Arts

Supported by our talented and dedicated faculty, Cape Fear Academy’s award-winning Fine Arts Department provides its students with a myriad of artistic opportunities to foster their passion for the arts.

Students not only have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a single art form but also to develop their talents with a rich array of options.

100% of students in PreK through 6th grade and more than 60% of students in 7th-12th grades participate in the arts
The Erin E. McNeill Fine Arts Center contains the 625-seat Brown Family Theatre, 2 arts studios, 2 music rooms, and the Benedict Fancy Set Design Workshop

Fine Arts at Cape Fear Academy

Band

Band is a comprehensive program of woodwind, brass and percussion offered to students beginning in the 6th grade. Courses continue in grades 7th through 12th.

Students are annually chosen for representation in NC Bandmasters Association Honor Bands and the NCAIS All-Select Honor Band. Middle and Upper School Bands perform winter and spring concerts. There are also opportunities to participate in the Pep Band which plays for select home basketball games and pep rallies, as well as the Pit Band that plays at the Upper School spring musical and at Salute to Seniors and Commencement celebrations.

For advanced study, Upper School students also have the opportunity to delve deeper into their love of music by taking AP Music Theory and Advanced Topics in Composition.

Chorus

Cape Fear Academy offers chorus in Middle School and Upper School. There are three chorus ensembles: the Sixth Grade Chorus, Middle School Chorus of 7th/8th Grades, and the Upper School Vocal Ensemble which is the advanced group of 9-12th Grades. All choruses perform at the yearly Holiday and Spring Concerts as well as in-house assembly programs and special events on and off-campus. Students in the choral program participate in Music Performance Adjudications, choral competitions, and have the opportunity to audition for the North Carolina State Honors Chorus and All-State Choruses.

Publications

PUBLICATIONS

Challenging, creative, competitive: these words describe the publications class which combines elements of graphic design, photography, journalism, and teamwork to create the school yearbook Shoreline and the Upper School newspaper "The Hurricane." Using Adobe Creative Suite and Classroom in a Book, students learn the basics of Photoshop and InDesign as they create yearbook pages, write news articles, and take their own photographs. The course emphasizes strong writing, visual and graphic design skills as students interview subjects and explore their school through coverage of events, sports, classes, and organizations. Selling and designing advertisements that provide financial support for these publications is an integral part of the classroom experience. Attendance at the North Carolina Scholastic Media Summer Institute at UNC-Chapel Hill is an annual event.

High tide literary magazine

High Tide, the literary magazine produced by Upper School students, features original works of prose, poetry, and art crafted by Upper School students. CFA faculty members Emily Fancy and Maureen Vanscoy serve as the advisors for this publication.

MEDIA PRODUCTION

With the ever-changing world of digital art, Cape Fear Academy offers its Upper School students the opportunity to explore and discover their individual story-telling talents and passion through Digital Photography, Video Film making and the Study of Film. Visual work from Video Production and Photography classes have garnered its students awards and accolades around the world in film festivals and high school student photography competitions. Utilizing the latest in High Definition equipment, student filmmakers are introduced to the fundamentals of video film making and are challenged with a wide-range of video projects in both Video Production and Honors Video Production class. For those who excel in this arena, there are opportunities to continue their studies in Independent Studies in Video Production.

Theatre

The theatre department at CFA has a long and vibrant history, producing high quality, award-winning productions for the stage, and bringing stimulating and enriching drama projects into the classroom. Whether as technicians, performers, or participants in curricular theatre, students are able to fulfill their creative potential in a fun and nurturing atmosphere.

A rich legacy over the last 15 years includes accolades for Upper School at the NC Theatre Competition for one-acts, a winter play and a spring musical. CFA is the only high school in NC to perform at Historic Thalian Hall. In addition, Middle School and Lower School each produce an annual musical held in the state-of-the-art Brown Family Theater on campus.

The theatre department at CFA produces high quality, award-winning productions for the stage, and enriching drama projects in the classroom. Technicians, designers, and performers are able to fulfill their creative potential in a fun and nurturing atmosphere.

Visual Art

Students participate in a well-rounded art program that spans pre-kindergarten through high school. The Lower School art curriculum incorporates many cross-disciplinary connections. While responding, appreciating, expressing and problem-solving, students are enthusiastically encouraged to reach their individual potential in a supportive, yet challenging, environment. Small class size and experiential, personal instruction are exceptional characteristics of Middle and Upper School art classes. These students are provided an array of opportunities to develop artistically and share their work through planned activities, shows, and competitions; numerous students have received regional and state recognition in the prestigious Scholastic Art Awards Program. The Middle and Upper School Art Show highlights student work at the end of each semester.

Students in art class working on projects at a table

Ready to learn more? Contact our Admissions Team to schedule an in-person or virtual visit and see Cape Fear Academy in action.

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