Attention young artists of the Capital Region: School just got way cooler. The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) last week announced that it will be launching the SPAC School of the Arts, a multidisciplinary school dedicated to dance, music and theater, with additional offerings planned for instruction in literary arts, visual arts and media arts at the temporarily closed National Museum of Dance/Lewis A. Swyer Studios.
SPAC’s new school, which will be located in the studios behind the Museum of Dance, is set to open in September.
Per the Saratoga Springs–based arts organization, the new school will prioritize multicultural, multi-genre education, while furthering its mission to facilitate inclusion and equity in, and access to arts education of all kinds. SPAC, which currently serves nearly 50,000 students throughout the Capital Region annually, will be expanding that reach greatly with the opening of the new school, which looks to reach more underserved communities in addition to establish a creative space for arts exploration and discovery.
Support for SPAC’s arts school came from Stewart’s Shops and the Dake Family, with additional funding from the Charles R. Wood Foundation going toward tuition assistance, supplies, instruments and transportation.
“The National Museum of Dance and its School of the Arts has an exceptional history of philanthropy and artistic vision, thanks to individuals like Lewis A. Swyer, Marylou Whitney and Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney,” said Elizabeth Sobol, president and CEO of SPAC. “In more recent years, that spirit, vision and generosity has been carried on by Michele and Ron Riggi. We are grateful to Susan and Bill Dake for their investment in the School of the Arts and its future.”
Added Dennis Moench, SPAC’s senior director of education and the school’s new director: “The opportunity to open a school dedicated to year-round arts education is a thrilling addition to our rapidly expanding education programs. With this new venture, we look forward to providing something truly unique to the Capital Region—a creative space where children can access and explore multiple art forms; make lasting connections to the world and each other; and discover their own passions for art making in a learning environment that is joyful, engaging and welcoming to all.”
Online registration for fall classes begins tomorrow. For more information or to learn how to register for classes, click here.
