    [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 38 (Wednesday, February 26, 2025)]
    [Extensions of Remarks]
    [Page E164]
    From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

     HONORING THE BALTIMORE SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS FOR 45 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE
                                  IN EDUCATION

                                     ______

                               HON. KWEISI MFUME

                                  of maryland

                        in the house of representatives

                          Wednesday, February 26, 2025

      Mr. MFUME. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an iconic
    Baltimore institution and one of the top five public arts high schools
    in the United States, the Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA).
      The Baltimore School for the Arts was founded in 1979, envisioned as
    a school with a specialized mission to give Baltimore City students the
    opportunity to train for a career in the visual and performing arts.
    The BSA set out to achieve this without sacrificing their students'
    academic potential, combining their artistic instruction with a
    rigorous college preparatory program.
      For 45 years, the Baltimore School for the Arts has not only
    fulfilled the mission entrusted to it--it has far surpassed it. With a
    graduation rate exceeding 95 percent and one of Maryland's highest
    reading proficiency rates, the BSA's students thrive inside the
    classroom and beyond. Its alumni boast a six-year college graduation
    rate of 81 percent and they can be seen in prestigious galleries and on
    stages and television screens across the country.
      The BSA has achieved these consistent and impressive results by
    instilling in its students the core set of values upon which the
    institution was founded. Its instructors encourage pupils' curiosity,
    foster their self-confidence; build up their technical expertise;
    promote cooperation and collaboration teach about global perspectives;
    and encourage students to develop a sense of purpose. These values
    enable them to mold students who are not only talented artists and
    scholars, but also well-rounded people.
      The BSA has proven to be a tremendous boon for the Baltimore
    community. They have formed professional collaborations with
    institutions across the city, including the Everyman and Hippodrome
    Theatres, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, and the Walters Art Museum,
    providing their students with the opportunity to learn from walking
    artistic professionals. So many notable alumni have walked through its
    doors: Actress Jada Pinkett Smith, actor Lawrence Gilliard, Jr.,
    fashion designer Christian Siriano, visionary painter and sculptor
    Shinique Smith, and the one-of-a-kind rapper, songwriter, and actor,
    Tupac Shakur.
      Along with the more than 400 high school students that the BSA serves
    every year, the school also provides a free after-school program, To
    Work in Gaining Skills (TWIGS), to over 500 Baltimore City students
    between the 2nd and 8th grades. These students are introduced to
    various art disciplines and skills, and TWIGS alumni make up roughly
    half of the BSA's annual freshman admissions. In addition, the BSA
    annually brings thousands of children and their families to their
    campus to see free live performances.
      Mr. Speaker, I commend the Baltimore School of Arts for their great
    contributions to my community and its people over these last 45 years.
    The high-quality education that they offer introduces students to new
    art forms and career paths while imbuing them with deep confidence that
    they can achieve whatever they set their minds to. Given the magnitude
    of them achievements thus far, I eagerly look forward to seeing what
    great artists, performers, and innovators emerge from the halls of the
    Baltimore School for the Arts in the years to come.

                              ____________________