Fine Arts Department

The 16 centuries of Benedictine education have always highlighted the importance of fine arts. In accord with that tradition, St. Scholastica Academy has emphasized this aspect of learning since its beginning.

The Arts Building stands as witness to commitment to the arts. It includes two art rooms, teachers' studios, a choral room, student practice rooms, and a 1000-seat theatre with a hydraulic lift stage. There is also a Lecture Hall/Little Theatre with a seating capacity of nearly 300 where speech and drama classes take place and individual recitals are held. Both theatres are used for guest speakers, and both have movie screens.

The International Baccalaureate (I.B.) curriculum, with its emphasis on individual creativity, is offered in Visual Arts.

All students may select an elective from the Visual Arts Department courses which include Drawing, Ceramics, Photography, Art Appreciation and I.B. Art. Speech/Communication Arts is a required semester course in sophomore year and is offered through the English Department.  

Private voice, piano and instrumental lessons are available all four years either for full or half credit. Student concerts and assemblies provide the young artists an opportunity to learn performance skills.

All students are able to participate in the SSA Chorus, the Instrumental Ensemble, and the SSA Dance Troupe as a co-curricular activity. These groups perform at many school functions and for the public as well.

Students interested in Performance Arts may also participate in the Fall or Spring plays or in V-Show, the all-school variety show, as co-curricular activities. Behind the scenes, Standing Stage Crew members learn to work the lights and sound board. Besides working on the two major productions of the year, a play and a musical, crew members are hired to oversee technical aspects of auditorium rentals to outside groups as well.

Fine Arts Department Faculty

Ms. Maria Ambre
Ms. Maria Ambre has a B.A. in Art Education from Western Michigan University and an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Art from Columbia College. Ms. Ambre is a member of Illinois Art Education Association and the National Art Education Association. She has taught the visual art courses at St. Scholastica Academy since 2000.

Ms. Ambre is the Junior Class Moderator. She also serves as moderator of Art Guild and Cooking Club.

Ms. Mary Clare Cadieux
Ms. Mary Clare Cadieux has been a member of the Fine Arts Department since 1995.  She holds a B.A. in Music and an M.A. in Religious Studies from Mundelein College, as well as post-graduate work in choral arranging and conducting from Northwestern University.  Ms. Cadieux directs the Morning Chorus and Instrumental Ensemble. She also teaches private piano, voice and organ at SSA. Away from SSA, she is a church organist and works professionally with various theatre companies as an accompanist and musical director.  She has toured the Middle East as accompanist for the Pegasus Players.

Ms. Cadieux is the director of Morning Chorus and Instrumental Ensemble.