Chicago's first and only pre-professional public arts high school, The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts), located at 2714 W Augusta Blvd., welcomes a new school year with major leadership announcement, admissions applications for prospective students, and “Backstage Pass” immersive open house experiences. ChiArts celebrates the start of a new school year with a diverse and energetic team of leaders heading up the academic, arts, and administrative staff. This summer, the school’s new Principal, Pavielle Driver, joined the team, along with Artistic Director Tina Boyer Brown being promoted to Executive Director and Dance Department Head Greer Reed stepping into the Artistic Director role. Also recently appointed: Assistant Principal Kanika Glover, Dean of Students Hedgar Giron, and ChiArts veteran educator Tracey Franklin promoted to Dance Department Head.
Creative Writing, Visual Arts, Theatre and Dance Conservatories of ChiArts. Courtesy of ChiArts.
ChiArts’ dynamic administrative staff and all five conservatory heads invite interested 8th-grade students and their families to the open house “Backstage Pass” events. These immersive Open Houses will give students, parents, and guardians a "Backstage Pass" to check out the campus, meet with department heads and teachers from different conservatories, learn about the admissions process, see student performances, learn how to successfully audition, and ask any questions they may have. Every Open House will also include an academic and admissions informational session for families to learn about courses and how to apply.
Music & Creative Writing Open House will take place on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Visual Arts will be on Wednesday, October 25 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Dance and Theatre will be Wednesday, November 1 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Due to the high volume of demand, ChiArts asks that each student bring no more than two guests to ensure that as many students and their families get an opportunity to attend. Register for an Open House here.
Applications for enrollment at ChiArts are now open, and students can apply via GoCPS at www.cps.edu/GoCPS until November 9, 2023. The GoCPS application will provide each applicant with a sign-up for an audition slot and the option to audition in person or virtually. More information on applying can be found on ChiArts’ website here. With equity central to ChiArts’ mission, the school continues its unique model of admitting novice students and encourages those with no training in the arts but who demonstrate a strong natural ability and a desire for learning to apply.
Each year, more than 65% of students accepted to ChiArts are novices. As Chicago’s first and only public high school offering pre-professional arts training, the school seeks to remove tuition and other barriers for Chicago’s youth and create a space for them to develop their talent, hone their skills, and thrive as creators, thinkers, and community members. At ChiArts, students can study in one of five disciplines: music, dance, theatre, visual arts, and creative writing. ChiArts strongly encourages all student artists to attend the Open House events and apply. Young artists attending ChiArts represent all 50 of Chicago’s wards, studying with the city’s most motivated educators and professional teaching artists. All scholar-artists graduate with 2,500 hours of tuition-free arts training.
Students at ChiArts participate in a rigorous program, including five hours of academics, three hours of arts education, and one to four hours of practice or rehearsal per day. The academic curriculum provides students with a college preparatory education. ChiArts utilizes a research-based multi-year curriculum in each discipline, ensuring instructional sequencing across grade levels and alignment with Illinois State and College Readiness Standards. ChiArts offers college prep, honors, and advanced placement (AP) classes. ChiArts takes pride in helping their students develop time management with their extended school day of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (the longest school day in Chicago), honing critical thinking and problem-solving skills in group performances and presentations and expanding students’ cultural awareness in one of Chicago’s most diverse student populations.
ChiArts Campus Tours are available to register for via this link here. These year-round Campus Tours take place on Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m. ChiArts also accepts invitations to High School Fairs. To contact ChiArts admissions for a High School Fair, email admissions@chiarts.org and/or call 773-534-9718. For more information on ChiArts’ admission information, including upcoming tours and events both in-person and virtual this year, visit ChiArts.org.
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 11 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).
CHIARTS LEADERSHIP BIOS
Tina Boyer Brown (Executive Director) has been at ChiArts since its inception. She joined the school’s academic faculty in 2009, teaching English and advanced placement literature in the first few years. Since then, she has held numerous roles, serving most recently as ChiArts’ Artistic Director, responsible for leading the school’s five arts conservatories—creative writing, dance, music, theater, and visual arts. She played a leadership role in helping to establish the Creative Writing Conservatory and served as its first department head. Ms. Boyer Brown is an accomplished poet and has been published in POETRY Magazine, Jet Fuel Review, RHINO, Waxwing Magazine, and The Journal of Education, to name a few. She is also a lead teacher at the Summer Poetry Teachers’ Institute, sponsored by the Poetry Foundation. She holds a Master of Fine Arts from Queens University of Charlotte and a Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University. As Executive Director, Ms. Boyer Brown heads the school’s leadership team, oversees all programs and operations, and serves as the school’s chief spokesperson. She’s responsible for financial management, annual and strategic planning, board and community relations, and fostering collaboration across academic and arts programs.
Pavielle Driver (Principal) began as Principal of ChiArts on June 1, 2023. Ms. Driver most recently served as Resident Principal at the Air Force Academy High School (Chicago Public Schools, Network 16). Her previous experience includes serving as Assistant Principal at McNair School of Excellence in Chicago, Assistant Principal at Somerset Academy, North Las Vegas; Founding K-5 Director of Academic Collaborations and Special Education Teacher Democracy Prep, Agassi Campus, Las Vegas. She also served as an Airman (E-5 Staff Sergeant), for the United States Air Force in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Before her service in the Air Force, Ms. Driver served in the teaching corps for Teach for America. Ms. Driver earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Finance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; a Master of Science in Special Education from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, and a Master of Science in Administration Leadership from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She’s a proud New Leaders Aspiring Principals Program alum.
Greer A. Reed (Artistic Director) is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who successfully completed the Certificate and Merit scholarship programs at The Ailey School and shortly after became a member of the outstanding Ailey II. Most of Ms. Reed’s professional career took place with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, retiring after 10 years in 2002 with the “Josie” Award for Outstanding Female Artist. Her dedication to young people is a driving force to enrich, empower, and inspire. In the classroom, Ms. Reed focuses dance curricula on academic quality, technique, and cultural experiences that reveal the transparency of thoughtfulness, refinement, and holistic teaching. She is excited and committed to developing the next generation of incredible adults who will redefine how movement plays a vital role in their lives while honoring traditions and creating a heritage that reflects their voice.
Ms. Reed graduated Summa Cum Laude from LaRoche University in Pittsburgh, PA. with the President’s Leadership and Scholarship Award, the highest honor La Roche University can bestow on a graduate for exemplary academic and leadership skills who best exemplify the values and characteristics of the college’s mission. Most recently, in July 2021, she received her MFA from Goddard College with high honors in Plainfield, VT. Currently, Ms. Reed’s journey continues toward her Ph.D. in Arts Education.