Utah Arts Academy is an award-winning public charter school serving southern Utah’s young creatives ninth through twelfth grades. Amid the ongoing construction as part of the school’s multi-phase master plan, St. George City Lifestyle sat down with Dr. Drew Williams, principal of the academy, to discuss the student body, operating philosophy and recent successes.
“Students who come here are curious and they ask questions,” Drew explains outside the digital arts classroom that will soon look like an Apple store. He emphasizes the importance of creative ingenuity in schools, with a personal anecdote, reflecting on a recent experience trying to fix his dishwasher. “I don’t know anything about dishwasher repairs,” he laughs. “My wife wanted to know what gave me the confidence to rip a dishwasher apart. I said, ‘art!’”
Drew aims to change the cultural mindset surrounding art schools, stating, “Students in the arts are probably some of the most intelligent. They’ll deconstruct and reconstruct. They think differently.” Perhaps this is the reason Utah Arts Academy is one of three top school in Washington County, ranking highest in academics.
The academy goes beyond concurrent enrollment by offering students professional internships with noteworthy groups like The Piano Guys, Due West, Bryce Canyon Wranglers, Sam Payne and Tuacahn Amphitheatre. “We partner arts and production,” Drew explains, emphasizing how the curriculum gives students a look into every aspect of a creative career, from sound and light to production and performing.
Beyond traditional opportunities for Advanced Placement courses, Utah Arts Academy fosters relationships with influential organizations and studios, including Disney and The Second City. Further evidence of student success: recent alumni are welcomed this fall to New York University, Belmont, University of Utah, Chapman and The Royal Academy of Arts in London, to name a few.
Drew proudly names students who are thriving in their chosen careers, including Toni Graham and Gaby Merida, for their roles in the HBO series We’re Here” and alumna Autumn Best acting in the off-Broadway production of Fly More Than You Fall.
Reflecting on what he and other faculty and students have created at the academy, Drew states: “We are investing in and creating the next generation. It’s a lot like the TV show ‘Fame.’” In describing the energy on campus when it is buzzing with students, he says— “I wish you could see it!”
Given Drew’s passion for the arts and for students, it is no wonder Art Schools Network recently awarded Drew the Jeffrey Lawrence Award for exemplifying an uncompromising commitment to excellence in arts education and arts training. After 19 years in education, Drew concludes, “When you treat students like they are the next generation of change-makers, they will act like it.”
The Utah Arts Academy, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, offers naming rights to donors for its many studios and theaters that undoubtedly will cultivate generations of successful students. For those desiring to get involved by supporting the academy and its various programs, the Utah Arts Academy Foundation is accepting tax-deductible donations. Donors may also help individual programs throughout the school year by attending theater productions, music concerts, arts exhibitions and more.
For more information about Utah Arts Academy, visit utahartsacademy.org.