The Arts News Archives

On Friday, April 25, 65 AP Art History students in the Dumbach Scholars Honors Program traveled downtown to view collections at Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA) and the Art Institute of Chicago. This field trip allowed students to experience some of the iconic works of art they have been studying in class firsthand and apply the analytical skills they have developed. The trip also served as a review opportunity for students ahead of their AP test.

Thanks to the leadership of Clark Lundgren '25, Loyola Academy's Band Room now features a striking new mural that celebrates the unity of music and art. As part of his Eagle Scout project, Clark proposed and organized the installation, working closely with Principal Tim Devine '88 and Fine Arts Department Chair Pat Patterson.

Congratulations to Loyola Academy senior and Thespian Society Board Member Tommy Grant, who has been named a nominee for the Illinois High School Musical Theatre Award (IHSMTA) for Best Performer in an Actor Role! Sponsored by Broadway in Chicago and NBC, this prestigious honor recognizes Tommy’s outstanding portrayal of Cornelius in Loyola’s spring musical, Hello, Dolly!

On Friday, April 25, Loyola Academy students presented the Spring Dance Showcase titled A Night at the Movies. This year, students in Honors Dance choreographed dances to their favorite songs from movies. From feel-good Disney tunes to chilling horror themes, this showcase allowed the audience members to escape reality and enjoy a cinematic night at the McGrath Family Performing Arts Center. Performances featured Ramblers in Honors Dance, Dance 2, and Orchesis Dance Company, along with cast members from Hello, Dolly!, Loyola's spring musical production. Click here for the full concert program.

Loyola Academy Department of Performing Arts and Thespian Troupe 4729 performed the musical Hello, Dolly! to a delighted audience on April 11–13. Set in the 1890s, Hello, Dolly! follows the spirited and resourceful matchmaker Dolly Gallagher Levi as she embarks on her most ambitious undertaking yet: securing a suitable wife for the wealthy and cantankerous Horace Vandergelder—while secretly planning to marry him herself. As Dolly makes her way from Yonkers to New York City, she leaves a trail of romantic mischief in her wake, influencing the lives of Horace’s clerks, a hopeful milliner, her assistant, and a pair of young sweethearts. Filled with charm, wit, and vibrant musical numbers, Hello, Dolly! is a heartwarming celebration of love, second chances, and the transformational power of one remarkable woman.

On Thursday, April 3, eighty Ramblers in Architecture and Architecture Club were hosted by the Masonry Advisory Council (MAC) at the District Council Training Center in Addison. The field trip was organized by Architecture Teacher Mr. Carson Shearon; eight chaperones, including Loyola Academy President Rev. Greg Ostdiek, SJ, helped moderate the field trip.

Loyola Academy is proud to announce that seven student photographers have been selected to exhibit their work in Student Perspectives 2025, a juried show at The Perspective Photography Gallery in Evanston. Congratulations to Natnael Araia '25, Brandon Canzolino '26, Chase Kolssak '26, Isaac Martinez '26, Ethan McLean '26, Hunter Solon '26, and Morgan Szpak '27 on this outstanding artistic achievement.

Student Perspectives 2025 will be on exhibit from May 1 through May 25 at The Perspective Photography Gallery, located at 1310 1/2B Chicago Avenue in Evanston. A public opening reception will take place on Saturday, May 3, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

The opening reception for the Loyola Academy Visual Arts Spring Exhibition was held on Thursday, April 3. The exhibit, which runs through April 24, showcases the exceptional talents and achievements of our student artists.

In September 2022, Loyola Academy launched a partnership with Special Gifts Theatre (SGT), a not-for-profit organization that provides individuals who possess a wide array of disabilities the opportunity to experience the joy and enrichment that theatre arts can bring. Now in its third year, the SGT x LA Peer Mentor Program continues to give Ramblers the opportunity to work one-on-one with a Special Gifts Theatre buddy in the beautiful McGrath Family Performing Arts Center. Together this spring they put on a magical performance of Alice in Wonderland Jr. on March 1 and 2!

Loyola Academy's AP Studio Art & Design Exhibition, now in its fourteenth year, is an annual celebration of student work in the visual arts held at the Evanston Art Center (EAC). Many of the students exhibiting work in the show have been in art courses at Loyola for two to four years and come from the following disciplines: studio (drawing, painting), graphics, photography, and architecture. The opportunity to present in a professional gallery is a unique and valuable experience for students and takes their artwork to a larger local audience.

On Thursday, February 20, Loyola Academy alumni artists and members of our community gathered for an exciting opening of the second annual Alumni Visual Arts Exhibition, which will run through Thursday, March 20, in the McGrath Family Performing Arts Center. This exhibition celebrates the exceptional accomplishments of thirteen alumni artists who submitted their work during an open call period at the beginning of 2025.

Ramblers in Loyola's Orchesis Dance Company lit up the stage on Friday, February 7, and Saturday, February 8, during a spectacular performance in the McGrath Family Performing Arts Center. This annual performance celebrated the talent and hard work of our dancers, featuring student-choreographed routines in contemporary, jazz, and hip-hop.

Konner Sayer '26 was chosen to exhibit his work at the Drexel University Juried High School Photography Exhibition in Philadelphia. Students exhibiting in the national competition will be judged on January 22 for six national winners. The exhibit will be held from February 15 through March 6.