LANCASTER, Calif. – May 2, 2025 The Antelope Valley Union High School District hosted its annual “CREATE!” arts festival during the California Poppy Festival from April 24-27, bringing together student artists, musicians, dancers and filmmakers from across the district in a comprehensive celebration of youth creativity.

The multi-day event featured art galleries, film screenings, choir and band performances, dance showcases, and an interactive music studio section where students could create their own compositions.

“This is a combined arts event,” explained Norman Schmidtberger, Lancaster High School Band Director. “We’ve got choirs, bands, drama performances, visual art, ceramics, all kinds of things. Most events in most places focus on one type of art… They’re not all of them at the same time, which is definitely what makes Create very different compared to other festivals.”

Students not only displayed their work but also received professional evaluation from experienced educators brought in specifically to provide feedback.

“For this festival, we bring performances, but then we also hire in really experienced music educators that are not us to give us extra feedback,” Schmidtberger said. “It’s a really nice experience for me to also get that extra feedback. And the students get to listen to those later and get more professional feedback to help them continue to try to grow.”

Student Artists Gain Exposure

The festival provided many students their first opportunity to publicly showcase their artistic abilities and see their work in relation to peers from other schools.

Lynn Evans, Media Arts Teacher at Highland High School, noted the impact on her students: “They have an opportunity to analyze their artwork in relation to others’ works. The students are always excited to see their artwork on display, and love showing their artwork to family and friends.”

Evans’ students designed coloring pages for the festival, which proved popular among attendees. “At least three of my students asked me where to find the coloring page table. There were even students who collected each illustration!” she said.

Cross-Disciplinary Learning

The festival’s cross-disciplinary approach exposed students to art forms they might not encounter at their home campuses.

Leslie Lopez, a senior at Lancaster High School who serves as first chair clarinet and marching band drum major, appreciated the variety. “I really like that it’s a great example of all kinds of arts. For us bands, you can hear the other groups, like jazz. We don’t have jazz, and here it’s like, ‘Wow, I didn’t know about that.’ So it’s a good way to explore.”

For Eastside High School students, the festival showcased their newly established sculpture program. “I think it has given them the opportunity to work with different materials that they never have had before,” said Ngoc Ocasio, Sculpture Teacher. “In sculpture they get to work with different materials and mediums and we’ve gotten the opportunity to make something new.”

Digital Media on Display

The festival also highlighted digital media projects, including student-produced news segments from Highland High School.

“For school we have this video called the weekly bite,” explained freshman Emma Williamson. “It’s a news thing where if there’s an event going on at the school, we record it and edit it ourselves. We make students talk about events happening during the month. We do a lot of holiday specials too.”

Dance Takes Center Stage

This year marked a significant milestone for the festival with the inclusion of a dedicated dance stage at the outdoor Primrose Stage.

“For the first time, we had a dedicated dance stage, which was an exciting and meaningful milestone as dance is now being recognized across the district as an essential art form,” said Jessica Gonzalez, Dance Teacher at Eastside High School. “Performances included BSU KDC, various folklórico groups, and the full Eastside High School dance program, showcasing styles and cultures that reflect the heart of our community.”

Building Community Through Art

Teachers and administrators emphasized how the festival built connections across campuses while challenging both educators and students.

“The CREATE! Festival challenges both students and teachers by pushing them beyond the familiar boundaries of their own classrooms, campuses, and comfort zones,” Gonzalez said. “For teachers, it is an opportunity to model artistic risk taking, leadership, and teamwork. For students, it is a chance to see their craft in a broader context.”

Jay Acuna, a senior at Highland High School, summed up the cross-campus experience: “It’s nice seeing art from not only our school, but other people’s schools, and the different stuff they do there.”

The CREATE! Festival ran concurrently with the California Poppy Festival, with student performances continuing throughout the weekend at various festival venues.