On March 23, hundreds of students, parents, and community members gathered at Tennessee Middle School (TMS) for the 8th Annual Virginia Duff Fine Arts Festival.
Sounds of Appalachia from Tennessee High School’s (THS) Slim Pickins bluegrass band greeted visitors to this professional showcase of more than 650 talented visual and musical student artists in our district. The festival officially kicked off in the gym with a performance from the TMS Band.
Just outside the gym in the school’s art wing amidst the backdrop of the new state-of-the-art facilities, a variety of colorful artwork lined the hallways. Students in preschool through 12th grade displayed their talents in a variety of styles and mediums.
Across the way, festival goers gathered on the Learning Stairs as student vocalists and musicians took center stage. Throughout the evening, crowds enjoyed performances from the TMS Choir, THS Saxophone Quartet, Bristol Tennessee Children’s Choir, THS Madrigals, and The Red Hawk Musicians. The final act of the evening was a crowd favorite as the BTCS music faculty took the stage with their arrangement of “Don’t Need Riches/Thankful for You,” which is used in the Quaver K-5 music curriculum. Between each musical performance, elementary music students from each school entertained the crowds with a video made especially for the festival.
The art festival is named in honor of Virginia Rose Bianchi Duff. Ms. Duff was a music educator in BTCS for 51 years. She began teaching at Slater High School in 1956 and served in all elementary schools, at THS, and at Vance Middle School during her career. Ms. Duff passed away in 2009 leaving behind a great legacy and love of music in our community.
