FINE ARTS FESTIVAL
The Fine Arts Festival began in 1987 as a way to share the creative talent of our K-12 art and music students with the community. Originally hosted in a tent behind Brookdale Elementary, the inaugural participants were the district’s five elementary schools, Hill Middle School, and Waubonsie Valley High School.
The annual festival has grown into the district’s largest event, spanning all three high school campuses and hosting 80 musical performances featuring 9,000 student musicians. It also features 12,000 pieces of preK-12 artwork representing students from all 33 district schools. Attendance averages 35,000 for the one-day event held every May. Parent attendees not only enjoy performances and art created by their children, but they also witness the talents of the older students who have progressed through the district’s Fine Arts curricula.
IPEF is proud to be able to bring this event free of charge to the IPSD 204 community. We are grateful to our parents and community partners for their help in sponsoring this event!
PREMIER PARTNER
We are grateful to the City of Naperville’s Special Events and Cultural Amenities (SECA) Fund for generously helping to support the Fine Arts Festival through grants to IPEF!
IPSD 204’s Grammys
National Grammy Signature School: 2005, 2013
Signature Gold: 2000, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2016
Signature School: 1999(2), 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
IPSD WINS AWARDS
NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants, has named IPSD 204 as a Best Community for Music Education every year from 2013-2023 in recognition for its outstanding music programs.
Holiday Concerts
‘The hottest ticket in town’ is how many music patrons describe the IPSD 204 Annual Holiday Concerts. The first – Waubonsie’s Prism Concert – began in 1992, and is now accompanied by Neuqua’s Crystal Concert, and Metea’s Collage Concert. These celebrations of the district’s award-winning high school music programs have always been free to the public, courtesy of IPEF sponsorship.
These unique performances showcase each school’s choir, orchestra, and band students in both large group and small ensemble performances in a multicultural variety of holiday-themed music. The breathtaking grand finale of each concert features over 500 student musicians gathered both on-stage and in the aisles among the audience.
The Annual Holiday Concerts are one of the best opportunities for the general public to enjoy the incredible talent of the district’s top music students, as well as the creativity and professionalism of their instructors. They’re also a great way to get in the holiday spirit!
ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE
IPEF has long supported teachers’ efforts to innovate by bringing in topical experts who can not only inform, but inspire their students. For music, art, and theater classes, we call these programs ‘artist-in-residence.’ They are a valuable component of IPSD 204’s Music and Fine Arts education.
Artist-in-Residence programs can take a variety of forms:
- A master class to give students a topical ‘deep dive’ with a world-class practitioner,
- Exposure to ideas or experience that might be counter-intuitive, but completely valid,
- Completing the circle on a project or portion of curricula with a recognized expert.
To help IPEF keep bringing opportunities like these to our students, please:
What It Takes To Go For A Grammy
Waubonsie Valley Art Club Mural
Neuqua Valley’s Spooktacular Concert
