The program began this month – making a greater connection between FMS cadets and their surrounding community.
“My husband talked about taking art classes when he was a cadet at Fishburne in the ‘90s. Just last school year, I walked into the old art room to discover that there was art hanging on the walls and lesson plans still written on the board. These Fishburne relics from the previous art class seemed to me like a sign that we needed to bring art back to the school,” said FMS Deputy Superintendent Nicole Overton.
It was early in the school year of 2021 when Overton mentioned her desire for FMS to partner with Wayne Theatre to Linda Hershey, the advancement chair of the Fishburne-Hudgins Educational Foundation.
“Our school continues to expose the cadets to community programs, like what the Wayne Theatre is offering, where they can expand their imagination and explore their emotions,” said Hershey.
In March 2022, Overton was connected to Tracy Straight, executive director of the Wayne Theatre, to create an outline for the program.
Corey Holmes was added to the Wayne Theatre’s staff in June 2022 as the director of education.
“Corey Holmes is a burst of sunshine. I knew immediately that she was going to make the art program exciting and spectacular for our students,” said Overton.
“The Wayne is so thrilled to be collaborating with Fishburne Military School and providing a fine arts credit for their cadets,” said Holmes. “Building these bridges in our community is paramount for both institutions. The Wayne Theatre is passionate about arts education as an emotionally healthy way to make sense of the often-confusing world that surrounds young students.”
Fifteen cadets are participating in the program this year.
“We are excited about our collaboration with Fishburne,” said Straight. “Each morning, I enjoy greeting the students, and all of us at the Wayne love having them here. We so appreciate the opportunity to help these students experience the arts through music, movement and theatre.”
There was a bit of anxiety at first because the cadets weren’t quite sure what to expect. Once they experienced the class, they were hooked. One upperclassmen who enrolled in the class as an elective was also at first skeptical about the class.
According to Overton, he asked out loud during a meeting with the entire corps, “What is this art class all about?” He said he would give it a shot just to see what it is all about. When Overton asked him the next day after class if he wanted me to change his schedule, he said, “No way! I like that class!” Since then, he has gone out of his way to let his peers know that the art class is “cool.”
Story by Nicole Overton and Marti Coles
Share
Contributors
