Baltimore School for the Arts

In 1980, Baltimore School for the Arts opened its doors to provide high school students with an enriching and challenging academic education while simultaneously providing them with performance, visual arts and theater production programs. More than two decades later, Baltimore School for the Arts has achieved a national reputation as one of the top preparatory arts institutions in the country, evidenced by the fact that 95% of its graduates are accepted and enroll in an institution of higher education. With such success, the Baltimore School for the Arts was seeking to establish greater awareness for its programs and student accomplishments, and selected Profiles to activate a media relations program.

General Media Relations
Profiles works on behalf of Baltimore School for the Arts to promote the mission of the school and its many programs and activities -- master classes, public dance and theatre performances, art exhibits, student and faculty successes, capital improvement projects, and more. Profiles’ media relations campaign has had an impact on student recruitment with an annual increase in student applications, and a multitude of media stories in recognition of fundraising efforts.

Results: News and feature stories about Baltimore School for the Arts have appeared on WJZ-TV, WBAL-TV, WBFF-TV, MPT, and WMAR-TV. Print outlets such as The New York Times, The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Examiner, SmartWoman Magazine, Baltimore magazine, Style Magazine, Baltimore OUTloud, Gay Life, The Jewish Times, City Paper, Foodservice Monthly, The Daily Record, the Baltimore Business Journal, Baltimore’s Child, The Urbanite and Patuxent Papers have published stories about the School.

25th Anniversary
The 2004-2005 school year was a momentous year for the school as it celebrated its 25th anniversary. At the core of the celebration was the launch of ACT II, a multi-million dollar expansion and renovation project that would allow for new classrooms and recital spaces.

Profiles initiated a concentrated outreach program targeting print, radio, and television media in the greater Baltimore area and beyond to bring attention to the school’s historic year. Anniversary press kits were created to include press releases on the school year and the Act II launch as well as a detailed history and timeline of the school, yearlong calendar of events, and fact sheet; meetings were held with reporters to provide them with an overview of the school year; and calendar listings and media advisories were distributed to promote performances and events.

Results: The 25th anniversary media outreach program generated a positive commentary in The Baltimore Sun and events were covered by WBFF-TV, The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore’s Child, Baltimore Jewish Times, The Daily Record, Baltimore magazine, and WWMX-FM.

Act II
In addition to a press release announcing Act II, the three-year, two-phased, multi-million dollar expansion and renovation project, a luncheon to officially launch the capital campaign and thank federal, state, and city public officials as well as private donors for their support was held at the school in November 2004. A formal program including remarks by city, state and nationally elected officials was followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony and tours of the new facility.

Results: The Act II announcement earned widespread media coverage with reporting by WMAR-TV, WBAL-TV, WBFF-TV, The Baltimore Sun, and the Mayor’s Office of Cable & Communication. In addition to coverage in The Daily Record, feature stories about Act II appeared in The Baltimore Times and Preservation Magazine.

Expressions
Each year, The Baltimore School for the Arts hosts Expressions, its annual fundraiser. This highly anticipated event features a performance by students including music, theatre, and dance selections, and an art exhibition by the school’s visual art students.

Results: Each year, the media outreach for Expressions generates coverage in The Baltimore Sun, on MPT’s On Location with Rhea Feikin, and on Comcat’s Red Carpet. Other publications to feature the event have included The Baltimore Times, Baltimore magazine, The Daily Record, and Style Magazine.

$1 Million Donation by The Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation
In December 2006, The Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation pledged a donation of $1 million to Act II. The donation by BSA alumna and actress/singer Jada Pinkett Smith (and her husband) is being used as a naming opportunity for the school’s Black Box Theatre in memory of Tupac Shakur.

Results: Profiles’ press effort garnered extraordinary local, national, and international media coverage from such media outlets as: The Associated Press, Entertainment Tonight, Us Weekly, The Insider, Chicago Tribune, Detroit Free Press, Washington Times, Indianapolis Star, Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Pioneer Press (MN), The Baltimore Sun, The Baltimore Examiner, BET, MSNBC News Live, CNN Headline News, E!’s Daily 10, CN8’s Your Morning, WMAR-TV, WJZ-TV, WBFF-TV, WBAL-TV, WTTG-TV, WOLB-AM, WBAL-AM, and over 100 Internet outlets including PerezHilton.com, VibeMagazine.com, The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s Philanthropy Today newsletter, and MTV.com.

Baltimore School for the Arts has been of client of Profiles since 1996