ARTS AND MUSIC PROGRAMS FLOURISH
AT FOX CHAPEL AREA
F
or decades, one of the
hallmarks of a Fox Chapel
Area education has been the
district’s exemplary arts and
music programs. The tradition of
excellence remains strong, with the
programs and its students amassing a
number of awards and honors during
the past five years.
The most prestigious recognition during
that period is the recent renewal of the
Programs of Distinction status of Fox
Chapel Area High School’s music and
visual arts programs by the Middle States
Association Commissions on Elementary
and Secondary Schools. The music
program was first named a Middle States
Program of Distinction in 2012. At that
time, it was the first public school music
program to receive the recognition. In
2015, Fox Chapel Area High School
was the first school – nationally and
internationally – to receive the Program
of Distinction status in Visual Arts.
In 2019, for the eighth consecutive year,
the Fox Chapel Area School District was
named among the “Best Communities
for Music Education” by the National
Association of Music Merchants
Foundation.
Under the tenure of Fox Chapel Area
Superintendent Gene Freeman, Ed.D.,
the district’s arts and music programs, as
well as their students, have compiled a
number of other accolades as well, and
he’s worked to expand course offerings
and raise the programs’ visibility during
his time with the district.
“I’m an arts lover myself, so, of course, I
wanted to make sure our robust arts and
music programs not only continued, but
thrived,” Dr. Freeman said. “Fostering
success in the arts and music programs
was one of my goals when I arrived here
in 2014.”
A Fox Chapel Area High School ceramics and fibers student works on a clay mask.
The high school art department offers a wide range of
courses, including ceramics and fibers, computer art, jewelry
and glass, photography, and drawing and painting. In recent
years, Art History Advanced Placement (AP) and Studio Art
AP were added.
Thirteen high school students took AP exams in art and music
courses in 2015. By 2019, that number jumped to 36. And, of
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FOX CHAPEL AREA
those students who took an AP exam in 2019, 94% scored a 3
or higher to be eligible to earn college credit.
Additionally, Dr. Freeman oversaw the development of a
student art gallery in the administration office and a number
of common areas in the high school. Student works from
kindergarten through grade 12 are showcased and routinely
rotated.
“We have a diverse fine arts program,” said Fox Chapel Area
High School art teacher Christine Smith, the chair of the
high school art department. “Not only do we have a lot of