The high school honor band during a performance at Eastern Illinois University.
Unit #40 Fine Arts Programs
Effingham High School has had a long-standing history of excellence in the Fine Arts during its school history. From the earliest year books, the pages are stamped with memories of those who participated in a variety of arts offered at EHS. Those arts include the music programs with band and choir, the theatre program, and the visual arts curriculums with art and multi-media, the newest and cutting-edge course offered for young people.
Band has grown over the years to become a powerhouse of activity offering young people the opportunity to participate in marching band, concert band, jazz band, and a variety of contests. Recognition for excellence is commonplace and the young people who work to hone their skills in music have continually been rewarded for their excellence by being named to the All-State Bands. These students are chosen from among all student musicians from across the state of Illinois.
The choral program at EHS is as equally exceptional as band. Choir students, likewise, take their gifts of singing and often earn places of esteem among contests and choral events. Their endeavors are rewarded at the annual January All-State Choir event held each year in Peoria, Illinois. Students also have the opportunity to sing a special rendition of the Star Spangle Banner as part of the Spangler singing ensemble.
From a historical perspective, the theatre program at EHS got its start in the early years as class plays. Those early roots of theatre have evolved into a full-year program offering students multiple opportunities to perform on the EHS stage through the school year and summer theatre events, "Plays in the Park." Students also have the opportunity to develop their theatre skills by attending the annual Illinois High School Theatre Festival, an event unique to the United States.
Very popular among the curricular areas at EHS is the visual arts. A staple for many years, art has given our students immense opportunity to experiment in many art mediums including drawing, painting, textiles, pottery, and now animation, a medium which employees the latest in computer technology. This technology has lead the way to the newest of the EHS fine arts programs which meld together student creativity through script writing, film, visual design, and more. In its infancy, the EHS multi-media program is truly unique to our community and state and has ushered in student work that has been award-winning in a very short time for this program.
