Conservatory for the Arts
About the Conservatory
Discover your creative spirit!
Young artists flourish in Mayfield's Conservatory for the Arts
We dance, draw, paint, write, take stunning photos and sing our hearts out. We love to perform under a spotlight. The Conservatory is far more than an extracurricular activity. With rigor and excitement our UC-accredited courses unfold on stage, in studios and in hands-on workshops as Mayfield trains the next generation of artists and artistic thinkers.
We nurture and develop artistic talent
Mayfield’s signature Conservatory for the Arts program strikes an engaging balance for both aspiring and dedicated artists. For more than 25 years our program has produced artistic thinkers who know how to integrate creativity, voice and expression into their lives. Our artists develop confidence and resilience as they form bonds with a group of girls who become their closest friends.
Mayfield teachers are working artists who enthusiastically share their real-world knowledge at every meeting. As Holy Child educators they teach students to use their artistic gifts to engage with and interpret the world around them.
— Cornelia Connelly
Art is a universal language, and also a discipline which calls for close attention, leading to wonderment and contemplation.
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Visual Arts
Students explore creative mediums with curiosity in the art studio where they are encouraged to develop their individual expression. -
Theatre
The techniques and concepts of drama, including acting, directing and dramaturgy, come alive in a full season of plays. -
Technical Theatre
This hands-on class teaches the artistry of lighting, sound, stage management and set building and design. -
Photography
Young photographers develop a personal vision by learning the techniques of black and white processes, digital camera operation and media arts. -
Vocal Music
The nationally acclaimed Mayfield Women’s Ensemble is a credit to students’ study of vocal style and technique. -
Instrumental Music
From classical to popular, jazz to world music, Mayfield musicians learn and perform a variety of styles and play from the heart. -
Film & Media
This eye-opening conservatory introduces students to all aspects of the art of making film, video and digital media. -
Dance
Dancers take to the stage in popular performances, expressing their skills through creative choreography and technique. -
Creative Writing
Authors delve into fiction and poetry writing in a literary and artistic environment, collaborating with performing artists on new works.
Conservatory News
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OLIVER! production showcases the breadth of Mayfield's talented community
It takes a village to bring the beloved musical Oliver! to life in Pike Auditorium. This year’s all-school musical draws from Mayfield’s vast community of talent, from alumnae siblings and faculty spouses, to athletes who are making their Pike stage debuts.Read More -
Photography students travel back in time to capture an image of the original Strub Hall
To commemorate the centennial of Strub Hall, Paul Tzanetopoulos’ photography class embarked on an ambitious project—to take a photo of the 100-year-old building with a 100-year-old camera. Paul’s extensive camera collection includes an early folding model used by photographers around the same time that the 500 Bellefontaine estate was built. The final result was a spectral and awe-inspiring portrait of Strub Hall, an image that looks very much like those in the Mayfield archives. We sat down with Mr. T to discuss how this photograph came into being.Read More -
Mayfield student artists bring home 19 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Congratulations to our student artists, who racked up an impressive tally of 19 awards in the 2020 Western Region Scholastic Art & Writing Awards from a pool of more than 60,000 submissions. The Scholastic Awards, which recognize students in 29 different genres of creative arts and writing, are among the nation’s oldest and most prestigious arts prizes.Read More -
Mayfield’s art historians explore the legacy of local artists
by Emma Stolpe '20Read More
This Tuesday, Nora Warren’s AP Art History class visited the Jonathan Club in Downtown Los Angeles to learn about their hometown’s rich art history. The breakfast outing was hosted by generous club members John and Patti O’Keefe, who invited the group of 20 students to hear guest speaker Christina Nielsen, Director of the Art Museum at The Huntington, and experience a private tour of the Jonathan Club’s impressive art collection. -
Broadway designer helps theatre students embrace the power of what Cornelia Connelly called “The Holy Child Theatre”
On the eve of Cornelia Connelly’s Jan. 15 birthday, the students in Maryanne Householder’s freshman theatre class are in for a surprise—an unannounced guest speaker is in their midst. As the girls huddle, cross-legged, in a circle on the stage of Pike Auditorium, accomplished Broadway costume designer Michael Krass joins them for a candid conversation about his craft and his career.Read More -
“A Night at the Museum” brings artwork to vivid life
Read More“A Night at the Museum,” presented by Mayfield’s Dance and Technical Theatre Conservatories, is set to take audience members on a journey of light, fantasy, and art, right from the whimsical opening number, choreographed to music from the 2006 film “A Night at the Museum.” -
A writer’s touch: bestselling author Janet Fitch offers tangible advice
Have you ever picked up a scarf and just felt it? Closed your eyes, no talking, just your touch and the scarf. You don’t know what color it is, where it came from, or who gave it to you, but you just feel it. And as you are feeling, you smell a familiar scent and hear the sound of nature in the background. The room’s edges become defined, the light is reflecting and making shadows...you no longer feel the fabric in your hands. Instead, you feel the story, the character.Read More -
Senior Art Show presents an early expression of each artist
Read MoreThe September opening of the senior visual art show gave the Mayfield community a glimpse of the talent that the Class of 2020 has to offer. “The show is a beginning point, with a combination of work they have done at Mayfield that could be in their portfolio,” said AP Studio Art teacher Amy Green. “Starting things at the top of the year, they can see their history and are able to see—hopefully—at least one piece that has a spark for their investigations.” -
Mayfield artists put themselves ‘out there’ to strong reviews
Mayfield artists pushed outside the familiar gates of Bellefontaine this spring, taking a bold step to put their art “out there” before critics, adjudicators and the public. The results are worthy of a standing ovation:Read More -
Dancers show skill, confidence and beauty in ‘Locomotion’ Choreographers’ Ball
In a delightfully entertaining show of talent and heartfelt emotion, the Dance Conservatory’s 2019 Choreographers’ Ball showcased the skills of our junior and senior dancers and our Technical Theatre members who created the 100% student-run show.Read More -
The soaring voices of Mayfield’s Women’s Ensemble score a strong “A” at prestigious national festival.
Our acclaimed Women’s Ensemble received among the top scores at a national choir festival following their three-song performance that earned seven “perfect tens” for blend, balance difficulty and rhythm.Read More -
'Into the Woods' is more than great theatre, it’s a bold collaboration
Beneath the black cape a screaming, mean old Witch is a student overcame stage fright. The musicians tucked in the orchestra pit had never experienced the rigor of playing for a live stage production. Those three massive moveable trees on stage? Our technical theatre students started building them back in January, pneumatic staplers in hand.Read More -
Mayfield creative writers and visual artists win 18 prestigious awards
Read MoreTwo Mayfield poets wrote from the heart, personal messages they hold dear. A student photographer captured a poignant moment with her grandmother, a shot she treasures. A painter took a risk with a multimedia project and decided to put her work and vulnerability on display. -
Mayfield visual artists learn what it takes to curate college portfolios
Navigating the college application process is stressful enough. For prospective visual art students it’s even trickier—they face a myriad of portfolio requirements and another layer of deadlines.Read More -
Two sisters, freshman and senior, share the stage at “Imagine” Dance Conservatory show
Read MoreThe duo begins in the center of a darkened stage. A harsh overhead light illuminates their side-by-side forms. The freshman dancer, Drew Valentino, faces front. Only the back of her older sister, Avery, is visible before the two pull the width of the stage away from each other in perfect synchronization. -
Art students get real-world design experience and we benefit!
When Mayfield Patrons for the Arts decided to sponsor a custom Christmas ornament, Visual Arts teacher Amy Green saw a great opportunity to engage her students in a real-world experience in artistic design.Read More -
New York Times best-selling author enthralls Creative Writing students and offers insightful advice
Read MoreOur Creative Writing Conservatory students gathered in the cozy Sussex Room recently to experience an enthralling workshop led by New York Times best-selling writer Natashia Deón. -
"The Miracle Worker" challenges actors and teaches compassion
Read MoreThese are the most challenging roles our Theatre Conservatory students said they have ever played.Helen Keller, blind and mute. No lines. All expression.Annie, Helen’s passionate and determined teacher. Energized spirit. Heart and mind on fire. -
Mayfield creators transform campus into art spaces
The work of our Mayfield artists transformed the Student Commons into an art gallery and performing arts space, brought beautiful music to Strub Hall and turned the Pike stage into a dance and theatre performing arts house.Read More -
Theatre students learn that smiling for the camera is harder than it seems
“Chin up a little bit...good, good. Now look into the camera and now tell me an amazing secret with your eyes,” theatre teacher Andrea Sweeney ’12 told her student. “Relax your jaw... Ah! These are so good!”Read More
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Established in 1931, Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena, CA is a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school for young women grades 9-12. Noted for its rigorous academic program, which includes 21 Advanced Placement and Honors courses, Mayfield’s curriculum is underscored by a philosophy of educating the “whole child,” which also encourages commitment to and excellence in the arts, athletics, community service and spiritual growth. The nurturing environment at Mayfield Senior School allows each student to flourish in an atmosphere of personal attention.