The Austin School for the Performing and Visual Arts (ASPVA), a non-profit organization created to serve students in the Austin area gifted in the performing and visual arts, announces its downtown location for a private school opening fall 2010 for grades six through 12.
The school will offer a full academic curriculum with an emphasis on art and daily wellness. ASPVA will lease the educational building in Central Christian Church at 1110 Guadalupe Drive just two blocks west of the capitol and within walking distance of museums, theaters, parks and a public library.
While ASPVA is a non-parochial school, Carol de Cardenas, ASPVA founder and director, said, “We are delighted to call this historical building established in 1928 home.”
ASVPA is a place for students who want to pursue academic and artistic excellence where they will be honored by passionate, inspiring teachers while celebrating creativity, community and service. The school began by offering dance classes for all levels as part of Phase I of its development. Phase II currently offers master classes in the arts and unique wellness activities, including a performance jump rope team through Connections, an outreach program created for 1st – 12th graders, on-site in partnering schools and other student organizations.
In fall 2010, ASPVA will unveil a private school offering a full academic curriculum developed according to accreditation standards, a world-class arts education and a daily wellness program as part of Phase III.
“We are excited to offer performing and visual art classes by world renowned artists who have made Austin their home,” said Nathaniel Mayfield, ASPVA director of music. “The Music Capital of the World is ripe for a school like ASPVA.”
At 14 years old, Mayfield had to travel 2,000 miles to Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan because a school such as this did not exist in his hometown of Austin. Mayfield explains that his participation in arts education was critical to his success and gave him the confidence to apply to Juilliard and Columbia University. He is the recipient of the coveted Presidential Scholar Award and a Fulbright Scholarship.
Ed Heenan, director of music for Central Christian Church, stated, “We welcome ASPVA, and we are happy to contribute to our community in such a creative, cultural and educational way.”
Central Christian Church first developed around 200 years ago on the American frontier. It first began meeting in downtown Austin in 1847, making it one of the oldest church congregations in Austin. The building, which has been used now for 80 years, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a widely recognized example of the "Eclectic" or "Beaux Arts" movement of the 1920s. Its interior is similar to that of the medieval cathedral of St. Miniato al Monte in Florence, Italy, while the exterior is suggestive of our Spanish colonial history.
“The facility is a work of art in itself, and according to our professional music staff, the sanctuary has amazing acoustics,” de Cardenas said. This nationally registered historic church celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2009 and its rich history, which includes President Lyndon B. Johnson as one of its most famous members.
Renovations to the building are underway thanks to the contributions from American Campus Communities, Stavis and Cohen Financials, and Korcett Holdings Inc. and individual contributors. “ASPVA appreciates having such great partners who share in our vision of educating the next generation of Austin artists,” de Cardenas said.
