[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.

                          ____________________