Dear Colleagues and Friends,

I’d like to congratulate you on another extraordinary year with Arts Schools Network. Your talent, dedication and passion are what continue to make ASN such an unique and thriving organization.

We enjoyed an exciting board retreat this summer at the Denver School of the Arts and look forward to the fall meeting at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. We are also in full swing in the planning of our “Art WORKS: Making the Magic Happen” annual conference in Orlando, Florida from January 23-29th, 2012.

We’ve lined up a very rich week of content including school site visits, cultural field studies, member best practices discussions, and workshops with Disney’s creative team, among many other exciting activities and seminars. Please mark your calendars for what is sure to be an enlightening and inspiring week.

I am very pleased to welcome the following new members to the Arts Schools Network Board: Douglas Ashcraft, Idyllwild Arts; Jackie Collins, Idaho Arts Charter; Terri Milsap, ChiArts; William Kohut, Denver School of the Arts; and Scott Rudes, Orange Grove Middle School. We know each will bring tremendous insight and leadership to the organization.

ASN is working with an organization called ArtsApp to launch a new student recognition program called “On Your Way.” ArtsApp is a tool that modernizes the media submission and application process to help artists and arts organizations communicate more effectively. The “On Your Way” program will provide students in grades 9-12 the opportunity to display their work and receive recognition for their talents and achievements in filmmaking, musical theatre and voice.

ASN’s most important and longstanding priorities are to provide meaningful services to our membership and foster collaboration between our member schools and the arts community. I encourage you to continue bringing innovative relationships and partnerships to Arts Schools Network so that we may keep our terrific momentum building and membership growing.

I look forward to seeing the Arts Schools Network family in Orlando!

All good things,

Ralph Opacic, Ed. D. 
President & CEO of Orange County High School for the Arts 
President of Arts Schools Network