taking one last look at the myriad artworks and colors at Artsfest.
“I love the event, it’s so much fun,” reflected Thiesen. “[May] is a busy month and a little stressful, but [Artsfest] is just pure joy.”
