Head of School Dr. Mike Davis is pleased to announce that Katy Hills has been named the Director of Visual and Performing Arts at Colorado Academy. Hills has been serving as the interim director since the end of the 2018-2019 school year.
“Her leadership and understanding of the visual arts, vocal and instrumental music, and performing arts programs have brought greater cohesion and organization to this multi-faceted department,” Davis says. “This is a department that touches the life of every student at CA, and the work of our arts teachers showcases the creativity and talents of our kids.”
Moving forward, Hills also will play a very important role assisting the Performing Arts faculty as CA undertakes the challenging logistical effort of working around the pending construction of the new Leach Center for the Performing Arts while maintaining a busy schedule of performances.
In accepting the full directorship, Hills says, “The arts have played a dynamic role in the lives of CA students for decades. It is a program that is complex, multi-faceted, and critical to the education of our students as they face an ever-changing world. I believe it is the mindset and habits of an artist that will solve the problems we face in the future.
She adds, “I can’t think of a more important and fulfilling job than to champion the creative minds of our children. I am so grateful for the opportunity and for the expertise of the entire arts faculty.”
Hills has taught Upper School studio art at CA since 2009. Her electives have included drawing, painting, sculpture, architecture, and ceramics. During her time at CA, Katy also has been an innovative instructor, working to create and co-teach cross-departmental electives.
Hills completed her undergraduate arts training at Connecticut College, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in Painting and Drawing, and she also studied at the Maine College of Art. Before arriving in Colorado, she was the Museum Educator at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, Conn. She has shown her work at several galleries, including The Cooley Gallery in Old Lyme, and the Vose Galleries of Boston, Mass.
Outside of the art studio, Hills is well-suited to lead backcountry ski trips for CA’s outdoor education program as a Wilderness First Responder and former volunteer ski patroller. She also enjoys visiting her home state of Vermont or skiing with her family.