HARLEM SCHOOL OF THE ARTS INC
645 St Nicholas Avenue, New York, NY 10030 hsanyc.org

---

Organizations Filed Purposes: The Harlem School of the Arts' mission is to empower and enrich young people and adults from Harlem and beyond through direct exposure to, and training in, the core disciplines of dance, music, theater and visual arts.

Human Resources: Staffing levels remained mostly flat for the fiscal year. There was turnover in the Student Services Department, resulting in three new full time hires. During the Summer, HSA hired three college interns, who worked on various projects in Marketing, Development, and Administration and received mentorship and an engaging professional learning experience. Student Services: The Student Services department continued to develop efficiencies as it utilized more features of the ASAP registration system. Three training sessions were provided by the ASAP team; as a result, recordkeeping and communications with registered students improved. Student Services also improved reporting to the senior leadership team, allowing better oversight of enrollment trends, accounts receivable, and billing. Marketing: HSA focused on market segmentation and greater use of digital platforms to achieve its marketing goals. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram continue to be the primary marketing tools, along with paid advertisements on family-focused regional websites. In addition, HSA sends monthly digital newsletters to its 14,000 subscribers. A grant-funded study conducted by LaPine Marketing Consultants resulted in refined messaging and increased clarity around which digital platforms are producing results. The Marketing Committee of the Board of Directors participated in portions of the study to ensure that the recommendations fit the mission and overall priorities of the institution. One major takeaway from the study is that HSAs website is outdated and needs a re-design. HSA is considering a proposal from LaPine to do a needs analysis and redesign of the website.Development: In September, 2019, a Development Officer was hired to expand HSAs institutional giving capacity. The annual Mask Ball fall gala raised over $1 million. The Development department acted swiftly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining ongoing grant procedures while also securing numerous emergency relief grants and a Paycheck Protection Plan loan. While the building was open, Development conducted site visits with five major institutional donors as part of an overall increase in stewardship. In April and May, we held a spring thank-a-thon, reaching over 600 LYBUNT and SYBUNT donors.Operations: The Renaissance Project renovation transformed the central gathering space into a fully functioning performance space with acoustic panels and professional sound system, an updated entryway and check-in system, updated windows throughout most of the building including a window curtain around the courtyard, an integrated faade with the theater, a caf, roof renovations, new locks with a keycard system, and updated first floor bathrooms. Construction began in September 2020; it was temporarily suspended in March 2020 in response to COVID-19 but resumed shortly thereafter and was completed in October 2020.-Room 208B, a former restroom, was renovated to become the Verizon Lab.The 300 sq-foot room has new wiring, eco lighting, and new ceilings and floors, and is designed for student computer workstations, library, monitor, and conference table.Information Technology: IT helped to configure a web page, a new web server, a new heating system, a new HVAC system, a new sound system and a new electronic security physical access control during FY20. As a part of the building renovation, IT installed dozens of network wires, connectors and switches on the first floor. All staff computers and servers were upgraded to the latest operating system, and a new phone system was installed. The IT department also worked to automate several routine processes by creating software for that purpose.Covid Response: With the onset of COVID-19, HSA suspended all on-site, in-person programming. In late March, we introduced HSA@Home, successfully transitioning over 90% of the 120+ courses offered this semester to an online platform. For the 10 classes that were canceled, HSA issued families refunds or tuition credits for future use. Attendance at classes remained at 85% for the spring semester. Programs: HSA reached nearly 2,000 students and over 8,500 family and community members in FY20 through our core programs: Children's Enrichment group and private instruction for 1082 students in music, dance, theater, and art & design; HSA Prep tuition free, conservatory-level pre-professional instruction for 73 arts-career-focused students ages 8-18; Summer Intensives in all four disciplines for young artists ages 8-25; ARTScape Summer Camp for 195 children ages 4-16; offsite Educational Outreach partnerships serving 500 students in local schools; and Family Programs performances, workshops, exhibitions, and events. HSA students were ethnically and economically diverse in FY20: 58% were African American and 19% were Latinx, two ethnic groups that are largely underserved in arts education. Approximately 22% of students received need-based financial aid, and 46% of families took advantage of payment plans and discounts for early registration, multiple courses, and enrolling multiple children. Selected Programming: Summer HSAs Summer Intensives aim to expand upon young people's artistic skills and creativity, broaden their awareness of the arts, and encourage them to recognize collegiate and professional opportunities in arts-related industries. In summer 2019, for the first time, HSA offered intensives in each of the four artistic disciplines: Dance Intensive, Music Intensive, Teen Theatre Lab, Power Portfolio for Comic Creators (Art & Design). The programs served 109 students.Fall Semester-HSAs second annual College Fair provided HSA students and NYC area High Schools/Organizations the opportunity to meet with college representatives from 27 fine- and performing-arts focused programs about the admissions process, academic offerings, financial aid and more. -Jazz at Lincoln Center's Let Freedom Swing concert series presented child-friendly lecture-concerts in the HSA Theatre, giving world-class performances while educating audiences on topics such as Jazz and Democracy, Jazz and the Great Migration, and Jazz and Civil Rights.-Two College Essay and Personal Statement Writing Workshops for Prep students were structured to help participants identify experiences unique to them that could serve as launching points for personal statements and writing samples.-The Digital Photography Workshop Series for Adults offered single-day sessions on topics such as portraiture, lighting, and post-production.-A Harlemettes Holiday, HSAs multi-disciplinary holiday show, drew an audience of over 400 to the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College for a show featuring dance, music, and theatre students and featuring special guests including HSA alumni and the Griot Senior Choir.-For End-of-Semester Showcases, Music students gave recitals in voice, strings, and big band jazz; and Art & Design students work adorned the walls of HSAs Herb Alpert Center in a winter exhibition.Spring Semester-The HSA Theatre Alliance presented a fully-staged production of Fabulation: Or, the Reeducation of Undine, by Lynn Nottage, with four performances in the HSA Theatre.-The annual Winter Blaze Dance Performance, originally scheduled for March 12-14, 2020, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, after weeks of hard work from students in rehearsal.-The HSA@Home Dance Master Series (virtual) was a six-week interview series, streamed live, featuring conversations with dancers, choreographers, and leaders in the field of dance education, led by HSA Dance Director Leyland Simmons.-The HSA@HOME Music Series (virtual) presented live performances from members of HSAs distinguished music faculty, including pianist Jeremy Jordan, violinist Majid Khaliq, and clarinetist/saxophonist Evan Arntzen. -HSA Prep students and Alumni including vocalist Yancyabril, actress and poet Geneva Foster-Narvaez, dancer Naya Lovell gave pop-up live-streamed performances on HSAs social media pages.-Preparing a Portfolio, an interactive discussion presented in partnership with Pratt Institute, featuring Pratt Institute Admissions staff and guest HSA alumni. Students

---

---

Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (public 990 form dataset) from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202101199349300510_public.xml