How we got here:
- Students, parents and teachers in New Mexico expressed the need to keep creative youth in state to further their artistic abilities – why send our talent away when we can build opportunities at home? Why import talent in the arts economies when we can cultivate it here in an arts-based high school?
- Artists, educators, philanthropists and policy makers responded to this need, proposing the creation of NMSA. They were supported by hundreds of New Mexico citizens.
- In 2008, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson signed a bill establishing the first legislatively-created public arts school in the State’s history—New Mexico School for the Arts. Seventy six legislators voted to establish the legislation for the School.
- The Public Education Commission of New Mexico [PEC] approved the School’s charter application on September 13, 2008.
- NMSA opened its doors on August 16, 2010 with 138 students from across New Mexico studying core and advanced academics coupled with mastery level Dance, Music, Theater or Visual Arts.
What makes us different:
- Admission by audition: Legislation allows NMSA to depart from the Charter School Act and to admit through written applications, auditions and portfolio reviews. The 3 defining criteria are: passion, promise and aptitude in the applicant’s art form.
- Statewide enrollment: As a statewide school, we bring creative young people from throughout New Mexico together to study at NMSA. In 2011-2012, we have representation from more 34 distinct communities and all three congressional districts in the state. 20 students ride the Rail Runner and an additional 19 commute on public transportation daily from areas outside of Santa Fe. Many local students utilize public transportation and ride bicycles to school.
- Public/Private partnership: Through the State Equalization Guarantee, the NMSA Charter School receives money for academic programming. The NMSA Art Institute raises private funds for arts programming, residential programming, master classes, and outreach programs.
- Residential Program: We offer a 5-day residential program for students attending NMSA from areas too far to reach in a daily commute. This year, our Residential Program serves 14 students. 100% of our residential students receive financial assistance. Volunteer weekend host-families offer housing and meals to NMSA students who can’t return home each weekend.
- Outreach Program: The NMSA Art Institute offers intensives and master classes in Dance, Music, Theater and Visual Arts for young people across New Mexico, regardless of their ability to pay.
Our Mastery Arts approach:
- NMSA students take academic classes from 9:20am until 2:00pm daily. Afternoons are dedicated to study in the artistic discipline of a student’s choosing, with an extended day that ends at 4:45 p.m. This “Dual Curriculum” ensures academic achievement and artistic development.
- Students engage with high-level artists and arts educators, receiving individualized applied lessons and instruction in their chosen artistic discipline.
NMSA in the larger arts education landscape:
- NMSA provides instruction for those students who have a passion for the arts and want to take this interest to the next level of mastery, something generally not available in New Mexico public schools, particularly in rural areas of the state.
- NMSA is modeled after highly successful schools across the U.S. Nationally, students of arts high schools consistently out perform their peers across an array of academic and social indicators.