Odyssey

ODYSSEY Arts Festival

Feb. 13 - 14, 2024

Odyssey is Stevenson High School's biennial arts festival where students attend a variety of curated performances and creative hands-on workshops during two school days in February. Odyssey features over 200 professionals in dance, music, performing, visual, and media arts. These artists, educators, and performing groups teach, inspire, entertain, and encourage students to think creatively throughout their time at Stevenson and beyond.

Throughout Odyssey, we hope you will embrace these two unique school days for the adventure they provide, and connect with art forms that teach, inspire, strengthen, and entertain us as individuals and as a community.

Important Dates

Nov. 27, 2023: Student registration begins during Odyssey Activity Period.
Dec. 22, 2023: Student registration closes
Feb. 5, 2024: Student schedules released on Infinity Campus
Feb. 13 & 14, 2024: Two days of Odyssey Festival!

Registration

Students will receive an overview of Odyssey during the Nov. 27, 2023 Activity Period. During this time, they will have the opportunity to register for the workshops and performances they are interested in Infinite Campus. Students who complete their registration by the Dec. 22 deadline will receive priority scheduling.

How to Register

DOWNLOAD: How to Register (PDF)

Schedule Overview

Odyssey days are regular attendance days -- attendance is expected.
Buses will run on the Late Arrival Schedule.
The bell schedule for both Odyssey days will include homeroom followed by five 50-minute periods.
Students’ two-day schedule will include 2 lunch periods (one each day), 3 presentations in large venues, and 5 workshops / hands-on experiences.
Students with 8th period release may be excused from Odyssey’s last period (5th), or opt into an extra Odyssey experience.
Campus is closed. There is no guided study, ILC or QLC access. The PWC will be closed before school.

Event T-Shirt

Odyssey 2024 T-Shirt

image of the Odyssey Art Festival 2024 shirt

Support this years Odyssey Art Festival with the official shirt, which is available through an online pop-up store for $12. The shirt will be available for purchase until Jan. 12, 2024. Production will start right after the pop-up shop closes. Please allow 10-15 business days plus transit time for delivery. All orders will ship to Stevenson High School. Click the button below to purchase.

Odyssey Pop-Up Shop

Headlining Performances

The performance lineup includes celebrated artists and award-winning entertainers presenting concerts, comedy shows, film festivals, dance performances, author presentations, magic shows, and ARTalks. When you register, we ask you to select five performances that interest you. Three of your selections will be a part of your Odyssey schedule.

Cartoonist Talk: Jeffery Brown (West Auditorium)

Mr. Brown speaks about his published works, including humorous autobiographical graphic novels, as well as seven popular books in the Star Wars expanded universe.

Costume Demo with Maggie Hoffman (Black Box Theatre)

An accomplished costume designer and cosplay artist, Ms. Hoffman presents a demo of the layers, structure, assembly, and purpose of garments from previous eras in history.

Cubs Announcer Jeremiah Paprocki (West Auditorium)

Hear from the Cubs’ youngest and first Black announcer, Jeremiah Paprocki, whose microphone was enshrined in the MLB Hall of Fame prior to his college graduation.

Improvised Shakespeare Company (Sports Center)

World-renowned Improvised Shakespeare Company creates a fully improvised Shakespearean ‘masterpiece’ right before your eyes.

Jackson Dreyer Concert (Sports Center)

Playing a variety including easy-listening, soul, and dance music, Jackson Dreyer (SHS, Class of 2014) is joined in concert by his Nashville-based band.

K-Pop Dance & Korean Culture (Performing Arts Center)

Korean Cultural Educator Amy Shin (SHS, Class of 2015) is joined by 2022 K-Pop World Champions, Prism Kru, in a one-of-a-kind interactive presentation and dance performance.

Magician Dennis Watkins (Performing Arts Center)

Magician Dennis Watkins is a third-generation magician and award-winning entertainer, voted by students as the “best experience” at Odyssey 2020.

QLC ARTalks Presentation (QLC)

Visual Artists Brandin Hurley and Shayne Taylor speak about the inspiration and process of creating Stevenson's latest Public Art Project, installed in the Quiet Learning Center.

Short Film Fest by Manual Cinema (Performing Arts Center)

Emmy Award-winning performance collective, Manual Cinema, presents a series of their short films featuring shadow puppetry, music, and imaginative storytelling.

Workshop Art Areas

Odyssey workshops are hands-on or participation classes. Students will learn and practice the basics of an art form or create a project. No experience is required for Odyssey workshops; all are beginner-level. When you register, we ask you to select seven art areas that interest you. At least four of your selections will be a part of your Odyssey schedule. Most students will also receive one Wild Card class that they did not select.

Dance

Cultural: Dance styles from a certain country or region.
Movement Based: Modern dance styles and movement techniques.

Media

Film: Filmmaking skills, genres, critique, and appreciation.
Digital Art: Art making and printing using digital technologies.
Literary Arts: Creative writing genres and projects.
Photography: Photography techniques and photo editing technologies.

Music

Conducting: Try your hand at orchestral conducting. Conducting is for everyone!
Instruments: Instrument playing and music making.
Production: Songwriting, beat-making, and music production.
Vocals: Vocal performance and karaoke.

Theatre

Performance: Theatre acting, on-camera, voiceover, and performance methods.
Comedy: A variety of comedy writing and performance styles.
Technology: Theatre tools and technology in the area of scenic and lighting.
Costume: Techniques and projects in costuming, wigs, and special effects makeup.

Visual Art

Calligraphy: Ceramics and sculpture art-making techniques and projects.
Sculpture & Clay: Project-based classes in wood, paper, floral, or fiber arts.
Craft: Project-based classes in wood, paper, floral, or fiber arts.
Drawing: Drawing in various mediums in styles.
Mixed Media: Artmaking using multiple media, such as paint, paste, and printmaking.
Metals & Jewelry: Projects-based classes using metal, beads, and jewelry.
Painting: A variety of techniques, including spray paint, watercolor, and splatter paint.

Wild Card Option

If you select the “WILD CARD! Register for me” option in Infinite Campus, you will receive a randomized schedule of three performances and five workshops.
Students who do not complete registration will also receive a Wild Card schedule.

Odyssey Logo

A new logo, designed by a Stevenson student, is selected for every Odyssey.

The Odyssey 2024 logo was designed by by Freshman Sophia Joeng.

The logo features fine arts symbolism and pays tribute to the PWC staircase, a place of community for Stevenson students. In her designer statement, Sophia writes, “The ‘O’ is a paint stroke and a track, representing an endless journey of art. The logo represents how Odyssey embraces Stevenson’s culture, evolution, and future.”

Sophia is a freshman art student, who also recently designed the logo for the SHS Green Team’s reusable coffee cups. Sophia shared, “My love of design is in being able to express an image or idea I value, so others can see and come to appreciate that value too.”

Odyssey Logo History

Prior to each Odyssey, current Stevenson students are invited to enter a logo design contest. The winning designer receives a $150 prize and their logo appears on all communications and products for the following years’ festival.

2022

2020

Odyssey 2020

The 2020 logo was designed by Alex Lobo (Class of 2020). In their design statement, Alex writes, designer statement, Emily writes, "I used color to represent aspects of Odyssey: orange (creativity), blue (serenity), and red (energy and passion). I included “The Point”, because it’s an architectural hallmark of Stevenson. I want the logo to look bright, fun, and welcoming to the people attending Odyssey.

2018

Previous Festivals

Odyssey Leadership

Odyssey is coordinated by Fine Arts Manager Amanda Peterlin and Director of Fine Arts Jon Grice.

Every Stevenson employee plays a role in Odyssey’s success, with special acknowledgment to the Fine Arts Division, Data Processing, Administration, Communications, Operations (including the Sodexo, Security, IT, AV, and Theater Tech teams), and all the SHS Faculty and Staff who advise, teach, perform, supervise, and participate in the festival.