Ahead of 1st graduating class, new arts academy in St. George celebrates success, construction progress

Written by Ammon Teare
May 3, 2022

ST. GEORGE — When Drew Williams was tapped to lead Utah Arts Academy, it signaled to students and their families that the successor to Tuacahn High School would continue to build on a legacy of centering creativity at the core of education while trying to move past events that led to the old school’s closure.

Williams and his team were able to secure space for a new campus in just a few short months, retain many of the teachers and staff previously employed at Tuacahn High and reassure most families that enrolling at the fledgling school would provide the quality arts education for which Tuacahn had become known.

Even with all those early achievements, there was no guarantee that Utah Arts Academy would be successful in the long run. 

By August 2021 when classes began, the new building was still under construction, there was no permanent space for performances and the entire student body of around 300 teens was taught out of a six-room building on loan from the local school district.

Considering all the unknowns, Williams said, “How do we schedule classes? How do we navigate shows without a space to do them? We call ourselves a high school for creatives, and it pushed us to our creative limits to figure it all out.”

Utah Arts Academy Executive Director Drew Williams receives the Education 2.0 Outstanding Leadership Award from Toby Grubbs, advisory committee member and CEO of WePro Solutions, Las Vegas, Nevada, April 6, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Drew Williams, St. George News

Now, near the end of the academy’s first school year, Williams has been recognized for his outstanding leadership by the Education 2.0 Conference and the school is preparing to celebrate its inaugural graduation.

News of Williams’ recognition came as no surprise to many board members and parents with longstanding ties to the arts high school. Jill Mortensen, whose child attends the academy as a junior, said she’s long been impressed by Williams’ commitment to making all students feel welcome.

“Drew has been phenomenal,” Mortensen said. “I admire his leadership in so many ways, because I feel like he is not only an educator and leader but also an advocate for the children. As the parent of a queer child, his advocacy and inclusion is super impressive and important to me as a parent. So I really, really applaud his efforts in that area as well as in education.”

The new campus, which students and faculty officially entered in January of 2022, includes an Encircle room serving as a safe space for youth of all gender identities and sexual orientations.

Williams was also praised for the culture of collaboration and trust he cultivates with teachers and staff. Sarah McNaughton, school counselor for the academy, is one of the new hires that joined the school after its Tuacahn days and told St. George News about the first impression she had of the arts school.

Drew Williams walks through a hallway decorated with student art, part of the instruction and practice spaces opened to students in January as part of the new school’s first phase of construction, St. George, Utah, April 12, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News

“I knew right away, just from my initial interview with Drew and Kyle Lewis (the artistic director) that this was something that I wanted to be a part of,” she said. “I really loved the culture that I felt seeing the school and meeting the students. So I thought this is something I have to be a part of.”

In her role, McNaughton helped Williams and other administrators juggle student schedules while operating out of the temporary facility. After adjusting to a staggered schedule, the students are now splitting their time between artistic instruction at the new campus and academics at the temporary facility.

Construction is still underway at the new campus. To accommodate students as soon as possible, the school was planned in three phases: the first opened in January, the second is expected to complete in July and the final phase will be finished shortly after classes resume in the fall.

The 10,000-square-foot space now in operation constitutes the first phase, which has already solved a desperate need for practice space. The second phase will add enough classrooms and practice space to serve the entire student body, eliminating the need for temporary accommodations altogether.

As part of phases two and three, the school will add state-of-the-art studios and performance spaces, including a black box theater, a science lab and art lab. In the meantime, students have relied on St. George City officials to continue to stage performances at venues like the Electric Theater and St. George Social Hall.

Brandon Lee, piano teacher at Utah Arts Academy, oversees the instruction of students in a dedicated practice space at the new school campus, St. George, Utah, April 12, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News

Taking into account all that went into making this school year work, Williams was quick to deflect any praise directed his way and shift the spotlight to his colleagues.

“For me, that recognition is for all our faculty and staff,” Williams said. “We’ve put everything into this (Utah Arts Academy) – our blood, sweat and tears have gone into making this happen for the community. My name may be on the plaque, but to me, it’s bigger than that.”

With just a few short weeks remaining in the semester, the school is busy with final exams, productions and recitals. Graduation is set for May 16 at Sand Hollow State Park, and about 80 students will compose the first graduating class of the academy.

Beyond any technical training, academic proficiency or performance opportunity offered at his school, Williams said he hopes all students gain the intangible skills that are best taught through artistic expression.

“According to the latest World Economic Forum, the most important skills that students entering the workforce can have are creativity, collaboration and all the soft skills that are really hard to teach,” he said. “The arts force kids to collaborate, to get feedback and to be creative. I feel like we have that here in spades.”

More information about enrollment, educational programs and upcoming events is available on the Utah Arts Academy website.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ammon Teare has always considered Southern Utah his home away from home, having spent summers and holidays visiting family in Cedar City and St. George. With a love of the wilderness and a passion for writing, he’s dreamt of becoming a reporter since his elementary school days. After moving from Texas to New Mexico to Utah as he grew up, Ammon wound up studying journalism at Utah State University, where he graduated in May 2020. In his free time, you’ll find him watching the Utah Jazz or playing a board game with his wife, hiking in the great outdoors, or sprawled someplace comfortable reading a fantasy novel.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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