Culver City Academy of Visual and Performing Arts - Achievements and Press

Achievements and Press

AVPA has received coverage from the local press and has received awards from arts organizations on the local, regional and national levels. Kristine Hatanaka has been named "Mentor Teacher of the Year" by the Ryman program and has received the "Sony Pictures Teacher of the Year" award. Dr. Tony Spano was named a finalist in Region 8 of the 2003 California League of Schools' "Teacher of the Year" competition. Both current executive directors are recipients of the SURDNA Arts Fellowship.

The music program's instrumental and choral ensembles attend festivals every spring; they frequently garner "Excellent" and "Superior" ratings. 2007 saw the release of the program's first CD of student-performed (and mostly student written) works. The various ensembles of the music department, including the Chamber Singers, Drumline, Percussion Ensemble, String Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and Jazz Combos, frequently perform for school, district, and community events. The film composition program has grown to include collaborations with student filmmakers.

AVPA fine arts students exhibit their works annually at MOCA and at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and participate in the Ryman Arts program in conjunction with the University of Southern California.

Theatre students have received individual and ensemble awards at a variety of festivals, including the University of La Verne and CSU Long Beach annual theatre festivals. The cast of AVPA's 2005 production of Antigone was honored with an invitation, which it accepted, to perform at the American High School Theatre Festival at the prestigious Fringe Festival in Edinburgh. In 2009, their production of Nicholas Nickleby won first place for Best Ensemble at CETA, as well as seven acting/company awards, and got to perform there. In 2011, their production of "The Laramie Project" again took the first place award for Best Ensemble at CETA.

AVPA's dance area has hosted its DANCE OFF! showcase every year since 2002, featuring student dance performances, many of which are also choreographed by AVPA student dance majors.

The film program at AVPA hosts the Frost Film Festival, an event held annually since 1999, where local high schools screen student films in competition. In 2007, AVPA's student film Club Evil won the Best Overall High School Film prize from the Los Angeles County Office of Education Digital Voice Awards. The film program produces a 16mm short-subject film annually in conjunction with Sony Pictures. The film program has produced several award winning directors and films at film festivals across Southern California.