Downers Grove School of the Arts
Welcome to the New Downers Grove School of the Arts!
This school has been created to bring a well-rounded yet affordable arts program to the Downers Grove community. The program is designed to challenge both the novice and seasoned artist in various areas from music to dance to cultural arts. Performing arts classes are offered in numerous string and percussion instruments as well as voice along with our year-round dance program. Cultural arts classes for both youth and adults are offered in drawing, ceramics, painting and culinary arts along with various other art classes. Our goal is to provide a fun, safe and nurturing environment while sparking creativity in all of our students.
Art
Create a distinctive masterpiece during a pottery, drawing, painting or ceramics class for ages 5 – 18 years old. All classes are conveniently located at the Lincoln Center and are taught by trained art instructors who will bring out the artist in each and every participant.
| "Mrs. Norton is great, extra special and my son loves learning from her!" - Parent with child enrolled in Creating with Clay |
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Rotating Art Display - NEW!
To add to the beauty of the facility, the Park District is inviting local artists to display their artwork on a temporary basis. This is a unique opportunity for artists' work to be exposed to many people within the community. The exhibit is currently featuring the works of Licha DeLaPeña, a Chicago-based artist who creates richly textured and passionately vibrant acrylic on canvas in primary colors.
For more information, download the full packet and application here.
Drama
Stand in the spotlight at the Downers Grove Park District! New drama programs are offered through the Park District in partnership with the Grove Players. Classes from Shining Star Productions allow participants to reenact, share knowledge and develop creative thinking through comedies, movies and popular series.
Music
Improve your musical talent by enrolling in piano lessons for ages 5 & up and guitar and violin lessons for ages 8 & up. Voice lessons are now offered in group format for ages 7 – 10 years and semi and private format for ages 10 & up. For participants ages 13 and older, we now offer a Music Theory & Composition class for students who want to learn the elements of creating music. Music lessons range from beginning through advanced levels. Please review our fall brochure for more detailed information about our music lessons.
Meet our Music Instructors:
E. Rawlings Thurman, music composition instructor, (Composer, Pianist) has been composing music since the age of 4. His musical life has included the position of keyboardist/trombonist/librarian with the 85th Division U.S. Army Reserve Band, as Composer/Music Director at Columbia College (Dracula, Oedipus) and with Stark Raving Ensemble (And They Put Handcuffs on the Flowers; Can’t Pay Won’t Pay; A Light in the Village). Rawl studied composition and orchestration with William Russoand, in 1991, his orchestral piece, Changing Times, was honored as one of three finalists to be premiered by the Westminster Chamber Orchestra. He wrote the original score for the film Alternating Currents and he has played with numerous bands, most notably One Night Band and his own creation – Del Coronado & The Caminos – a lounge band that covers hard rock and mainstream pop tunes, which has been featured at benefits and theater fundraisers in the Chicago area over the past eight years. He lives in Downers Grove with his wife, Dawn, and their two children.
Madelyn Kuehl, piano instructor, received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia University and her Master of Education degree from National-Louis University. She has taught piano here since 1998 as well as for the Wood Dale, Elmhurst and Addison park districts. Madelyn enjoys teaching piano lessons. She goes beyond the instruction book by teaching her students songs, as well as musical games which makes the learning more fun.
Richard Kuehl, string instruments instructor, is a certified music teacher who feels that the student should be self-motivated. To that end, he composes songs at times to meet his students’ needs. Richard was the string teacher for the Burlington, Wisconsin school system and has also been the band instructor for Twin Lakes, Wisconsin. He has built numerous music programs in various park districts, YMCA’s and public and parochial schools and has been with the Downers Grove Park District since 1991. Currently, Richard teaches piano, guitar and violin but also has experience teaching electric guitar, bass guitar, banjo, viola, and cello.
Harriet Nzinga Plumpp is proud to be an instructor at the Downers Grove School of the Arts. Harriet will be instructing the Downers Grove Glee Club and is also offering the opportunity for private and semi-private voice lessons. Her Chicago theater credits include: The Absolute Best Friggin Time of Your Life (The Second City); Porgy and Bess (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Caroline or Change (Court Theatre/Jeff Award Best Musical); How Can You Run With A Shell On Your Back (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Raisin (Court Theatre); The Boys Are Coming Home (American Musical Theatre Project); Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein (About Face Theatre/MCA); Man of La Mancha (Court Theatre/ Jeff Award—Best Ensemble, Best Musical); Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin (Apple Tree); A Little Night Music, Rogers and Hart Revue (Ravinia); Hans Brinker (Theatre Building); Call Me Madam (Auditorium/Ovations!); Saturday Night, Side by Side by Sondheim (Pegasus Players). Tour credits include: Wizard of A.I.D.S. (Healthworks); Side by Side by Sondheim (Pegasus Players—Middle East/North Africa Tour); A Christmas Carol (East Coast National Tour). Regional credits include: Bounce (Goodman Theatre and The J.F. Kennedy Center). Original cast recordings: Loving Repeating (Flaherty) and Bounce (Sondheim). Her best project to date is her family. She, her husband, Brett and their son, Duncan live here in Downers Grove.
