Greenbrier County Schools (GCS) partners with Carnegie Hall to present over 150 Carnegie Classrooms curriculum-connected arts learning workshops in our schools throughout the year. Support from the WV Department of Arts, Culture, & History and our school levy helps make arts education programs like this possible for GCS students.
Greenbrier County Schools is committed to providing students with a well-rounded education that includes the arts. The county currently employs fifteen full-time art teachers and sixteen full-time music teachers to serve all students across thirteen schools. Community partnerships are a valuable asset to the arts programs, and Greenbrier County is fortunate to have a vibrant arts community.
Carnegie Hall West Virginia and Greenbrier County Schools enjoy a long-standing partnership that benefits students through various arts learning opportunities, including Spotlight on Schools, Carnegie Classrooms, the Annual Creative Youth Art Exhibit, and LinkUP. Greenbrier County Schools and Carnegie Hall partner with The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall in New York to present Link Up, a comprehensive program for 4th graders that includes a recorder-based music curriculum, teacher workshops, and a culminating live interactive orchestra concert(s) at Carnegie Hall.
The school system also works with Greenbrier Valley Theatre (GVT) to present programs focusing on theater performances, developing acting and recitation skills, and facilitating student attendance at GVT performances.
The Trillium Performing Arts Collective is another performing organization in our community that works with the school system to bring live curriculum-based performances to the students.
Additionally, Greenbrier County Schools facilitates numerous opportunities to recognize and support the arts. The culminating event of each school year is a county-wide Showcase of the Arts, featuring an art show of the top works from each school and band and choir performances. During the Board of Education's monthly meetings, students and teachers are recognized during Time Out For Applause. Students are recognized for their award-winning artistic achievements in the visual arts and performances in local, state, and national competitions.
Art displays can be found in each school and exhibited throughout our community. Each year the Greenbrier County Convention & Visitors Bureau features Sharing the Gift of Our Talents, an exhibition of GCS student artwork at the visitors center in downtown Lewisburg. Musical performances are also scheduled throughout the year in our schools and various locations throughout the county. The culinary arts are also prevalent in the county, with both high schools touting awards within their respective culinary programs.
The citizens of Greenbrier County support the arts through a 50%t school excess levy, which helps fund stand-alone art programs in our schools and student engagement with community arts organizations. This support demonstrates our community's understanding of the importance of the arts to our students, our community, and our county.