Fine Arts
The study and appreciation of the fine arts has been an important part of the fabric of Walnut Hills since it’s inception as a college preparatory high school in 1919.
Some of the key features of our program include:
- One semester of music, theatre or visual art are required in 7th or 8th grade.
- High school music study in advanced band, choir, and orchestra
- Stage craft, dance, and advanced theatre classes which support dramatic and musical performances
- AP courses in visual arts and music
The administration and alumni are dedicated to supporting the Arts at Walnut Hills and have invested in several major facility upgrades, including:
- 1999 – a new Arts & Science Center, including a digital imaging lab
- 2012 – a state-of-the-art music wing, featuring a recital hall, five large classrooms with classroom recording capabilities, two small ensemble rooms, a music technology lab and 11 practice rooms
- 2012/13 – renovation of our 1150 seat auditorium, black box theater & lobby area, addition of new dressing rooms
A number of prestigious Walnut Hills Alumni have gone on to acclaimed careers in the arts, including:
image of Theda Bara
- Theda Bara (Theodosia Goodman 1903), early movie star of the silent screen
- Charles Guggenheim (1942), four-time Academy Award winner in documentaries
- Fred Hersch (1973), jazz composer & musician, Grammy nominee
Today, Walnut Hills H.S. graduates continue to take their experiences here as a launching point from which to “rise to the highest” - whether they go on to careers in fine arts, or simply carry the benefit of a solid grounding in art and music into their lives out there in the world at large.
