Celebration of the Arts

Jesuit’s Student Commons and Multi-Purpose Room were transformed into an artistic showcase on Sunday afternoon (April 18) as the school displayed its exceptional talent in the arts at the annual Celebration of the Arts.

Jesuit's visual artists, under the direction of Kevin Ball '03, once again created a remarkable exhibit throughout the MPR for the Juried Art Show, featuring all of the senior AP Portfolios and hundreds of projects. The highest honors were awarded to Matthew Justin '22 for Best in Show, Will Danzi ’21 for Best AP Portfolio, Josh Milam ’22 for Honors Studio Art, and Phillip Falcon ’23 for Studio Art I.

The annual event returned to campus after a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19. Sunday also featured “A Taste at Jesuit,” a slight variation of the traditional “A Taste of Jesuit” that has been enjoyed by so many at Celebration of the Arts in years past. This year, the Jesuit Dads’ Club grilled up delectable sausages, burgers, and hot dogs, while the Mothers’ Club made salads and desserts.

Justin became just the second non-senior to win Best in Show in 12 years, following Bryce Denick ’20 in 2019, which was the last year of the Juried Art Show. Justin’s Pen & Ink image of Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy, France (based off a photo Justin snapped while on a Jesuit pilgrimage there two summers ago) earned the nod from the event's three judges: former award-winning Jesuit AP Art students Justin Sanchez '17 and Loki Fountain '19, who are both students at the University of Tampa, and Victoria Pagel, the educational programs coordinator for the Tampa Museum of Art.

Danzi placed ahead of runner-up Jake Spoto ’21 and 3rd-place Joseph Koebbe ’21 for top honors in AP Portfolio. In Honors Studio Art, the runner-up was Franco Capitano ’22 and placing 3rd was Archie Teller ’22, and in Studio Art I, the runner-up was Mauricio Perilla-Pena ’23 and placing 3rd was Michael Beard ’22.

Click here to view a PDF of the winning artwork from all categories in the Juried Art Show.

Outside in the Student Commons, the hundreds in attendance enjoyed wonderful theatre and musical performances. The drumline opened the show, followed by the choir. Under the direction of Dominic DiCarlo, the choir performed beautiful renditions of several songs, including the Irish folk classic “Dulaman.” That was followed by several engaging stage performances under the direction of Richard Miller, Jesuit's theater director, including an award-winning duet by Colin Creadon ’23 and Grant Jurusz ’22.

Music director Nina Wegmann led Jesuit's musicians through numerous pieces featuring the full range of instruments, including numbers by Brian Setzer, Glenn Miller, and the Beatles.

View below an expansive photo slideshow from Celebration of the Arts, and click here for a PDF with the artwork of all of the winners.