Over the past several years, the Baltimore City Public School System has embarked on an ambitious program to expand its fine arts curriculum. It has hired more than 140 fine arts teachers and increased its system-wide offerings in key areas such as visual arts and music instrument education. It has also created new ways to showcase student art through exhibitions and festivals.
It's all part of the City Schools' Fine Arts Strategic Plan, collaboratively written by more than 100 community arts activists and organizations, and first adopted by the City Schools in 2019. A Fine Arts 2.0 plan was announced last year to further expand fine arts offerings.
Joining Tom now to discuss progress in bolstering fine arts education in City Schools are Julia Di Bussolo and Diya Hafiz-Slayton.
Julia Di Bussolo is the executive director of Arts Every Day, a nonprofit arts education advocacy organization that works with the school system
Diya Hafiz-Slayton is a former principal in the City School system who is the longtime Director of Fine Arts for BCPS…
They join Tom in Studio A.
You are welcome to join us as well!
Email us at [email protected] or
call us at 410.662.8780
A 2025 Arts Education Town Hall will be held this Wednesday, November 19 from 6-7:30pm at Baltimore Unity Hall (located at 1505 Eutaw Place, 21217).
The town hall is organized by the Baltimore Youth Arts Advocacy Council, a team of Baltimore City high school students dedicated to improving access to the arts in their schools and across the district.
At the event, you'll hear updates about Baltimore City’s Fine Arts Strategic Plan, see what access to arts education looks like across the district with Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Dr. Sonja Santelises, and hear testimonials from parents, students, and BCPSS alums. There will also be a Q & A session with Dr. Santelises and City Schools Fine Arts officials.
To register for this free public event event and to reserve a seat, click here.
