BPS Visual and Performing Arts

Courtesy of a special invitation from the Providence Bruins, a group of students from Joyce Kilmer Upper School were able to perform the National Anthem at the Bruins game on March 10. “I think it was a great moment for them to experience performance and the power of art,” said Aytul Farquharson, the music teacher at Kilmer Upper School, “and being on the ice, in connection with a sport that they admire so much. It was very powerful because West Roxbury is a very hockey-oriented, hockey-supportive community.” The performing ensemble included a mix of choir students and singers as well as a small string quartet. All interested students were welcomed to perform, even those with limited musical backgrounds. Twins Sophia and Teddy Sortuin get ready to perform the National Anthem at the Providence Bruins game on March 10. “They knew how to blend,” said Farquharson, “They knew how to justify their presence there in a meaningful way. It was a very proud moment for ev...

They say that in order to understand your future, you must first understand your past. And thanks to the dedicated faculty and staff at Dennis C. Haley Pilot School, this quote came to life in the most artistic way possible. In honor of Black History Month, students at the Haley recently performed the hip hopera “Houston” to celebrate the brilliant life and work of Charles Hamilton Houston, a civil rights attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in the 1940s and 50s. Houston was widely known for his use of the “separate but equal” doctrine in the fight against Jim Crow segregation, which effectively paved way for the landmark court case Brown v. Board of Education. “What we’ve been seeking to do is look at Black History Month not as a standalone, isolated month, but rather, a month of celebration that is part of a yearlong celebration,” said Jason Wise, a theater-art teacher at the Haley, “so it really feels like part of the fabric of the mission of the diversity initiative ...