Baltimore School for the Arts

Infobox Education in the United States
name= Baltimore School for the Arts


imagesize=
motto=
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streetaddress= 712 Cathedral Street
city= Baltimore
state= Maryland
zipcode= 21201
areacode=
phone= 443.642.5165
fax=
email=
url= [http://www.bsfa.org/ www.bsfa.org]
schoolnumber= 415
schoolboard=
affiliation=
superintendent= Dr. Andrès Alonso, CEO
trustee=
principal= Leslie Shepard
viceprincipal= Wayne King
administrator=
schooltype= Public
grades= 9-12
language= English
area= Urban
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teamname=
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founded= 1979
enrollment= 314 [ [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&SchoolID=240009001391&ID=240009001391 Baltimore School For The Arts] "National Center for Education Statistics"]
enrollment_as_of= 2008

Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA) is a public high school located in Baltimore, Maryland and is a part of its public school system. BSA offers concentrations in classical music, theater, dance, theater production and visual art. The school has produced numerous "Presidential Scholars" [http://www.presidentialscholars.org/scholars_state2.asp?school_state=MD] in the Arts and its students have gone on to attend major conservatories and Ivy League Schools.

History

In 1979, the President of the School Board authored a charter creating the Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA). In the form of a resolution of the school board, this charter followed many years of effort to create an arts high school, including a 1978 recommendation of the special Task Force appointed by Mayor William Donald Schaefer. The BSA was created as part of the Baltimore school system, however the charter provided the BSA with the structure and the authority to design and implement policies and programs necessary to be successful in its mission as a pre-professional arts high school. The charter stated "that it differ from other Baltimore city high schools by training students with potential for careers in the performing and visual arts."

Mission

The Baltimore School for the Arts is a school that intends to prepare its students for careers in the arts. The school provides qualified students with training in one of four arts disciplines: the visual arts, music, theatre, or dance in combination with a comprehensive, college preparatory academic program. The theatre and music majors are split into two groups each: for theatre, there is both acting and stage production, and the music department is split into vocalists and instrumentalists.

A further mission of the school is to serve as an arts resource for the Baltimore community by offering performances, educational workshops, and extensive after-school training in the arts to Baltimore children.

Today, BSA graduates go on to study at a number of colleges, universities and conservatories. BSA alumni also have careers in business, human services and education.

Academics

The Baltimore School for the Arts is a four-year public high school that provides young people with intensive, pre-professional training in the arts within the context of a comprehensive, college preparatory academic curriculum. Working with a distinguished faculty, students pursue any one of four disciplines--the visual arts, instrumental music, singing, theatre, stage production and dance--in an environment that emphasizes professionalism and scholarship. About 450 students attend the school, coming from public and private schools in and around Baltimore. Students are accepted by audition or portfolio review.

In Media

*The school was featured prominently in the 2006 film "Step Up", although most of the actual filming of the movie did not take place inside BSA.
*The school was also featured prominently in the 2008 film sequel to "Step Up", "Step Up 2 The Streets" although most of the actual filming of the movie, again did not take place inside BSA.

Notable Alumni

*Antonio Hart - jazz saxophonist
*Katherine Needleman - classical oboist
*Christian Siriano - fashion designer and "Project Runway" winner
*Jada Pinkett Smith - actress, wife of Will Smith
*Tupac Shakur - hip-hop artist [Pareles, Jon (September 14, 1996), " [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D03E3DD153AF937A2575AC0A960958260 Tupac Shakur, 25, Rap Performer Who Personified Violence, Dies] ", "The New York Times"]
*Tracie Thoms - actress

References

External links

* [http://www.bsfa.org BSA Website]