Arts
Donate an instrument
If you have any unused musical instruments, please contact us or your child's school for information on how to make a tax-deductible donation that can help a deserving student. Band & orchestra instruments, guitars & ukuleles, hand drums, and small percussion are all needed.
“The arts especially address the idea of aesthetic experience. An aesthetic experience is one in which your senses are operating at their peak; when you’re present in the current moment; when you’re resonating with the excitement of this thing that you’re experiencing; when you are fully alive.”
― Ken Robinson
"The world always seems brighter when you've just made something that wasn't there before."
- Neil Gaiman
"To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it."
- Kurt Vonnegut
Newport- Mesa schools are divided into 4 zones. These zones are based upon the four comprehensive high schools that our middle and elementary schools feed into. There are arts opportunities at every site for every child.
For more information about visual and performing arts programs available to your child, please visit the individual school's website.
NMUSD/ Vanguard Solo & Ensemble Festival
February 10, 2023
Arts Spotlight
Celebrate Art 2022 Fall Winners
Congratulations to Vicky Schwartz and the students at Corona Del Mar High School for achieving this wonderful opportunity! CelebrateArt.com is an organization founded by educators that opens up opportunities for art students to be published on the national level. These Corona Del Mar students not only won the opportunity to be published in the Fall 2022 publication of this art contest, Vicky Schwartz was also recognized as a Teacher of Distinction due to her work and bringing opportunities to students !
Elementary:
Every Elementary School school offers music instruction and has opportunities to join Band, Chorus and Orchestra.
Secondary:
Our middle and high school programs offer a variety of arts programs in Theater, Visual Art, Dance, and Music.
Visual Art showcases student work from Ceramics to Digital Photography. The educators in Visual Art showcase the excellence of student work at the yearly NMUSD Art Showcase hosted at Orange Coast College.
Our Dance department collaborate and create many opportunities for our Dance students to perform in front of their peers and to utilize their skills philanthropically.
Our Theater department produce performances that allow every student to shine. The quality of our theater programs have a reputation of the highest caliber and have been recognized throughout the county.
Our Music department performs for many events throughout the community in addition to performing in front of their peers at concerts, sporting events, festivals and competitions.
The NMUSD Arts Commission is a collaboration of educators, staff, school board members, and arts community partners dedicated to the enhance of our arts community within the cities of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach.
This community group are integral to enhancing our opportunities to every student in our district. This group provides after school programs, field trips, and opportunities to enhance their development with many of our arts partners.
Arts Advocates may contact Tamara Fairbanks at tfairbanks@nmusd.us for more details.
Contact US
Tamara Fairbanks
Teacher on Special Assignment
tfairbanks@nmusd.us
School arts webpages
High Schools
Back Bay/ Monte Vista High School
Costa Mesa High School Arts Webpage
Corona Del Mar High School Arts Webpage
Early College High School Arts Webpage
Estancia High School Arts Webpage
Newport Harbor High Arts School Webpage
Middle Schools
Ensign Middle School Arts Webpage
Elementary Schools
The Orange County Music and Arts Administrators is an organization comprised of arts leaders throughout all of orange county. Community members and colleagues from all districts submit names for those teachers and advocates who exemplify excellence in their education, promotion and advocacy in the arts. We at Newport-Mesa Unified have three award winners that have been chosen for recognition of their hard work.
Former School Board Trustee, Charlene Metoyer will be recognized as an Outstanding Advocate for the Arts for her work and support of arts programs throughout the district.
Sandy Gilboe, Instrumental Music Teacher at Costa Mesa High School will be recognized for her work as a music educator who has empowered students to enhance their own skills and talents in band and orchestra.
Susan Stokes, Elementary Classroom Teacher at Newport Coast Elementary School will be recognized for work in incorporating the arts in her classroom, as well as being an arts advocate outside of the classroom.
In addition to our top 3 winners, We would also like to honor these outstanding NMUSD teachers that were nominated for these prestigious awards are :
Keli Marchbank- Visual Art, Costa Mesa High School
Cami Marseilles- Dance, Back Bay High School
Carolyn Hanson- Elementary Instrumental Music, Kaiser
Andrew Ball- Vocal Music Educator, Corona Del Mar High School
Congratulations too all of our recognized teachers at Newport-Mesa. I am glad the world is witnessing the awesome staff that we have who are keeping the arts alive.
