Fine Arts Celebrates 20th Year of Munnerlyn Center

The 2024-2025 school year is the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Munnerlyn Center for Worship and Fine Arts with its Berg Gallery, Deming Theatre, Jimbo’s Workshop, Golden Pearl Foundation Stage, FANS courtyard, and performing arts classrooms.

“This building single-handedly took a small, yet strong, Episcopal arts program and launched it into the robust and thriving department that it is today,” said Katie Black-Bowling ’95, Director of Fine Arts. The Fine Arts theme for this year is “I thank my God every time I remember you.” Philippians 1:3.

“We celebrate these anniversary milestones by reconnecting with our past and continuing to innovate as we move forward into the future,” said Katie. “One of the ways we will do this is by reuniting with former faculty members in the arts and bringing them back for workshops and residencies. We also plan to engage with our arts alumni and creatively integrate them into our performances and exhibits.”

In theater, rehearsals for “The Curious Savage,”  are underway. While Peter Pan was the inaugural musical in the Deming Theatre, the production this year will be “Shrek, The Musical,” which includes the character of Peter Pan. The show is an intentional tribute to the creative medium of fairy tales and Theater for Young Audiences.

Middle School Thespians are rehearsing “SchoolHouse Rock Live!,” a show that ESJ theatre performed 10 years ago, and also performed on site at Beaches Episcopal Day School and St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School before they were ever part of ESJ.

The annual dance concert will see a reboot of a piece entitled “Ramalama” that was in the dance concert in the early days of the building as former dance director Missy Ponder-Reston returns choreograph the piece.

“We will have a year of intentional remembering, celebrating, and creating as we also actively focus on the first part of the verse from Philippian’s – namely, “Thank Our God!” It is because of His hand that the arts at Episcopal are alive. Stay tuned for more ENews highlights as we bring back our former faculty and staff, reconnect with our alumni and celebrate this building!” said Katie.