Upper School Arts

Fine Arts

We believe that a robust arts curriculum is essential. Students are encouraged to explore a variety of courses or specialize in a sequence that offers greater depth. Thoughtful exposure to the arts develops an understanding of arts in our world and enhances the ability to make deeper connections between the arts, life, meaning, and culture.

Performing Arts

Bear Creek offers performance classes in theater, concert choir, concert band, and jazz band. There are also additional groups, such as men's, women's, mixed, and senior ensembles.

Each year Upper School produces two shows in our state-of-the-art Diamond Performing Arts Center. The fall semester class performs in November, and the spring semester production is in April or May. Upper School students perform a Shakespeare play every other fall semester. Our Shakespeare Immersion Program offers students a hands-on examination of the depths of human dignity and fallibility, while the mission of Bear Creek offers the hope that God is the redeemer for His fallen image bearers. In addition to Shakespeare, students perform other classical works, as well as contemporary plays and musicals. Recent productions include Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard (2022), Vera and Ken Tarpley's The Little Dog Laughed (2022), and Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady (2023). See a more complete list.

Bear Creek’s Upper School Concert Choir and Concert Band perform throughout the year at school and for adjudication. Annually, the groups perform a Christmas concert, a spring concert, and at our Commencement ceremony. Additionally, groups perform each year at the Northlake Region Choral and Band Festivals. Concert Choir, Concert Band, and Jazz Band members are eligible to compete in the Northlake Region Solo and Ensemble Contest as well as to submit auditions for the WIAA/WMEA All-State and NAfME All-Northwest honor groups. Traditionally, once every four years vocalists and instrumentalists team up with drama classes to produce a full-scale musical production.

Bear Creek students also have the opportunity to perform in smaller vocal ensembles: including men's, women's, and student-led senior ensemble. Members of the bands also have the option to perform with the Pep Band to support our athletics program during volleyball and basketball seasons.

Visual Arts

Bear Creek offers a robust and comprehensive series of visual arts courses in digital art and studio art. Digital art students learn how to use DSLR cameras, digitally process photos, as well as create and design using the Adobe Creative Cloud suite. Studio art students study drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, and mixed media. Both offer advanced classes where students can dive deeper into their medium of choice. Students have the opportunity to enter art contests throughout the year and receive recognition for their submissions.