Alabama School of Fine Arts

From Bhamwiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Alabama School of Fine Arts
ASFA logo.jpg
Established 1968
School type Public
District State of Alabama
Grades 7-12
Principal Tim Mitchell
Enrollment 350 (2015)
Colors
Mascot
Location 1800 Reverend Abraham Woods Jr Boulevard
Birmingham
Website asfa.k12.al.us

The Alabama School of Fine Arts (ASFA) is a public, partially residential high school located since 1993 on 8th Avenue North adjacent to Interstate 20/59 in the Cultural District of Birmingham. The school has an enrollment of approximately 350 students in grades 7 through 12. About 70 students live in on-campus dorms while the rest commute. The school is led by president Tim Mitchell.

The school began in 1968 with grants by Governor Lurleen Wallace to Birmingham arts organizations for enrichment activities. Qualifying students would attend their own schools, or Phillips High School in the mornings, and then take specialized arts classes in the afternoon. Inaugural president James Nelson invited Birmingham-Southern College professor Bob Whetstone to consult on the development of the curriculum. Whetstone came up with a full-time academic program which incorporated the arts and negotiated with Birmingham City Schools to "loan" faculty to the program. Among the first group of instructors hired were Frederica Anderson, Randy Marsh, Pat Taylor and Lee Wilson.

With approval from the Alabama State Legislature in 1971 the school became a comprehensive arts institution. It spent time variously on the campuses of Samford University, UAB and Birmingham-Southern. In 1976, the school created a private, non-profit support organization, the ASFA Foundation, to enlist private sector assistance to address school needs. The school’s Board of Trustees appoints members to the Foundation’s Board of Directors, which approves foundation policy and employs the school's administrators and faculty.

In the late 1970s ASFA moved into the former Eva B. Comer Home at 1730 8th Avenue North. In 1985 the school was awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to conduct a design competition for its new downtown campus.

Alabama School of Fine Arts during the National School Walkout in March 2018

Because ASFA is a public school funded by the legislature, students who are residents of Alabama pay no tuition. Out of state students are allowed to apply, and scholarships are available to help defray the cost of room and board for students who demonstrate financial need.

Admission into ASFA is highly competitive. Prospective students must first submit an application with test scores, transcripts, essays, and three letters of recommendation. Select students are then invited to audition for their chosen department. For the arts departments, audition is through performance, portfolios, and interview. For the math and science department, audition is through interview and two rounds of testing.

ASFA is divided into one of six specialty programs: creative writing, music, dance, theater, visual arts, or mathematics and sciences. The five arts departments are among the most prestigious in the nation. The "Russell School of Mathematics and Sciences", added as an academic division in 1991, is also among the best of its kind. ASFA boasts one of the strongest academic core programs in Alabama, with 100% of ASFA students passing the Alabama graduation exam.

The Russell School of Mathematics and Science is the only specialty program that does not admit students below grade 8. Nevertheless, it is the largest program, with about 40-50% of the student body.

In 2021 the system was awarded $134,617 in federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds tied to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presidents

Notable alumni

References

  • Crain, Trisha Powell (October 25, 2021) "Alabama schools got $3 billion in federal COVID relief money. Where did it go?" The Birmingham News

External links

Retrieved from "http://bhamwiki.com/w/index.php?title=Alabama_School_of_Fine_Arts&oldid=185309"