The Fine Arts Department is pleased to announce that three new faculty members have joined the department this year.
Kelsey Walsh- Art Teacher
Ms. Walsh received her Bachelors of Art in Studio Art from Albright College in Reading, PA. During her time at Albright she focused on her studio practice and was active in the Freedman Gallery. After Albright, Ms. Walsh interned with the Youth and Family Programs at the National Portrait Gallery. Ms. Walsh then went on to earn her Master of Fine Arts in Community Art from Maryland Institute College of Art. While at MICA, she served as the Artist in Residence with AmeriCorps Community Art Collaborative at Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts. During that time, she collaboratively created two murals; one in memoriam to Augusta Fells Savage and the second, a youthled urban nature mural with the summer YouthWorks program. Her thesis led her to partner with a local Baltimore Hospital, Sinai Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, in creating accessible art programming for patients/residents in long-term care and short-term behavioral health settings. After graduate school, Ms. Walsh taught in Baltimore City for three years as an art educator and the Director of Extended Day programming. During that time she partnered with various organizations to serve the local school community. One project included Clarke Construction and the Maryland Transit Authority to create Mural panels along a construction site to aide in the transition and education on the MTA. Another humbling project was with the new Ronald McDonald House in Baltimore. The students donated their time and creativity to create a cheerful installation to be permanently housed in the RMH community room for the residents and families. Ms. Walsh enjoys utilizing art as a tool to connect and empower voices for positive change.
Kyra Klontz – Choral Director
Ms. Klontz is thrilled to be the choral director at Bishop O'Connell High School. She is a native of Arlington and is excited to be back in the area. Ms. Klontz holds a Bachelor of Music in choral music education and vocal performance, as well as a double minor in special education and musical theatre from Miami University in Oxford, OH. She graduated summa cum laude with honors in December of 2017 and was recently awarded the "Outstanding Future Music Educator" honor for her graduating class. While at Miami, Ms. Klontz was extremely active in Best Buddies, becoming president and director of an inclusive choir on her campus, that integrated adults with and without disabilities. In addition, she participated in the MU Opera program each year, served as an undergraduate assistant and a student manager at the recreational center, and held leadership positions in two choral ensembles. Ms. Klontz was selected to be student conductor of the MU Chamber Singers her senior year, and went on to student teach at Mason High School and Maple Dale Elementary in Cincinnati, OH. After completing her student teaching, Ms. Klontz was most recently a long-term substitute in Arlington Public Schools, working as a choral director at Yorktown High School, Williamsburg Middle School, and Randolph Elementary School. Ms. Klontz helped prepare students for theDistrict XII Assessment, where they received only superior or excellent ratings. She is active in the choral community, coming from a family of professional musicians and music educators. Additionally, Ms. Klontz teaches private voice lessons and also enjoys work as a part-time group fitness instructor.
Timothy Lacrosse – Strings Director
Mr. Lacrosse holds his Bachelor of Music degree in viola performance from the Juilliard School. He spent a year at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London studying orchestral training before obtaining his Master of Music from the Yale School of Music. He previously served as principal violist of the National Symphony of Panama, as well as section positions in the Huntsville Symphony, the Hawaii Symphony, and Fairfax Symphony, among others. He has performed in many of the world's prestigious concert halls and festivals around the world, including Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Chicago Symphony Center, Ravinia Festival, Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles), Barbican Center and Aldeburgh Festival in England, Lucerne Concert Hall (Switzerland), Gasteig Cultural Center and Konzerthaus Berlin in Germany, Auditorium Parco della Musica in Italy, and the Sydney Opera House in Australia. An avid educator, Mr. Lacrosse maintains a private studio of violin and viola students and has prepared students for auditions to the National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellowship Program and American Youth Philharmonic, both of which he is an alumna. He recently held the post of visiting professor of viola at the University of Panama, a position he held for four years. Recognizing the importance of arts education in public and private schools, he also performs and provides sectionals in Washington DC, Arlington and Fairfax County schools.
This is an exciting time for the department and we look forward to welcoming Ms. Klontz, Ms. Walsh, and Mr. Lacrosse into the Bishop O'Connell community! If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Maria McDonald, Fine Arts Department Chair, at mmcdonald@bishopoconnell.org.