Fine Arts
The Fine Arts Department at Villa Joseph Marie offers a growing, cohesive program that encourages interdisciplinary communication among its faculty, and exposes students to all of the creative arts disciplines. Below is a description of some of the various learning opportunities offered by Villa's Fine Arts Department.
Visual Arts
Villa's Visual Arts program allows students to work with a variety of media, such as drawing, painting, printmaking, graphic design, and 3-dimensional work. In addition to this comprehensive curriculum, the Visual Arts program seeks ways to bring the outside art world to Villa's students by sponsoring the Art on the Move program with the Michener Museum, hosting visiting artists, participating in Archdiocesan and other local art shows, and more. Villa's young artists' work is on display throughout the school, where it beautifies our school and can be appreciated by the whole Villa community.
Drama
Through our Drama curriculum, students are exposed to the basics of theater and a sampling of acting, improvising, script-writing, production, and technical work. In addition to offering drama classes, Villa's Dramatic Society produces two major shows each year.
Dance
Villa offers a Dance elective for students that focuses on the individual rhythm, coordination, and flexibility through the art of dance. Students explore the four performance styles of dance (ballet, tap, jazz, and modern), through history, musical principles, and anatomical rules. Students also are actively involved in barre work, center work, and choreographed dance routines.
Chorus
Villa's many wonderful singers are nurtured through both curriculum-based and extracurricular choirs. During school, students can join the Chorus or Freshman Choir class. Students unable to fit these classes into their schedules are welcomed to join the Liturgical Choir and Chorale, which meet before or after school. Villa's singers take part in many school activities, including Christmas, Winter, and Spring Concerts; Masses; special events; and competitions.
Villa Band
Villa's musicians can choose to take part in a number of different bands, including Jazz Band, Concert Band, Pep Band, and Orchestra. These bands are extracurricular and practice in the morning before school and during lunch periods. Villa's musicians perform at many events, both inside and outside of Villa. In addition to playing at the Christmas, Winter, and Spring Concerts and the Fall and Spring Open Houses, the bands have performed at the Northampton Day Parade, the Richboro Nursing Home, North Catholic High School's Band Competition, a "Battle of the Bands" at a Philadelphia 76ers game, and much more.
Fine Arts Week
Villa's Fine Arts Week is held annually in April and is a celebration of all things artistic at Villa. One of the highlights of the week is the evening Coffeehouse, which includes readings of student writing, a showing of student artwork, and vocal and instrumental performances.