Fine Arts
A student's education is greatly impacted through study, participation and performance in the arts.
Find out more about our fine arts program below
Who are we?
Vision Statement
The Texas City ISD Fine Arts Department will identify and nurture each individual’s artistic talents to the fullest and develop a strong sense of personal pride in the hearts and minds of all TCISD students. This will be accomplished by providing creative stimulation, personal enrichment, and cultural appreciation outside of the academic world and the traditional classroom setting. Our performing & visual arts programs will broaden students' horizons with the rich history and ethnic culture of various artistic genres.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Texas City ISD Fine Arts Department is to provide a curriculum that is aligned, assessed and performance-based in performing and visual arts. We will maximize learning through performance and exhibition in order to create an atmosphere of success where all students will reach their highest potential. We will also develop a strong work ethic which will transfer to academics, athletics and career choices.
Opportunities
About our Director
Mark Lyon was hired on May 16, 2019, as the Director of Fine Arts.
Mr. Lyon brings more than 12 years of administrative experience to Texas City ISD,
As a fine arts director, Lyon has supervised up to 150 employees with 28,000 students in art, band, choir, mariachi, harp, guitar, piano, jazz band and pop ensembles, theatre, JROTC, dance, color guard, majorettes and other ensembles.
He is originally from Bloomington, IL where he grew up playing the trombone. His junior year in High School he was offered a scholarship to attend the world famous Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, MI. Here he was introduced to music of all styles. He was accepted into Manhattan School of Music where he studied with world renown trombonist Steve Turre of the Saturday Night Live Band. He did additional coursework at the University of Miami where he studied both Classical and Jazz Performance.He has a degree in Music Performance and a Masters in Music Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
He has performed professionally with greats like Lionel Hampton, Stanley Turrentine, Maceo Parker, The Ojays and others as well as leading his own jazz group.In 2010 he recorded his own CD titled Uvalde Blues. He was the Music Director for several ships for Royal Caribbean International for four years and he lived in Las Vegas and played in many shows and with many bands before beginning his career in education in 2005. Lyon was the Fine Arts Director in Uvalde CISD for 5 years before being recruited to work as the Executive Director of Fine Arts in Ector County ISD, where he served for four years before joining Texas City ISD.
You can contact Mr. Lyon via his email or at 409-916-0152.
TCISD wins TAEA award for fifth year
August 14, 2023
The Texas Art Education Association (TAEA) announced the winners of the 2023 District of Distinction Award. Among the list of honorees is Texas City ISD, which received the honor for the fifth consecutive year. Over 1,200 districts and learning institutions in Texas were eligible to apply for this prestigious Texas Art Education Association Visual Art Award, 68 districts met the high standards and will receive this outstanding honor indicating their visual art program is in the top 5.5% of Visual Art programs in the state.
The districts received the honor for providing a well-rounded education that advocates and integrates visual arts curriculum to inspire creativity and build social emotional learning that connect learners to their community and beyond. TAEA recognizes districts and learning institutions exhibiting outstanding leadership in promoting the arts in their district and community. They recognize Visual Art programs that have active TAEA members, promote TAEA art events, and actively participate in their community.
TAEA is the leading advocate for the visual arts in the state. The organization has previously honored outstanding TAEA members for work in their classrooms and districts. This is the third year that TAEA is honoring districts that meet rigorous criteria as evidenced from data.
“Texas City ISD has set a high standard for visual arts advocacy, integrated visual arts curriculum, encouraged creativity, community participation and student growth,” said Stacia Gower, Chair of the Administration and Supervision Division of TAEA. “The past school year, educators faced a great many challenges associated with constantly changing guidelines and instruction procedures as well as participation in contest and visual art events. It is a true testament to our visual art educators’ skill, dedication, and flexibility that the quality of their programs continued strong and comprehensive.”
The 68 honorees, including Texas City ISD will be honored at the TAEA Administration & Supervision Division meeting and during the TAEA Fall Conference General Assembly this fall.
TCISD receives national recognition
April 8, 2020
The Texas City Independent School District has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education.
Now in its 21st year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. To qualify for the Best Communities designation, Texas City ISD answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music programs, Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.
“Music education, like all fine arts education, gives students avenues for success and creativity in TCISD,” said Texas City ISD Fine Arts Director Mark Lyon. “Creative and inventive thinking offer keys for success for students entering college or the workforce. We also give students groups to be part of and a reasons to come to school and be successful in all areas. Giving a student an instrument or helping them find their voice gives them an opportunity for expression and an outlet for their emotions.”
This award recognizes that Texas City ISD is leading the way with learning opportunities as outlined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The legislation guides implementation in the states and replaces the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) which was often criticized for an overemphasis on testing-while leaving behind subjects such as music. ESSA recommends music and the arts as important elements of a well-rounded education for all children.
Lyon said, “Our success this year at competitions was a great representation of our community. Both high schools and their feeders had new levels of success at competitions. This gives us recognition and opportunities for our students. We also open the doors for college and career readiness by giving students opportunities in the arts.”
Research into music education continues to demonstrate educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music. After two years of music education, research found that participants showed more substantial improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading scores that their less-involved peers and that students who are involved in music are not only more likely to graduate high school, but also to attend college as well. Everyday listening skills are stronger in musically-trained children that in those without music training. Significantly, listening skills are closely tied to the ability to: perceive speech in a noisy background, pay attention, and keep sounds in memory. Later in life, individuals who took music lessons as children show stronger neural processing of sound; young adults and even older adults who have not played an instrument for up to 50 years show enhanced neural processing compared to their peers. Not to mention, social benefits include conflict resolution, teamwork skills, and how to give and receive constructive criticism.
A 2015 study supported by The NAMM Foundation, “Striking A Chord,” also outlines the overwhelming desire by teachers and parents for music education opportunities for all children as part of the school curriculum.
“Receiving the Best Community in Music Education Award from NAMM gives us national recognition and bragging rights as one of the top music education districts in the country, Lyon said. “This award, along with our Texas Art Education Association's "District of Distinction," shows the district’s commitment to the arts and the hard work of our teachers and students. We are the best of the best!”
Texas City ISD provides music programs from the elementary level to high school. Band and Choir are introduced at the intermediate level with additional options beginning in middle school and continuing through high school such as show choir, jazz band, vocal jazz and mariachi.
About The NAMM Foundation
The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 10,400 members around the world. The foundation advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving, and public service programs. For more information about the NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.
Programs
Fine Arts Feature
Watch this video on the Texas City High School Mariachi Raya mariachi band. You can find more fine arts features on our district YouTube Channel.