The Academy for Fine Arts (AFA) is an artistic program for students who want to study the arts at a deeper level and explore related college and career possibilities.

The purpose is for students to be able to make an informed decision regarding their post-secondary pathway and how that relates to the arts. It challenges students to become independent artists while learning how to collaborate with anyone in unique and creative situations through rigorous coursework, some of which is for college credit. Students are inspired to nurture their craft through unique enrichment experiences, collaboration, and employ art for the benefit of their communities, and cultivate an intrinsic curiosity.

“Students can begin the AFA starting in 10th Grade,” Jonathan D Kurtz, a teacher from Governor Thomas Johnson High School is the AFA Coordinator explained.

The program began in the mid 1980’s and was called the Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) Program. A couple of years ago, music students performed an entire recital of original music. The dance students regularly incorporated student choreographed pieces into their recitals.

Students are also challenged to collaborate outside of their focus areas on cross curricular projects. Any student in the AFA can submit a project proposal like producing an original play, exploring the connection between color and movement, choreographing live dance with animation that requires assistance from students outside selected.

During collab week, staff give the students Monday through Thursday to work on the projects and then present them to each other on Friday. This activity really pulls students out of their comfort zones and challenges them to become truly collaborative and creative. In 2022, the theater students created an entire murder mystery and used it to create their very first Saturday Mystery with the Downtown Frederick Partnership.

“We like to put students in the driver’s seat and give them as many creative opportunities as possible,” Kurtz described.

Senior Josh Townshend joined the AFA because he really likes musical theater, and singing and dancing. He also enjoys that AFA is kind of a step up from what students get at Oakdale.

Oakdale has Intro to Theater classes, but with AFA, students get to go there for half the day and just sing, dance, and practice. It helps them go further in their career. Townshend also mentioned that they’ve participated in showcases and different shows, traveling to New York City multiple times.