Meeting at AACC Will Discuss County's High School Arts Program

Students and parents can learn more about the county’s first Performing and Visual Arts (PVA) high school program on Tuesday at in room CALT 100 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Currently, there are two PVA programs at and Brooklyn Park Middle School. The new program will allow those students (and others) to continue to pursue arts education in high school. Interested eighth- and ninth-grade students should apply now for the 2012-2013 school year.

Students may focus on one of the prime arts areas:

• Music (vocal, guitar, instrumental)
• Dance
• Theater
• Film
• Techni­cal production/arts management
• Creative and dramatic writing
• Visual arts (2-D studio art, 3-D studio art, digital media)

Maureen McMahon, assistant superintendent for Advanced Studies and Programs, spoke about the anticipated decision regarding the location of the PVA at a recent informational session for magnet school programs at .

“The facilities and personnel needed for a PVA is extensive, so places like  Maryland Hall, Chesapeake Center for the Arts and Anne Arundel Community College—those partnerships will be really important,” McMahon said, adding that the location of the PVA program would likely be announced within the next 30 to 45 days.

At the last school board meeting, an engineering contract for the construction of a 16,825-square-foot addition to was approved. The addition will provide new studios for art, dance and recording. The work is being funded by a $5 million grant. 

Anne Arundel, Howard and Montgomery counties received approval last week for school construction grants from money the state will collect from the increase in the alcohol tax, according to an Associated Press report on WTOP.com.

The deadline to apply is noon on Dec. 2 and students will be notified in January 2012 of acceptance into the PVA program.

For more information, please contact Lori Snyder at 410-222-5391 or lfsnyder@aacps.org.