FOFA New Website!!!!

 

Happy 2023-2024 School Year! Please note and follow our NEW WEBSITE at the link below! It’s a great way to stay involved with all things DGN & Fine Arts! https://www.dgn-fofa.org/

New Website Click Here

DGN-FOFA Plant Sale Fundraiser!

Spring is in the air and we’re all anxious to get outside and enjoy the beauty this season brings.  A great way to enjoy this time of year is by participating in the DGN Friends of Fine Arts 2023 Plant Sale Fundraiser!

Your purchases will help support our many fine arts programs and initiatives such as summer grants, college scholarships, professional artist/clinician workshops, instrument and equipment needs, artist showcases and so much more.  In exchange for your contribution, you will have the opportunity to select from a variety of beautiful plants and flowers to enhance your home landscaping.  We are offering hanging baskets and potted plants again this year.  We have the same vendor as last year who supplied us with really beautiful and high quality plants.

The pickup timing is perfect a week before Mother’s day, so place your orders now for your family and friends. 

The sale website is open now.  All orders will be taken online and must be completed by Monday, April 10 by the end of the day. 

Click on the link for the order site:  2023 FOFA Plant Sale. If you have any questions, please email Jeff Gwozdz at jsgwozdz@gmail.com.

Pickup is Saturday May 6, 9am-12pm in the north area of the DGN Main Street parking lot.  Just pull up and tell us your name, and we load everything right in your car.  It’s that easy!  We will email you a reminder closer to the date.

The 2023 plant sale is a great way to beautify your yard and support our DGN Fine Arts.  Get your order in today.  Thank you for your support!

GIGANTIC THANK YOU!

Our 1st Dessert Showcase in the books!  We raised an approximate INCREDIBLE $8500.00 for Friends of Fine Arts! 

Just WOW!  

The event was an AMAZING SUCCESS! We had a wonderful night with bright talent, delicious desserts, fundraising baskets, games and socializing! This premier event would not be possible without the help and dedication of MANY people!  The funds raised will go towards summer grants and senior scholarships! We are fortunate to have such a giving community!

First and foremost, are the parents that support the FOFA programming by attending events, financial donations, and encouraging the staff and students to pursue their love of the arts.  Thank you!

Thank you to Jen VanHoutan and sidekick, Karrie Donat, for many behind the scenes planning, organizing and keeping the momentum going in a positive and effective way!  They wore many hats and we are so grateful for their dedication! 

Ziba Irvin for being our fearless leader, always willing to help, problem solve and keep us all on track! Thank you!

Andy Pawlak for being the best Emcee ever!  You carried the night with fun, spirited antics we all enjoyed! Thank you!

Jessica Chase for baking elegant treats for us to enjoy.  Her fellow bakers include: Heather Kinealy, Mariah Cameron, BB-Donuts, Kelly Henrikson, Melissa Nuthall, Amy Landman, Anna Wanderer, Karrie Donat, and Julie Stone (Cakes for a Cause).  You all were amazing for sharing your culinary expertise with us all and we appreciate the time and talent you shared with everyone! 

We could not have done this event without our teacher support before, during and after! The planning, preparations and work with students are (as always) above and beyond.  This level of commitment to DGN Fine Arts is what drives our student success and at the heart of our love for the arts. We thank you all for your time, donations and participation in more ways than we can count!  Mr. Ariel Mozes (lighting, sound and Chicago cast), Ms. Amy Bernard and Robyn Bican (donated art and the pendant making), Amanda Zall (supporting orchestra students and Tri-M volunteers), Janet Taylor (donated and item for the auction).  Both Dr. Piekarz and Mrs. O'Riordan (for conducting and helping all our performers in choir and other bands) Of course, no words for how much Mr. Brayer Teague and Mr. Jessen Smith have tirelessly offered time and wisdom to our students to make sure this event was such a success. 

A thank you to all our students that performed for our event!  There are too many to list, but please know you were appreciated. The smiles from your audience, professionalism and talent gave us all a night to remember!  

FINALLY, for helping us raise money for the important scholarships and programming FOFA offers, many families and businesses that either donated, helped and supported our auction. A heartfelt thank you filled with appreciation and gratitude.

Amy Bernard, Robyn Bican, Janet Taylor, Karrie Donat, Jennifer VanHoutan, Emmie Pawlak, Julie Lerch, Katie Troulstrup, Kelly Hendrickson, Carrie Swenson, Kathy Yee, Puffer Families, DGN administration, Yoga Six, Adorn 512 Jewelry, Maggie Shannon Boutique, Tivoli Bowl, DeeDee Harker Artist, Bertos Deli, Jennifer Frank Organizer, Stage Door Fine Arts, Rocco & Rocco, Maple Home Market, Zach Frazer Rothdonics, BB Donuts, Heritage House Florists, Ghostlight Theater, The Outpost, DLD Dance Center, Dan's pizza, Orange & Brew, Tiny Firefly Art & Design studio, Kristen Franc Designs, Simply Beautiful Day Spa, Expressions Dance Studio, Fair Game. 

2 More Days! DGN Musical Sneak Peek and 2023 Dessert Showcase

                    

SNEAK PEEK! DGN Musical CHICAGO! 2 More Days!

Two more days to the 1st FOFA Dessert Showcase and DGN musical CHICAGO Sneak Peek!

FEBRUARY 25, 2023 6:30PM-9:00PM

Take a look at the great fundraising baskets that will be available!  This is just a sample of the generosity of our community to support the fine arts at 99! Remember these funds will go directly to student scholarship and programming.  Saturday is the night to showcase, share, and support our fine art students at DGN.

Friends of Fine Arts is excited to see you this Saturday evening for a night of entertainment, jewelry making, fundraising, desserts and fun! If you haven't purchased tickets yet...

don't WORRY!  

~Tickets can be purchased at the door!~

Dessert Showcase: Call for Volunteers!

Dessert Showcase is our premier fundraising event to be held on February 25th, featuring yummy desserts, student performances, silent auction/raffle items, and a celebration of the DGN Fine Arts Community. Details and Tickets may be purchased HERE. 

Funds from ticket sales, auction items, individual and company sponsors, and event donations make DGN FOFA’s scholarship and clinician support possible. Not only do the dollars help support student summer grant scholarships and college scholarship dollars, these funds help support the events that foster resilience, growth, and community within the DGN Fine Arts Family.

We're asking families to help in the following ways:

☐ Solicit an auction item. Do you have a personal connection to a business that might be willing to donate an item for our live auction or who may be willing to sponsor the event? Please contact us if you need help to solicit!

_______________________________________________

☐ Create a raffle basket or experience. Create a “Movie Night”, “Chocolate”, or other raffle basket. Some examples of experiences include: “A mystery dinner for 10 with Mr. X” or “An afternoon learning to cook for 6 people.” Items and ideas can be delivered to Ziba Irvin’s house: 4828 Wallbank Ave, Downers Grove. Don’t worry about making them look fancy; we can handle this!

___________________________________

☐ Make a cash donation. Amount: $ ________ (Visit http://dgnfofa.blogspot.com/ and select Contributing Members)

To sign up or ask questions, please email:

Ziba Irvin at president.dgnfofa@gmail.com

or Jennifer VanHoutan at fundraising.dgnfofa@gmail.com

Scholarship Alert (Seniors): 2023 DGN-FOFA Senior Scholarships

What is the Senior Scholarship?

The Downers Grove North Friends of Fine Arts (FOFA) are pleased to announce our Senior Scholarship award program. FOFA will award scholarships to seniors who are planning to continue their education in the fall following their high school graduation and who plan to participate in some capacity in the fine arts. The FOFA Senior Scholarship Committee reviews the applications in a blind format.

Who may apply?

Current DGN seniors may apply for a scholarship if they are planning to be both involved in the fine arts and continue their education in the fall of 2023. To be eligible, the student must be enrolled in a Fine Arts course during their senior year and have completed 6 semesters of Fine Arts courses upon graduation from Downers Grove North High School.  

• At least one scholarship will be awarded to a senior attending a college in the fall where they will be pursuing a degree involving Fine Arts.
• At least one scholarship will be awarded to a senior who is pursuing an area of study outside of the Fine Arts but plans to continue a Fine Arts activity in college during their freshman year.
• One student who will be majoring in Fine Arts education will be awarded the Brayer Teague Scholarship for Arts Education

To what may the award be applied? 

Recipients will use this one-time award towards tuition at an accredited two or four-year institution of higher learning. The FOFA Senior Scholarship will be administered and awarded in compliance with the DGN Student/Parent Handbook and Code of Conduct Policy.

How do I apply?

Complete the application (fillable Google Form), which can be found HERE or at tinyurl.com/DGN-FOFA-SeniorScholarship2023 The application requires a typed parent/guardian acknowledgment signature. Applications must be submitted electronically via the Google Form no later than 11:59 pm, Wednesday, March 22, 2023.  The Fine Arts Department Chairperson will then accept all applications, remove the student’s name from the application, assign the application an ID number, and submit it to the Scholarship Review Committee for blind review.

What are the criteria for selecting winners?

The Scholarship Review Committee will review the applicant’s grades in the Fine Arts, school activities involving the Fine Arts, activities outside of school involving the Fine Arts, other extracurriculars at DGN, civic/community service, work experience, and essays about the applicant’s future plans and growth as an artist/musician/thespian.  All of these components will be judged blindly and relative to other applicants with similar future plans. Semi-finalists may be required to attend an interview with the Scholarship Review Committee in April. The recipients will be presented with the scholarship at the DGN Senior Awards Night (currently scheduled for Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023), or by a phone call from the FOFA President.

Please note: If you are the recipient of a full Fine Arts or full academic grant/scholarship for college, we ask that you do not apply for the FOFA Scholarship as you will not be eligible.

Checklist for completion:

1. Complete the Google application form in its entirety, including student and parent electronic signature and date.   We suggest you use Google Docs or another tool to create your essay responses, then copy these to the form.  
2. Submit the completed application by 11:59 PM, Wednesday, March 23, 2022. You will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours that your submission has been received. If you do not receive an email, please re-submit. 

Scholarship Alert (Freshmen/Sophomores/Juniors): 2023 Summer Study Grant in the Fine Arts! (DGN FOFA)

If you are interested in continuing your Fine Arts studies this summer at a music, theatre, or visual art camp/workshop, and would benefit from financial assistance to attend, please consider applying for a scholarship from the DGN Friends of Fine Arts, which annually supports $8,000 - $10,000 in Summer Study Grants to student musicians, thespians and visual artists.

To be considered, your application must be submitted by Sunday, April 16, 2023. The Summer Study Grant application is completely paperless, HERE. You may also complete the form here:

tinyurl.com/DGN-FOFASummerStudyGrant23

Scholarship Awards will be announced in early May.  Questions about the application process? Please ask Mr. Teague, Downers Grove North Fine Arts Department Chairperson.

 IT'S HERE!  GET YOUR TICKETS!!!

We are so EXCITED to share with you the ticket link for our Friends of Fine Arts DESSERT SHOWCASE!  Please mark your calendars for Saturday February 25th, get your tickets and join us for a SPECTACULAR evening with jazz band performances, choir performances and even a REALLY COOL surprise from the visual arts department! Please get your tickets and join us in the DGN COMMONS to see these amazing students and fine arts department showcases!!!  

Best part of the Evening?  You will be supporting the fine arts at DGN and a part of scholarships offered to our talented students. Share in the wonderful things FOFA does to support the staff and students!  

Tickets: $30.00/adults

            $5.00 students/children

Don't hesitate....... Get your tickets today!  

Click for tickets

The Most Magical Time of the Year!

Come one, come all! 

It’s almost time for the DGN Fine Arts Holiday Mosaic Art Show! Come see our award winning artists! You won’t believe all the talented students we have at DGN! Take a few minutes to come support this public exhibition and awards reception. 

Come see what our students can do! 

We are also looking for volunteers to help bring edible goodies for our art show awards reception. We really can use a few more parents and/or volunteers to bring some easy treats to celebrate this magical evening with our creative students. 

If you’re willing to add items to our reception, 

please sign up HERE.

Friends of Fine Arts hope to see everyone there and remember to bring a friend or two! 

Giving Tuesday is HERE!

It's HERE!

Hello Parents of the BEST Fine Arts program around! Please consider FOFA for your generous support on Giving Tuesday. Join the global generosity movement of giving by considering our students and programming at DGN. You can donate Here. 

 Remember, your donations help all fine art students by purchasing equipment/supplies, offering quality master classes, student scholarships and SO MUCH MORE! Make the best of this Giving Tuesday and be a part of making DGN fine arts even better! 

Thank you for your consideration.