History
In 1979, the Baltimore City School Board approved a charter, in the form of resolutions, creating the Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA). The BSA was created as part of the Baltimore City Public School System; however the resolutions 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 resolutions stated "that it differ from other Baltimore city high schools by training students with potential for careers in the performing and visual arts."
Student Selection and Retention
The goal of the BSA is to prepare students within a four-year program to compete nationally for admissions to leading conservatories, art schools, liberal arts colleges and/or professional companies. Therefore, students with the potential to pursue a professional career in their arts discipline are selected through yearly auditions, open to eighth and ninth graders -- more than 1,000 students vying for approximately 100 spots. The admission process gives no consideration to past academic performance. In order to graduate, however, BSA students must successfully meet the school's rigorous standards in both the arts and academic programs.
Student Body
BSA has grown from a total enrollment of 68 students in 1980 to a current enrollment (2007-2008) of 323 students in the ninth through 12th grades. The majority of our students - 75% - are Baltimore City residents. Twenty-five percent are non-city students who come from Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, Howard, Prince George and Frederick Counties. The diverse socio-economic, cultural and racial mix is a special quality of the school. In the 2007-2008 school year, the demographic breakdown of our student body is approximately 45% Caucasian, 52% African-American, and 3%percent Asian, Hispanic and American Indian.
Our Graduates
BSA graduates can be seen on Broadway, in television, films, nationally known dance companies, orchestras and design firms. BSA alumni also have careers in business, human services and education. Some noteworthy graduates of BSA are actress Jada Pinkett Smith, Broadway actors Bryan West and Tracie Thoms, Alvin Ailey dancers Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, Bahiyah Sayyed-Gaines, Dion Wilson and Khilea Douglass, just to name a few.
Professional Collaborations
Alliances with other professional organizations have become an essential part of the training for BSA students. BSA faculty and students collaborate on musical and theatre productions though alliances with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Everyman Theatre, Center Stage, and the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. In addition, when renowned artists make local appearances in Baltimore, the school often engages them to conduct master classes when possible. BSA is a key member of the Mt. Vernon Cultural District, an organization formed to improve and enliven Baltimore’s historical and cultural center.
Faculty & Curriculum
BSA classes are taught by 38 full-time and 63 part-time faculty who together provide for a rigorous curriculum both in arts and academics. The core of the arts faculty is composed of distinguished professional actors, dancers, musicians and visual artists, who teach at the school on a part-time basis, providing a critical link between the BSA students and the professional arts world. The academic program at BSA includes courses such as Honors English, Advanced Placement English, Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, Senior Seminar in Art and Culture and Spanish through Spanish IV. Each arts department has an extensive pre-professional program, consisting of 20 hours per week of instruction that is designed to give students a broad-based background.
