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Boston Arts Academy building to be torn down, replaced with school actually designed for the arts
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I don get why we have Art schools
But not Tech or Business centric schools. You know skills that will actually pay bills and contribute to the economy.
Could it be you're not familiar with BPS?
Perhaps you might want to investigate Madison Park High School.
Only one possibility
Madison has its place in the equation, but I suspect the idea is something akin to the former Boston Technical High School, and from the private sector, Don Bosco Technical High School of which I was a student.
DB offered courses in electronics (bench tech), industrial electrics (to be an electrician), woodworking/carpentry (obvious), building tech (architecture and building engineering), print shop (print industry). You also had to maintain a passing grade in college-destine courses including English, math, chemistry, language, and others.
The closest thing to Boston is Blue Hills Regional Tech and that is not readily accessible by distance and also not to Boston residents without paying a premium.
Some fo the sub-high school programs contained within various high school structures seek to do some of this but it is not really the same with dedicated class time and hands-on training.
Yes, Madison does but tech schools at this level (high school) are not that prevalent in the Greater Boston area anymore.
It can't be done with just BPS people and resources
In order to make a proper modern votech, they need industry as well as union people involved. Kids should be able to get into a votech high school with middling transcripts and get out of it with a diploma and an apprenticeship. That would make it worthwhile for kids who doubt the personal value of high school. There's a heck of a lot that's being outsourced to China or India, but nobody is ever going to fix my roof or my toilet over the phone from Hyderabad.
Technically
Boston Tech still exists.
As for Bosco, blame the Salesians.
But as Adam says, Madison is the go to. If only BPS allowed it to do what it's supposed to do.
Yeah, what has art ever done
Yeah, what has art ever done for society?
The arts do plenty for society.
The arts can and do take many forms; plays, films, dance, orchestra and/or chorus concerts, rock concerts, pop concerts, classical and jazz music concerts, crafts, painting, drawing, and all kinds of stuff.
Also many people like to purchase paintings and/or drawings for decorative purposes, jewelry for wearing, hand-made little boxes for storing trinkets/small jewelry, and ceramic and glass dishes for use at home, or business.
So, art does have uses and functions that benefit society. The creators of such pieces of arts also earn money in the process, through selling their stuff. Granted, it's tough to make a living as an artist or craftsperson, which is why many, if not most artists, craftspeople and/or musicians must take on jobs, either full or part time, so they can have a guaranteed, steady income to fall back on. One can rake in a good amount of money one season, and rake little or no money in on the next season, and vice versa. Most of the well-known, big-time artists/craftspeople, as well as musicians, do end up teaching their medium, either full or part time, to offset this all-too-frequent inconsistency.
Having said all of the above, none of it means that arts have no use in society. Societies, including ours, would be rather dull without them.
It's ok to be dull
Saw a gray squirrel putting up stickers that said that.
(Inside, inside uhub joke if you've been paying attention).
For the record, I agree.
For the record, I agree.
clearly...
you don't like living in a city with a vibrant cultural life
perhaps you'd be more comfortable elsewhere, where they don't have art
I've seen some endless wheat fields in North Dakota that might be a more comfortable place for you to live
then you wouldn't have to worry about those time wasting, money wasting artistic sorts of activities
Next time you are in North Dakota
perhaps check out the arts and cultural resources amongst the endless wheat fields:
http://www.ndtourism.com/best-places/8-ways-enjoy-north-dakota-arts-and-...
Coastal elites
Am I right?
Boston State College
In the mid-late 70s that building on Ipswich Street was a Boston State College building, the other Boston State building being on Huntington Ave where MassArt now resides. 95% of my classes were at the Ipswich Street building. It was a surreal location in those days. One walked down Lansdowne from Kenmore to get there and back then Lansdowne was nothing but a deserted alley. The Tea Party was long shuttered (it had briefly been a gay bar after that) and Lansdowne was yet to become the nightlife mecca it later became. A forgotten period in Boston history.
Bo State
I, too, attended Boston State in the 70's and have many fond memories of the Ipswich St. "campus."
Sharin th love
This is a good look for Chang and Marty.
For those commenters who have expressed resentment about the attention BLS gets in this city, well whaddya think? I like to see the city sharing a little love for students who don't fit at the exam schools.
I also think Madison Park remains a missed opportunity to show the nation what votech can be. Next in line?
Thrilled with this news
My daughter is a dancer and will audition to go there for 2018-2019. I hope they finish the facility before she graduates.
Fantastic News
This is great news! Boston Arts Academy is a level one school (among the highest ranked in the state) and since MA has the best public schools in the country that makes BAA one of the best public schools in the country. I'd argue that it's the best and most innovative public high school in Boston. BLA and BLS are great and all that, but there is really something special happening at BAA. They deserve a new building geared toward their actual mission.
World Class, Baby!
Today's Globe says the state approved the proposal. Onward!