Bravo! 2021 Program

Saturday, March 6, 2021

A Note from the Director of Fine Arts:

Here we are, Bravo! A Celebration of the Arts 2021! What a year it has
been! Last year we launched Bravo at the grand opening of the Don
Price Performing Arts Chapel. The energy was electric, the joy was
overwhelming, and most importantly, the building was full of people!
Guests stepped into a dazzling world, enjoying performances and
fellowship all in support of the arts and our talented students, past
and present. This epic, over-the-top, first annual celebration of the arts
provided unforgettable moments; and the spirit of Bravo was born!
After such a joyful and momentous celebration, our enthusiasm and
anticipation for the future of MVC Fine Arts soared. But as we all
know, the events that would unfold in the following weeks would
drastically change all of our lives. As the world closed down and
we were directed to “shelter in place,” the new space we had just
celebrated sat empty as events and performances were canceled and an
overwhelming sense of uncertainty set in.
Many of us have endured great loss during this global pandemic. We
have felt the weight of isolation and have longed to return to what
once was. The arts have been tremendously impacted during these
times. As artists, we have had to find new ways to create and connect
with each other and our community. I am reminded of the Scripture
that says, “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the
morning” (Psalm 30:5 NIV). We know that we will be together again!
And we choose to celebrate our ‘morning’ that is to come.
Tonight we hope that you experience joy, and above all, feel “the love”
- that actually is our theme for the evening!
We love you and thank you for your continued support!
Morgan Matos
Director of Fine Arts

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“what the arts mean to me”

according to the mvc Fine arts faculty

“[The arts] are a gift from God and we are given a glimpse of his great-
ness and love by being able to create and to see his great creations.”
Darlene Sparks
“The way I see it, everything in life is an art. When I was in high school,
I decided to go into music education because I saw the transformative
power of the arts in the lives of young people first hand, including y
own.”
Bill Ton
I love that art is a physical and visual act of worship or prayer that is
vulnerably and courageously shared by the artist, in hopes that deep
connection will occur with not only one another, but also with The
Creator of All.
Angelic Navarro
Being a part of the visual arts team for the last 17 years has shown me
the power that creating and viewing art gives people. I love that VPA
gives students a voice in creation of art and allows viewers and listeners
to participate through hearing and seeing those voices.
Matt Watson
Our Creator gave us the beautiful gift of creating, and it is healing.
The arts are and always have held this value, especially in these current
times.
Michelle Sallee
The masterful work created within MVC’s visual and performing
arts program reveals the incredible ability our students have to apply
skill, knowledge & creativity in a provoking way through the art form
studied.
Jordan De Los Santos

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ORDER of program

Fly Me to the Moon Spencer Lane-Irby ‘25, Piano
Bart Howard

Almost Like Being in Love Jack Wilkins ‘12, Vocalist
Brooke Sawyer ‘24, Dancer

When I Fall in Love MVC Chamber Singers
Arr. Kirby Shaw Emma Grace Westbrook ‘23

La Vie En Rose Christiana Meeks ‘10, Vocalist
Edith Piaf

Art & Photography Exhibit 1

As Time Goes By Sophia Catania ‘22, Flute
Herman Hup eld Lindsay San Juan ‘23, Clarinet

Letters from War Emma Grace Westbrook ‘23
Blake Sawyer ‘24

Five Forever Lia Tracy ‘22
from Little Women the Musical Hannah Corpus ‘25
Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein Emma Grace Westbrook ‘23
Music by Jason Howland Isabella Dunbar ‘22
Blake Sawyer ‘24

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Art & Photography Exhibit 2 Isabella Dunbar ‘22,
Someone to Watch Over Me Vocalist
George Gerschwin Chelsea Odegaard ‘16
Dream a Little Dream Vocalist
Fabian Andre &
Wilbur Schwandt Emma Grace Westbrook ‘23,
I Wish You Love Vocalist
Morgan Matos,
MVC Loves the Arts Director of Fine Arts
MVC Choirs & Alumni
The Love of God
Arr. Dan Forrest Dr. Mitchell Salerno,
Invitation MVC Head of School

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performing arts students

Kylie Brunelli Gwenyth Love
Josiah Bursese Isabella Martinez
Rebekah Bursese Noah Matos
Samuel Catania Joleen Mendoza
Kristen Chua Samuel Nicolas Moore
Heather Cobarrubias Jaleaha Mount
Liana Dietz Nathan Pelayo
Isabella Dunbar Araceli Rodriguez
Savanna Fortin Morgan Rush
Elena Fromm Lindsay San Juan
Gunther Gerhold Blake Sawyer
Sofia Gonzalez Sawyer, Brooke
Zamarri Gray Zoe Stack
Sophie Henrard Annika Sutter
Phoebe Jiang Amelia Tracey
Sophia Kastros Emma Grace Westbrook
Elysha Kennedy Jamie Woida
Blythe Liljenstolpe

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Featured Alumni
Soloists

Christiana Meeks ‘10
Chelsea Odegaard ‘16

Jack Wilkins ‘12

Alumni Singers

Emily Booth ‘16
Melissa Stevens (Booth) ‘11

Ruby Cook ‘10
Lourdes Gomez ‘14
Beth Kirchner ‘05
Shannon McBane ‘11
Kristi Matsuoka ‘12
Christiana Meeks ‘10
Daniel Navarro ‘19
Chelsea Odegaard ‘16
Eleanor Persing ‘17

Jesse Persing ‘16
Erin Schulz ‘07
Adam Skerritt ‘11
Isabella Steigman ‘18
Cobi Tadros ‘17
Alison Zulaica ‘20

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The Light of a Thousand Stars John Bautista
My name is John Bautista and
I am a senior at Monte Vista
Christian School. I have been in
photography for two years, and
take pictures very often. I love
space, and its vast and wonderful
beauty, the fact that we know
so little about it makes me so
curious. This is something I do
often when I take astrophotog-
raphy; for example, capturing
the Moon, Saturn, and Jupiter.
My grandfather was an amateur
photographer, although he died
before I was born, I feel as if
photography brings me closer to
him. It was one of his passions,
and it has become mine too.

Emma Parachini Pa w s
The arts program has consistently
inspired me by providing the
resources and teachers I need
to succeed! I was involved in
guitar classes for two years, and
photography classes for the other
two. Taking photos is a way to
capture a moment that will last
forever. Being able to look back
on these moments is very special.
My surroundings and the many
lives around me inspire me to
continue taking pictures. After
all, a picture is worth a thousand
words! I choose a focused subject
that is aesthetically pleasing to
the eyes, then go back and edit
dust particles or unwanted lines
out of scanned images. Contrast
is something I also focus on, and
it can be especially seen in this
photo.

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Peaches and Apricots Hailey Lewis
I’m Hailey Lewis, a senior at
Monte Vista and I have been in
the photography program for
two years now. I’ve grown up
appreciating and loving nature
my whole life, and love to take
pictures that are able to capture it.
I am inspired by all of the colors
and diversity that one is able to
see in nature. The amount of
colors in nature inspires me to
want to take a picture to keep.
To take my pictures I mostly
use a digital camera, or even my
phone when my camera is not
available. I love digital photog-
raphy because it allows me to
instantly see results and share
work easily. I interpret the mean-
ing of my work to be capturing
the beauty of nature during a
specific moment

Riley Driscoll Co lors
My name is Riley Driscoll and
I’m a sophomore at Monte
Vista. This is my second year
taking photography. I enjoy
photo-graphing landscape
images both digitally or with
film. I h ve also been playing
lacrosse during my time at
Monte Vista and for clubs
outside of school for the past
seven years. I love to travel and
visit new places, so taking
pictures of di erent landscapes
is what I tend to capture. For
me, my photos represent the
simple beauty that can be found
anywhere.

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Boogeyman Justin Lomeli
My name is Justin Lomeli. I am a
senior and this is my fourth year
taking photography at Monte
Vista. Many times I look at
everyday objects and items and
try to imagine them as something
more than what they are. I like
to take time and almost think of
it as setting a scene and the scene
can be looked at from multiple
angles. To me, art is an expression
of how someone can feel or think
and I use photography as a creative
outlet to express whatever it is in
my head.

Mark Spohn Weak But Strong
My name is Mark Spohn and
I am a junior at Monte Vista.
I am in Art I and I previously
attended art classes outside of
school for four years. All art has
meaning, which allows us to
refl ct on our world. It can evoke
a strong emotion in society to
enact change. It can also shape
the personality of the artist and
society as a whole. Art allows me
to learn more about myself and
others. As a student of art I have
gained awareness of the di erent
perspectives of people from
around the world and through-
out history so that I can better
communicate my ideas through
my own art.

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Encroachment on My Solitude Emma Hoffman
My name is Emma Hoffman and
I am a senior in the Art II class
after taking Art I last year. I’ve
always used art as an outlet to
express my thoughts and feelings.
Everything I create reflects me
in some way whether influenced
by an experience of mine, my in-
terests or stories I’ve heard from
other people. Art excites me
because the possibilities are truly
endless. I’ve learned that the
materials I use can play a big part
in conveying the meaning behind
my pieces and I’ve been having a
lot of fun experimenting.

Jake Grissom Global Warming
My name is Jake Grissom and I
am a sophomore, new to Monte
Vista, and am taking Art II. A lot
of the time it’s difficult to express
what I’m thinking or feeling
with words, but through art it
helps me capture something
that words could never capture.
Words can be said and used over
and over but with art there’s
always a chance to create some-
thing new. Art has always been
so fascinating to me and really
helps me to display a piece of me.
Art is like a window into another
world where almost anything can
happen and not everything has
to be explained. A place where
tragedy can be transformed into
beauty and the unknown can be
displayed.

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Crisis in Africa Cherise Vileta
My name is Cherise Vileta and I
Jenna Watts am a sophomore in Art II having
My name is Jenna Watts. I have taken Art I last year. Art has been
been doing traditional art for 13 a means for me to interpret my
years and about four years ago I di erent ideas and creativity. It’s
started doing digital art. a way for me to develop further
Though I have been taking art what I have in mind. With the
classes and practicing, this is my many kinds of media that can be
used in the world, there’s many
irst yeardoing MVC Art. Art possibilities to express art. It also
to me has always been discovery inspires people, which can lead
and ex-perimentation. My work to more creations of mixed inspi-
is ideas and thoughts that words rations. Art itself is something
can’t express. This process of that can multiply meanings as
idea and concept creating– art, well, making it real special. It’s
has taught me another way to not something that has to be
view the world, how the serious and perfect, you can have
smallest idea is still important. fun and mess around as well with
My inspiration for many of unlimited possibilities.
these ideas come from a wide
range of things I love, from Mystery in a Mas k
movies and games to
conversations I’ll have with 16
friends or family. But the most
important take away I’ve had
from it all is every idea we have
can create beautiful art.

Bon Appetit Samantha Albin
To me, art has no boundaries,
which is why I find myself drawn
to it. I am able to express myself,
my feelings, and my creativity
throughout different artistic
forms. All of my pieces represent
me and tell a story, whether that
be through certain color choices,
or the design itself. I find that
ceramics has given me an outlet
to create a more personal rela-
tionship with my art pieces due
to the hands-on experience it
gives me.

Kristin Sanders Fresh Coffee
I love making art that reflects
who I am as a person and that
holds stories and meanings to
me and the people around me. I
joined Ceramics last year. Before
then, I expressed art through
painting, photography, and
videography; however, Ceramics
has been the only class I came
back to. I learned that I loved to
express and build stories with
my hands and sculpt them using
clay. “Brewed Coffee” is more
than a sign that says “Coffee”,
it’s a story of my family’s love for
each other and staying up late at
night bonding while all drinking
coffee.

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Shark Mouth Mug Makayla Rader
I enjoy making things with my
Hazel Gerwe hands. My love for the ocean
I make this type of art to show made me want to do some sort
depth in my pieces. Although my of marine life. I also like to laugh
pieces should represent physical and so I thought it would be
beauty, I want to tell my audi- funny for me to make a shark
ence a story with my creations. since I am a surfer. My art
My art represents myself as a represents my personality and
person and my family. I wouldn’t passions. I am inspired by nature
make what I make today without and seeing all the things that
the influence of art that has God created then also being able
been passed down to me. What to create something myself. Art
inspires me is a new challenge. to me is a free space where no
I like to create new things with one tells you what to do, but you
new tools and techniques to then do what you want to. You chal-
expand my work progress. I make lenge yourself to try new things
things by creating a fundamental and accomplish things that you
structure and then adding my didn’t know you could, all while
personal perspective. doing something that you love.

Syrup Can

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Modern Mug Bianca Sieraski
I make this type of art because
it’s what speaks to me and what’s
pleasing to me to make. It’s fun
to see the end result of something
you’ve worked hard on. What in-
spires me is other artists and just
the whole art community. There’s
so many talented people and
honestly I just want to be like all
of them because everyone just
makes such cool, unique things.
I love getting gifted handcrafted
things as well as making my own
things that I’m proud of because
they have a very special sentimen-
tality to them. Art in general just
has a very powerful meaning to
it and when you make it yourself
it just makes it that much more
special.

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Acknowledgments

Head of School
Dr. Mitchell Salerno
Assistant Head of School
Nikki Daniels
Director of Fine Arts
Morgan Matos
Fine Arts Faculty
Jordan De Los Santos ‘12, Visual Arts
Dr. Tony Dehner, Vocal Arts
Bill Ton, Instrumental Arts
Angelic Navarro, Dance
Matt Watson, Visual Arts
Michelle Sallee, Visual Arts
Darlene Sparks, Visual Arts
Bravo Production Team
Executive Producer and Director: Jordan De Los Santos ‘12
Sound Engineer: Michael Roco
Lighting Design: Craig Vilbig
Virtual Choir Producer: Jack Wilkins ‘12
Student Videographers
John Bautista ‘21
Ethan Hewitt ‘21
Logan Pluckhan ‘21
Gretchen Cortes ‘98, Communications Coordinator
Devin Kleffer & Kendra Lanham, Graphic Design
Cam Primavera, Program Printer

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AUTOGRAPHS

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