Fine Arts

Fine Arts

History

Soon after GACS was organized, the desire for competition in Bible, fine arts, and academics resulted in what is now annual state competition in these areas. The first “Fine Arts Festival” was conducted in 1976.

Purpose

One of the important tasks of the Christian school is to train leadership. The GACS Fine Arts Festivals help to provide the framework to accomplish that task. Students work, train, and prepare that they might compete in this Festival—not just to win, but to give of their best that the Lord might be honored. It is in this early arena of competition that students begin to really sharpen the talents and skills which they will later use as adults in their service for Christ.

The purposes of competition among the students in GACS member schools in the areas of Bible, fine arts, and academics include the following:

  1. To serve as a vehicle for the development of God-given talents and abilities.
  2. To provide an opportunity of fellowship in areas of mutual interest for the students in GACS schools.
  3. To provide beneficial activities to GACS member schools and thus help to achieve the goal of excellence in Christian education.
  4. To aid in the teaching of Christian character in students in GACS schools through the development of discipline, perseverance, appreciation and respect for others, courage, poise, maturity, and other traits which can bring glory to the Lord.
  5. To glorify God by serving as one aspect of the training and education to which our Christian schools are committed.

State winners on the senior high level compete in the national competition conducted each year by the American Association of Christian Schools (AACS).  National competition attracts approximately 3,000 students from the many AACS state associations. Over the years, GACS has produced a number of national winners.

GACS Elementary and High School State Competition Manuals are available which explain all categories and rules of competition These may be ordered by member schools from the GACS office.  An AACS National Competition Manual may be purchased from the AACS National Office.

The competition is open to all member schools and is an excellent opportunity to enable students to develop their talents and abilities to be used for the glory of the Lord. The elementary level of competition is for grades 4- 6. The junior and senior high competition includes grades 7 – 12. Because of the large number of students participating, elementary, junior high, and senior high activities are conducted on separate days.

Purpose of the Elementary Festival

Elementary Fine Arts would more appropriately be called “adjudication” rather than “competition”, since ratings are given to students instead of the first, second, and third places that are awarded on the junior and senior high levels. The basic reason for this is to avoid unnecessary stress of competition at this age level and emphasize to the elementary students that they do their best in preparation and presentation without actually competing against other students. All elementary students who enter receive a participation certificate.

AACS Poetry & Short Story Contest

It is time once again to begin making preparations for the annual AACS Short Story & Poetry Contest for elementary (grades 4-6) and junior high (grades 7-8) students. This is a fun national contest each year to encourage creative and expository writing skills in our young people.

To the left are links to the various forms and information regarding the contest. Any school participating must include the GACS Contest registration form, the registration fee of $15, and copies of the judging forms along with the writing entries. Postmark deadline is December 15.

AACS Contest Instructions

AACS Creative Writing Rules (2024)

AACS Creative Writing – Current Judging Form

Preliminary Interest Form

 The fine arts Preliminary Interest Form is utilized by the GACS Office to determine the amount of interest of each school in participating in fine arts for the current school year.  It does not obligate a school to participate in any particular events.  It is informational only.  It also gives the GACS an idea of the number of judges that need to be secured for each event. After the Preliminary Interest Form is returned by interested schools, those schools are the only ones in the future that are corresponded with regarding fine arts participation in order to avoid sending unnecessary communications to those schools not participating.

Form-Preliminary-Interest-2023-2024

Registration for Competition

Each year, we send out IDs and new Passwords to schools planning to participate in GACS Fine Arts Competition.  If your school is interested in competing, let us know in the fall so we can get you signed up!

Use the link to the left to begin registering your students for the fine art competitions. It will generate a report of the students and categories entered and keep track of the school’s fees.

The junior and senior high competitions will be held at Peoples Baptist Academy, McDonough, GA.

Elementary competition will be held at Old Suwanee Christian School, Buford, GA.

Check the calendar on the GACS website for specific dates and deadlines.

FARWeb Online Registration

TestPoint Registration

Fine Art Information

Please check out the links to the left for helpf GACS fine art resources.

For information about GACS fine arts you can order the Fine Art Manuals using the publication order form. The secondary manual covers junior high and senior high rules; the elemenatary manual covers grades 3rd-6th.

GACS follows AACS policy on spelling bee lists, which can be found on the AACS Website

GACS presents 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place individual winners of Junior and Senior High competitions with a medal to commemorate their accomplishment.

Junior and Senior High fine arts will be held at Peoples Baptist Church and Academy on March 6-7, 2025.

Elementary fine arts will be held at Old Suwanee Christian School on April 25, 2025

 

GACS Elementary Fine Arts Festival!

Date: April 25, 2025

Location: Old Suwanee Christian School (Buford)

Registration Deadline: March 15, 2025