Legacy Christian Academy’s Upper School is blessed to have Mrs. Chris Keyes as the Dean of the School of Fine Arts as part of the Professional Schools Program. Chris has served as the Fine Arts Director at Legacy for the past three years and is a seasoned arts professional with over 32 years of experience.
Chris admits she fell into fine arts as an interest. It all began with organ lessons as a child, she then transitioned to singing in the choir. As she continued to cultivate her passion for the arts, a major in music was a natural choice. She met her husband, Upper School Science Teacher John Keyes, during her studies at Tennessee Temple University, and a lifelong partnership in both marriage and teaching was forged.
Her first job was at Garland Christian Academy, where she started working with a choir that was truly just a quartet, with only four members. Then lightning struck. In 1994, the senior class athletes all decided to take choir as an elective. Suddenly choir was the “cool thing” to do and Keyes’ little choir program exploded. She enjoyed a long tenure at Garland, serving for 22 years. She was then called to serve as choir director and subsequently as Fine Arts Director at McKinney Christian Academy (MCA), where she served for another seven years. Chris was content in her position at MCA when the Fine Arts Directorship became available at Legacy. She knows without a doubt that it was God’s leading and timing that brought her to Legacy, where she has continued to flourish, sharing her passion and expertise with our community.
Chris Keyes is an outstanding Director for Legacy's Fine Arts program and it is a blessing to have her serving alongside our students as the Dean of the School of Fine Arts as well. Her leadership, professionalism, devotion to students, and passion for the Fine Arts is remarkable.
Chris Keyes has been instrumental in guiding our Fine Arts students in this new exciting initiative at LCA. She has secured some amazing professionals in music, film, and art for the benefit of our students. Chris's servant heart really shines as she guides our students to fulfill God's calling in their lives. We are blessed to have her serving in this new expanded role.
Mrs. Keyes led the choir during their performance last spring at Carnegie Hall.
Mrs. Keyes understands the delicate balance of educating students in the Fine Arts, while still allowing them to blossom individually. Participation in fine arts is a leap of faith for most students because, unlike in academics, most of their work is on public display. They may be performing in front of an audience on the stage, marching on the field, or displaying their pieces in an art show. Chris knows that her students are putting their trust in her that she won’t allow them to falter or look foolish.
Mrs. Keyes is keenly aware of the tremendous advantages to developing competencies in the fine arts and how that integrates with other programs to foster a more interdisciplinary approach to learning and life as a whole. She looks forward to growing the Professional Schools Program and has already seen how the exposure to industry professionals will benefit our Legacy students.
John and Chris have two daughters, Shelby, who teaches studio art/graphic design at Dallas Baptist University, and Catherine who is a 2018 Legacy graduate and is currently studying at John Brown University.
Legacy Christian Academy offers students a college preparatory education; central to that education is fine arts. 100% of students in Pre-K through high school participate in a fine arts course, and many upperclassmen continue with their fine art study. For the latest information on Legacy fine arts, subscribe today. For more information on Legacy, visit our admissions page.