Chicago's first and only pre-professional public arts high school, The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts) in Humboldt Park caps off the 2023-24 academic year as its 12th class of scholar-artist graduates celebrate their degrees and prepare to head to renowned universities and conservatories across the country.
ChiArts graduates from Creative Writing, Dance, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts conservatories head off to schools including California Institute of the Arts, Oberlin College and Conservatory, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Howard University, Carnegie Mellon University, San Diego State University, John Hopkins University, University of Southern California, Columbia College Chicago, Tufts University and many more. They go on to study a variety of areas in both arts and academics including Classical Voice and Performance, Sculpture, Film & Media, Business, Engineering, Marketing, Jazz Studies, Television Writing, Animation, and countless other fields.
Each ChiArts graduate has completed more than 2,500 hours of pre-professional arts training and college-preparatory academics. 96% of ChiArts seniors graduated on time, 92% of graduates are attending two and four-year colleges this fall, and 38% of graduates are the first to attend college in their family.
ChiArts Executive Director Tina Boyer Brown shares, “The ChiArts class of 2024 are pioneers in the world of arts learning! From the beginning, they have created a world where education has more meaning than the building in which a school is located. The ChiArts community is so proud of them.”
ChiArts’ Class of 2024 spans 21 states across the nation and 47% of graduates are attending universities in Illinois. The Class of 2024 will join over 1,700 alumni, emerging as Chicago’s next generation of visionary artists, scientists, educators, activists, entrepreneurs, and innovators. ChiArts remains the only pre-professional public arts high school in the nation that actively recruits novice students with little to no prior training. Visit www.chiartsfoundation.org for more information.
ABOUT THE CHICAGO HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS (CHIARTS)
The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts) is Chicago’s first public high school for the arts. With disciplines in creative writing, dance, music, theatre, and visual arts, ChiArts provides its scholar-artists with a tuition-free, pre-professional arts training program paired with a college preparatory academic curriculum. ChiArts opened its doors in 2009 and has graduated 12 classes of scholar-artists at a rate between 92-100% each year. Furthermore, the School prioritizes accepting novice students who may not have had access to formal arts training but exhibit an ability and desire to learn and grow in their chosen art form. Learn more about recent ChiArts news and performances on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. For more general information about ChiArts, visit chiarts.org.
ABOUT THE CHIARTS FOUNDATION
ChiArts Foundation was established in January 2021 to support arts education opportunities for and inspire and nurture current, future, and former students of The Chicago High School for the Arts. The foundation’s key objectives are to provide annual support for the High School’s Arts Conservatories; create a fund to ensure the sustainability of the Arts Conservatories; raise the School’s profile and support outreach through partnerships and marketing and public relations activities; and increase engagement and build community. ChiArts Foundation supports current students and alumni in their future paths through professional development, post-secondary planning, and partnerships with various arts organizations. For more general information about the ChiArts Foundation, visit chiartsfoundation.org and ChiArts Foundation on LinkedIn.
Please note: The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts) is Chicago’s first public arts high school, distinct from the similarly named private arts school, Chicago Academy for the Arts (The Academy).