Earlier this week, a group of Boston Arts Academy (BAA) Sophomores studying Studio Art Photography visited Dr. Joshua Boger’s photography exhibit, “Bio-Fractalism: Perceiving The World In Hard Coral.” Dr. Boger, an expert scuba diver, has been a professional underwater photographer since 1998, and his current show is his 12th professional photography exhibit of his underwater photographs.

Dr. Boger shared with students his process of taking underwater photographs, how he works with light and shadows, and how he selects the photos he decides to showcase.

When talking about his work, Dr. Boger shared how he brings emotion out of the scenes he captures: “It’s not necessarily about the coral - the object you are photographing - it’s about the idea you are trying to represent.”

Dr. Boger has been a long-time supporter of arts education, our city's youth, BAA and BAA Foundation. We are grateful to him for 

 for BAA's students to visit and tour the gallery, and for sharing lessons about his experience as an artist!

As we celebrate BAA's 25th Birthday all year, we invite you to join us in creating opportunity for BAA. There are many ways to get involved. Visit 

Creating Opportunity: Lessons In Underwater Photography

We invite you to click the link below to read the report:

A letter from BAA Foundation President Denella Clark, BAA Head of School Dr. Anne Clark, BAA Foundation Board Chairman Jeff Rosica, and BAA Board of Trustees Chair Myran Parker-Brass:

Boston Arts Academy students spent this past year—the fourth and final—in a temporary location. Through the challenges presented by a shared space as well as the third school year impacted by the pandemic, they continue to persevere and artistically express themselves in the pursuit of their dreams.

Over 490 students returned in person for the 2021–2022 school year, prepared to learn, grow, create, and inspire—and they did exactly that. After two years of remote and hybrid learning, Boston Arts Academy students returned to their desks. And to the stage. Your contributions help our students access life-changing opportunities, achieve success, and make real change in the world.

On September 8, 2022, Boston Arts Academy opened its brand new, state-of-the-art school building on the site of the school’s longstanding home in the Fenway neighborhood, with building construction funded by the City and Commonwealth. The opening of this building is harmoniously timed with BAA’s 25th Anniversary and 25 years of transformative public arts education. Boston Arts Academy now has the facilities to match the talents and dreams of students and faculty, supporting a fine-tuned and highly successful education model, and serving the City’s most diverse and talented students.

While Boston Arts Academy’s new school building will help us permanently close opportunity gaps for more of Boston’s students, it will not change the school’s existing public-private funding model.

“The completion of the building is the culmination of a dream between the City of Boston, the Massachusetts School Building Authority, and the Boston Arts Academy Foundation. And people who are committed to the Foundation have helped support the sort of added extras the kids in this school really deserve.”

Boston Arts Academy Foundation must continue to bridge the gap between the school’s allocation from the Boston Public Schools and the true cost of a high-quality education that is both arts-intensive and college preparatory. Continued philanthropic support from generous donors to Boston Arts Academy Foundation is more critical than ever, augmenting Boston Arts Academy’s annual budget and ensuring the school’s long-term financial sustainability. With your support, Boston Arts Academy’s students have the resources they need to achieve their full potential, including enhanced artistic offerings and experiences and access to critical academic and social supports.

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT, BUT NOT WITHOUT YOU.

Thank you for your dedication to and investment in Boston Arts Academy. In honor of the school’s 25th anniversary, please continue to support Boston Arts Academy Foundation and help secure a bright future for Boston Arts Academy’s diverse, talented, and deserving students. 

The pages ahead share the impact you’ve had and highlight future possibilities. On behalf of Boston Arts Academy, Boston Arts Academy Foundation, and our students, we are so grateful.

Introducing...the 2022 Annual Report!

Teddy Shoes, a local dance apparel and footwear store, has been working in partnership with BAA Foundation for the past year to raise critical funds for BAA's students.

A legacy business in Cambridge serving the local community since 1957, Teddy Shoes is located right next to Dance Complex on Massachusetts Ave. Owner, Steve Adelson, understands the positive impact dancing can have on a young person's life given his work with thousands of dancers throughout his career. He was inspired by BAA Foundation's mission to provide the necessary resources and programming required for BAA's students to receive the high-quality arts education and training they deserve.

With BAA Foundation's support, Steve launched a Donate A Dollar At Checkout Program, inviting customers to donate to BAA when checking out online or in-store. Steve shared, 

 have been very successful. The extreme generosity of so many customers by giving a dollar or more at checkout raised $128 in last Fall's campaign. Our Spring/Summer initiative has reached $735. We thank the BAA for allowing us to partner with them to help the school and also to those who have not only supported Teddy Shoes throughout the pandemic and also who have so graciously donated to help this worthwhile cause."

Steve continues to host this program, and to-date has raised over $1,000 for BAA.

Interested in partnering and hosting a similar campaign at your store? 

Contact Caitlin Durkin at cdurkin@baafdn.org.

Learn more about BAA Foundation's Donate A Dollar At Checkout Program

Download The Cause Marketing for Businesses Flyer

BAA Supporter Spotlight: Teddy Shoes

U.S. Secretary of Labor Martin J. Walsh ensured that Boston Arts Academy received its own school building, in the Fenway, at its original site, with a 500-seat professional theatre. Excluding the theatre, he has helped secure funders who have provided BAA Foundation with $2,243,668 in monetary funding and $139,625 in In-Kind funding.

When he was mayor, Marty visited BAA several times and took a special interest in our school program. He sees BAA as having the potential to be the best public arts high school in the country, and he talks about BAA as an integral part of his vision for a vibrant arts community in Boston.

Marty Walsh is a son of Boston and comes from an immigrant family. He loves our students because he believes in them; and firmly believes a building is just a building; it is the people and the programs in the building that make the building work.

As Mayor, Marty believed that artistic, academic, and civic talent was equally distributed throughout the neighborhoods of Boston; and he also knew that opportunity was not. He knew that the Boston Arts Academy had been presented with many substandard solutions to its space needs over the years and believed we needed a home of our own.

BAA Supporter Spotlight - Marty J. Walsh

Springfield native and Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter will be recognized on May 1 at the Boston Arts Academy Honors 2021.

She will be honored alongside former Red Sox player David Ortiz and four others.

Carter has created the look for characters in more than 45 movies, including “Black Panther” and “Coming 2 America.” She is a Springfield Technical High School graduate and StageWest apprentice.

Springfield costume designer Ruth Carter to be honored by Boston Arts Academy

It’s the city’s only public high school for the visual and performing arts. The school currently has about 500 students who pick from one of five majors: music, dance, visual arts, theater, or fashion.

Boston Arts Academy is free to attend, but the true cost of educating each student is about $5,000 per year and Boston Arts Academy Honors helps to make it possible for the incredibly gifted kids.

BAA Honors is the BAA Foundation’s signature annual fundraising event, modeled after the Kennedy Center Honors.

This year's honorees include Academy-Award winning costume designer Ruth Carter and Red Sox legend David Ortiz.

Donors News

Creating Opportunity: Lessons In Underwater Photography

Introducing...the 2022 Annual Report!

BAA Supporter Spotlight: Teddy Shoes

BAA Supporter Spotlight - Marty J. Walsh

Springfield costume designer Ruth Carter to be honored by Boston Arts Academy

Supporting Future Artists Through Boston Arts Academy Honors

Talent is evenly distributed in society, but not opportunity. Help us change that reality in Boston.

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