imagine…

Imagine attending a public high school in the heart of downtown St. Paul, unlike any other in the country. Learn the skills and techniques to become a professional artist from current working artists. Receive a college conservatory level arts education under the guidance of current professional artists. Prepare for college academically in on-level, advanced or AP classes.

A private school experience at a public school price.
No audition. No tuition.

50/50
arts + academics

SPCPA provides authentic arts training taught by current professional artists utilizing the conservatory model while aligned with academic state standards in English, math, science, social studies, world languages, and special education. Half of each day focuses on academics, the other on arts.

at-a-glance

we are a diverse,
focused student body.

SPCPA students come from over 40 different school districts.

90-95% of spcpa students graduate on time.

we are prepared.

99-100% of spcpa graduates are accepted to college.

50% of graduates pursue arts after high school.

ON ACT TESTS

SPCPA students score 2.5 points higher than the MN average.

ON MCA's

SPCPA students score 20% higher than the state average in reading, 15% higher in science, and are typically at or above state average in math.

OUR ALUMNI SAY IT BEST

I had an amazing experience at this arts school! From the moment I walked through the door, I felt inspired by the creativity and talent all around me. The faculty and staff were incredibly knowledgeable and supportive, always pushing me to be my best and never giving up on me. Not only did I develop my artistic skills in ways I never imagined, but I also made lasting friendships with fellow students who share my passion for the arts. The resources and opportunities available at this school are unparalleled, and I feel so grateful to have been a part of such a vibrant and welcoming community. I would highly recommend this arts school to anyone looking to grow their talents and discover their potential as an artist.

Maria Briggs, Broadway actor/dancer/singer, Class of 2009

CONNECTED

An important part of SPCPA’s purpose is to connect the students and the school to the Twin Cities professional arts community in a number of ways.

what's happening

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Get your tickets now to see current SPCPA 11th grader, MARS NIEMI, and current 10th grader, CASSIDY AICKIN, in the Youth Performance Company production of Little Women. It opens this Friday.

Tickets: youthperformanceco.org/on-stage/#lw

Have a great run, Mars and Cassidy!

#spcpacommunity #SPCPA #saintpaulconservatory #ArtsHighSchool
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Get your tickets now to see current SPCPA 11th grader, MARS NIEMI, and current 10th grader, CASSIDY AICKIN, in the Youth Performance Company production of Little Women.  It opens this Friday.  

Tickets:  https://youthperformanceco.org/on-stage/#lw

Have a great run, Mars and Cassidy!

#spcpacommunity #spcpa #saintpaulconservatory #artshighschoolImage attachment

We were thrilled to host MARIA BAUMAN for a Master Class for dance students this week. There is a performance on Sept. 29 that is free and open to the public – first come, first served-see the poster for details. Thank you Nora Jenneman and the University of Minnesota Dance Department!

#spcpaarts #spcpacommunity
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We were thrilled to host MARIA BAUMAN for a Master Class for dance students this week.  There is a performance on Sept. 29 that is free and open to the public - first come, first served-see the poster for details.  Thank you Nora Jenneman and the University of Minnesota Dance Department!

#spcpaarts #spcpacommunityImage attachmentImage attachment

The 11th and 12th grade musical theatre students, rehearsing Mein Herr from Cabaret (and staging Three Penny Opera), wish you all a happy end of the work week! Bye bye, toodle-oo, farewell, Es war sehr gut, Auf Wiedersehen!

Photos: Junia Morrow.
#spcpaarts #SPCPA #ArtsHighSchool #musicaltheatre
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The 11th and 12th grade musical theatre students, rehearsing Mein Herr from Cabaret (and staging Three Penny Opera), wish you all a happy end of the work week!  Bye bye, toodle-oo, farewell, Es war sehr gut, Auf Wiedersehen! 

Photos: Junia Morrow.
#spcpaarts #spcpa #artshighschool #musicaltheatreImage attachmentImage attachment+7Image attachment

J-Term Reveal #12: We are absolutely thrilled-over the moon, in fact-to announce that dance piece #4 (of 5) will be choreographed by SPCPA’s founding Dance Dept. chair, MAGGIE BERGERON. Not only will Maggie be joining us for this project, but so will her partner, NICK GAUDETTE, former SPCPA Instrumental Music chair. Nick will provide music for the piece. This project will also provide opportunity for a few symphonic students. Welcome back Nick and Maggie-we are super excited to have you with us in January!

#spcpajterm #spcpacommunity
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J-Term Reveal #12:  We are absolutely thrilled-over the moon, in fact-to announce that dance piece #4 (of 5) will be choreographed by SPCPAs founding Dance Dept. chair, MAGGIE BERGERON.  Not only will Maggie be joining us for this project, but so will her partner, NICK GAUDETTE, former SPCPA Instrumental Music chair.  Nick will provide music for the piece.  This project will also provide opportunity for a few symphonic students. Welcome back Nick and Maggie-we are super excited to have you with us in January!

#spcpajterm #spcpacommunityImage attachment

5 CommentsComment on Facebook

What a dream!

Fantastic!!!

Soooooo great!

Absolutely LOVE the staff throwback happening with this one!! Yay Maggie and Nick!

Maggie Bergeron !!

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2024 J-Term reveal #11: YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU by Kaufman & Hart.

The Pulitzer Prize winning play from 1937, though almost 100 years old, still resonates. It features a large cast of eccentric characters, and will give students the opportunity to work alongside veteran Twin Cities professional actor and former SPCPA Musical Theatre Dept. Chair, GARY BRIGGLE, who will play Grandpa Martin Vanderhof. Brian Goranson will direct. Rehearsals will begin at SPCPA and then move to The Jungle Theater for weeks 2 and 3. This project also will include an opportunity for approximately 8 students interested in set building and prop design!

#spcpajterm #spcpacommuity #jungletheater #spcpa #artshighschool #theatre
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2024 J-Term reveal #11: YOU CANT TAKE IT WITH YOU by Kaufman & Hart.  

The Pulitzer Prize winning play from 1937, though almost 100 years old, still resonates. It features a large cast of eccentric characters, and will give students the opportunity to work alongside veteran Twin Cities professional actor and former SPCPA Musical Theatre Dept. Chair, GARY BRIGGLE, who will play Grandpa Martin Vanderhof.  Brian Goranson will direct.  Rehearsals will begin at SPCPA and then move to The Jungle Theater for weeks 2 and 3. This project also will include an opportunity for approximately 8 students interested in set building and prop design!

#spcpajterm #spcpacommuity #jungletheater #spcpa #artshighschool #theatreImage attachmentImage attachment

1 CommentComment on Facebook

J term at the jungle is 🔥🔥🔥🔥

J-Term Clue #11. See you tomorrow morning for the reveal! See MoreSee Less

J-Term Clue #11.  See you tomorrow morning for the reveal!

2 CommentsComment on Facebook

You can't take it with you 👀

🐍🐱💥🌭🩰🎭🎨💸

J-Term Reveal #10: What was, what will be, and everything in between…

…is an exhibition that asks students to consider where we’ve been, where we are now, and how that informs the futures we dream of. As kids our reality is so heavily informed by what we are able to see in front of us and our wildest imaginations of the worlds that could be. How has the passage of time, the people, places and memories that we’ve experienced, shaped and molded the versions of ourselves that question, conjure, and desire what is next to come? This prompt asks you to view time as non-linear. How can we communicate the passage of time and co-occurrences into a single unified work? Pulling notes from the genre of Afrofuturism, how might you utilize history, science fiction, and fantasy to communicate your own personal experience with the passage of time? In 3 weeks we will dig into the process of conceptualizing from the basis of the prompt provided. We will consider how surface, material, and content can communicate the deeper messages you are exploring and we will round our course out with a group exhibition @Public Functionary Gallery in Northeast Minneapolis.

Maiya Lea Hartman is the project curator and is excited to work again with SPCPA students for J-Term – thank you Maiya!

Watch Maiya talk about Public Functionary in this video: publicfunctionary.org/pf-video
More info about PUBLIC FUNCTIONARY: publicfunctionary.org/
More about Maiya Lea Hartman: maiyaleaartist.com/About

#spcpajterm #spcpacommunity
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J-Term Reveal #10:  What was, what will be, and everything in between...

...is an exhibition that asks students to consider where we’ve been, where we are now, and how that informs the futures we dream of. As kids our reality is so heavily informed by what we are able to see in front of us and our wildest imaginations of the worlds that could be. How has the passage of time, the people, places and memories that we’ve experienced, shaped and molded the versions of ourselves that question, conjure, and desire what is next to come? This prompt asks you to view time as non-linear. How can we communicate the passage of time and co-occurrences into a single unified work? Pulling notes from the genre of Afrofuturism, how might you utilize history, science fiction, and fantasy to communicate your own personal experience with the passage of time? In 3 weeks we will dig into the process of conceptualizing from the basis of the prompt provided. We will consider how surface, material, and content can communicate the deeper messages you are exploring and we will round our course out with a group exhibition @Public Functionary Gallery in Northeast Minneapolis.

Maiya Lea Hartman is the project curator and is excited to work again with SPCPA students for J-Term - thank you Maiya!

Watch Maiya talk about Public Functionary in this video: https://publicfunctionary.org/pf-video
More info about PUBLIC FUNCTIONARY: https://publicfunctionary.org/
More about Maiya Lea Hartman:  https://maiyaleaartist.com/About

#spcpajterm #spcpacommunityImage attachment

Check out current SPCPA theatre teacher, Alex Barreto Hathaway, in the Pillsbury House Theatre and Exposed Brick Theatre production of PASSAGE! Theatre and Musical Theatre students are heading over to Pillsbury House Theatre next Wednesday, the 27th, to see the show on a field trip, but this looks to be one the rest of you will not want to miss. As a bonus, you will get to see the work of former SPCPA Theatre teachers/J-Term directors SUZY MESSEROLE, SIGNE V. HARRIDAY, AAMERA SIDDQUI, AND JAMES A. WILLIAMS. Have a great run, all!

#spcpacommunity
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Check out current SPCPA theatre teacher, Alex Barreto Hathaway, in the Pillsbury House Theatre and Exposed Brick Theatre production of PASSAGE!  Theatre and Musical Theatre students are heading over to Pillsbury House Theatre next Wednesday, the 27th, to see the show on a field trip, but this looks to be one the rest of you will not want to miss.  As a bonus, you will get to see the work of former SPCPA Theatre teachers/J-Term directors SUZY MESSEROLE, SIGNE V. HARRIDAY, AAMERA SIDDQUI, AND JAMES A. WILLIAMS.  Have a great run, all!

#spcpacommunity

Be sure to check out SPCPA alum, RACHEL KELLER (2010), in a series that is now streaming on NETFLIX. Dirty John, season TWO, has received strong reviews, and more notice for Rachel, who plays Linda Kolkena opposite Christian Slater and Amanda Peet. Rachel is best known for playing mutant Sydney Barrett in the X-Men series Legion, and she also appeared on FX as Simone Gerhardt in the second season of Fargo. At SPCPA, Rachel played Alice in the 2009 J-Term production of You Can’t Take It With You and Principal Renzelli in the J-Term production of Good & Plenty at Mixed Blood Theater in 2010. Congrats to Rachel – we look forward to seeing what’s next in store for her!

#spcpaalum
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Be sure to check out SPCPA alum, RACHEL KELLER (2010), in a series that is now streaming on NETFLIX.  Dirty John, season TWO, has received strong reviews, and more notice for Rachel,  who plays Linda Kolkena opposite Christian Slater and Amanda Peet.  Rachel is best known for playing mutant Sydney Barrett in the X-Men series Legion, and she also appeared on FX as Simone Gerhardt in the second season of Fargo.  At SPCPA, Rachel played Alice in the 2009 J-Term production of You Cant Take It With You and Principal Renzelli in the J-Term production of Good & Plenty at Mixed Blood Theater in 2010.  Congrats to Rachel - we look forward to seeing whats next in store for her!

#spcpaalum

1 CommentComment on Facebook

She’s also in a Man Called Otto, highly recommend it if you haven’t seen it yet.

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