As principal, I have heard this dozens, if not hundreds, of times from our students and staff. But what is a “community” anyway?

First and foremost, a community is not a location, building, organization, or a school, but it is a feeling of familiarity and comradery among a group of people. Members of the community have a sense of trust, belonging, safety and caring for each other. For the last 16 years, the Harding Community has been primarily comprised of students and their families, teachers, staff, and patrons. We have worked hard to cultivate a culture of respect, inclusivity, and kindness. This year, we aim to expand our community beyond NW 33rd and Shartel Ave.

Harding Fine Arts is located in the heart of Oklahoma City near the Paseo Arts District, Crown Heights, and Edgemere Heights, with the Plaza District, Asian District and Downtown only a few minutes away. It is vital for Harding to become a pillar in Oklahoma City for arts-integrated education. In order to accomplish this goal, we will begin providing high-caliber, free arts programming for the public.

Starting this month, we will begin a classic film series, “The Evolution of the Movie Musical.” This film series will examine the movie musical through six feature-length films from the 30's and 40's. Led by Elizabeth Anthony, classic film historian and president of Reel Classics, each evening is sure to be entertaining and educational.

This is the just the beginning of our efforts to engage the broader Oklahoma City community! More events, volunteer opportunities and performances will be shared soon. To get the latest updates, follow Harding Fine Arts Academy on social media.

I am proud to be a part of the Harding community. I’ve often said that because of our focus on creativity, arts integration, and our diverse community, if the most challenging problems we face in our society are going to be solved, they will be solved by students who graduate from a school like Harding Fine Arts Academy.

Have a great Labor Day Weekend,

Keith Campbell, Principal

Join us as we explore the changing face of the American movie musical as represented by six feature-length films supplemented by clips from others, as well as a few musical short films. Concessions will be available and all proceeds will go to the Film Production Club at HFAA.

Sept. 21 – 42ND STREET (1933)

Oct. 19 – TOP HAT (1935)

Nov. 9 – LOVE ME TONIGHT (1932)

Feb. 22 – THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)

Mar. 29 – STORMY WEATHER (1943)

Apr. 12 – AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951)

Singing and dancing are immemorial forms of human entertainment, so it should come as no surprise that as soon as technology allowed synchronized sound to be added to moving pictures, movie musicals became a staple of the American movie-going diet. They not only captured performances by some of the 20th century’s greatest entertainers, they also vastly expanded the variety of heretofore stage-bound stories that musical entertainment could tell and the ways those stories could be told. As the art of filmmaking progressed, the movie musical evolved with it (though not always linearly), reflecting changing tastes and styles of music and movement as well as the national mood, but remaining throughout fundamentally entertaining.

Film historian Elizabeth Anthony, president of Reel Classics, provides introductions and commentary.

HFAA Foundation will have a booth open at the Paseo Arts Festival. If you are interested in volunteering for a shift, please contact Shannon Mckenrick at smckenrick@hfaafoundation.org.

To be included in the class notes, please send your announcement with your name and class year to alumni@hfaafoundation.org.

To join this list, become a corporate sponsor today!