Thank you for attending our virtual Arts Alive Festival. We know that there is not a website or virtual event that can reproduce the excitement and energy that fill a traditional Arts Alive Festival in Wayne Township, but we believe that we can still achieve the goal of Arts Alive, which is to celebrate the arts in Wayne Township. To that end, we share with you your one-stop destination for all of the creativity that can be found in our wonderful township. Visual arts and performances from students preschool through twelfth grade are spread around these pages for you to enjoy. So please enjoy and we look forward to seeing you again, in person, in 2023.
Thank you, as always, for your support.
The first Arts Alive in 1985 was quite an amazing endeavor. Inspired by the Penrod festival and all things Disney, Larry Hurt’s dream seemed monumental at the time—to host a district-wide festival during which all the arts would come together for one fantastic day. Larry pulled together an energetic team, planned for nearly a year, and created an event that would draw thousands of students, school personnel, family, and community members to the high school. The first Arts Alive proved to be a brilliant success: Larry went on to coordinate a total of thirteen festivals before his sudden death in the summer of 2010. Larry Hurt believed in young people, believed in the power of all the arts to enhance and transform our lives. In those beliefs, he found an energy that fueled a brilliant life and career that touched literally thousands of students, many of whom continue to thank Larry for the impact he had on their lives. We dedicate this Arts Alive Festival and all those that follow to the memory and legacy of Larry Hurt. We hope you will continue to let the arts enrich your life.
Dr. Jeff Butts, Superintendent
Ms. Judy Stegemann, Chief Academic Officer
Ms. Cheri O’Day, Chief Elementary Officer
Mr. John Taylor, Chief Secondary Officer
Mr. Stephen Gardner, Curriculum Coordinator
C. Justin Allison, Festival Coordinator
Cara Owens, Visual Arts Chair
Mark Montgomery, Performance Chair
Rebecca Hundley, Concessions Chair
Board of Education
Michael Nance, President
Ben Wakefield, Vice President
Raimeka Graham, Secretary
Brandon Bowman, Member
Shirley Deckard, Member
Susan Graves, Member
Karen Burke, Member
Participating Schools
Bridgeport Elementary
Dr. Pam Hardy, Principal
Katie McKinney, Art
Jessica Gay, Music
Chapel Glen Elementary
Shatara Smith, Principal
Dorinda York, Art
Kelley Warbinton, Music
Chapelwood Elementary
Terri Mathews, Principal
Kelly Scheler, Art
Brianna Rude, Music
Garden City Elementary
Virginia Poindexter, Principal
Samantha Shows, Art
Owen Hunter, Music
Maplewood Elementary
Julie Moore, Principal
Jadrian Berry, Art
Edward Hennes, Music
McClelland Elementary
Jennifer Nichols, Principal
Karla Allison, Art
Jessica Newby, Music
North Wayne Elementary
Karen Boatright-Schere, Principal
Jonathan Johnson, Art
Kyleigh Randolph, Music
Rhoades Elementary
Karen Boatright, Principal
Molly Mote, Art
Robyn Grider, Music
Robey Elementary
Ben Markley, Principal
Ashley Ward, Art
Terri Ewigleben, Music
Stout Field Elementary
Tim Wickard, Principal
Gail Gill, Art
Jacob Nail, Music
Westlake Elementary
Dennisha Murff, Principal
Emily Wessel, Art
Jared Hancock, Music
Wayne Township Preschool
Heather Pierce, Principal
Sarah Lockhart-Smith, Teacher
Gaby Mojica, Teacher
Chapel Hill 7th & 8th Grade Center
Kelin Mark, Principal
Leslie Bonilla, Art
Jessica Vaughan, Art
Eric Park, Music
Kelly Wallace, Music
Duana McCalment, Music
Scott Ooley, Music
Lynhurst 7th & 8th Grade Center
Dan Wilson, Principal
Amy Stovall, Art
Camelia Geiseking, Art
Misha Benson, Music
Ashley Watson, Music
Thomas Niedecker, Music
Kristen Vance, Music
Sanders School
Taryn Richard, Principal
Robert Keeler, Art & Music
Giant Preschool Learning Center
Patricia Elliott, Director
Ben Davis 9th Grade Center
Steve Samuel, Principal
Ashley Burosh, Art
Beth Guipe-Hall, Art
Ben Davis High School
Sandra Squire, Principal
Justin Allison, Art
Cara Owens, Art
Allison Knudsen, Art
Rebecca Hundley, Art
Cody Haddix, Art
Kenya Rizo, Art
Ken Karlin, Music
Jericho Hughes, Music
Gary Rudolph, Music
Patrick Van Arsdale, Music
David Cole, Music
Amanda Harrison, Music
Jason David, Music
Amy Noble, Music
Mark Montgomery, Theater
Kristopher Owens, Theater
Special thanks to the Eiteljorg Museum, the Indiana State Museum, and Newfields for their generous raffle donations.
See you in 2023!