The St. Peter’s Community Arts Academy is a non-profit organization serving the greater Geneva area with enrichment programs, lessons, and instruction in music and dance for all ages and abilities since 2005. Through the dedication of its administrators, instructors, and support board, the Arts Academy offers lessons and instruction to over 200 students each week. Students can follow their artistic interests in such areas as the community children’s choirs, piano, violin, cello, guitar, organ, and voice. In addition, within the past three years, the Arts Academy has added dance classes for all ages to its repertoire and Musical Beginnings classes for children from birth through six years old.
The Arts Academy is located at 149 Genesee St. in the heart of downtown Geneva. With a mission of “Arts for All,” the Arts Academy has benefited the Geneva arts community in a myriad of ways, especially with regard to providing professional instruction for youth in the area. Although young people are the target audience for the Arts Academy, the classes and lessons serve everyone from infants to adults. As an organization dedicated to creating a rich cultural environment accessible to all through lessons, classes, workshops, and performances, the Arts Academy is an integral part of the Geneva community.
As a testament to the impact the Arts Academy has had on the wider Geneva community, it recently received the Non-Profit of the Year Award from the Geneva Area Chamber of Commerce. The Arts Academy believes that participation in the arts contributes to a child’s sense of self-confidence and self-discipline. It was established with the belief that the arts are central to personal growth. These are valuable lessons for all children, especially young people who come from families who may not have the time or resources as do some others.
Vital, of course, to the efforts of the Arts Academy is the dedicated core of instructors and staff, all of whom are professionals in their field and come from diverse and talented backgrounds. Indeed, Arts Academy faculty are both teachers and professionals, all of whom perform at local, regional, and national levels in their respective disciplines. The Academy prides itself on the ability to support young learners who wish to explore their love of music or dance, in addition to those students who might want to pursue the arts professionally. Thus, having faculty on hand who can support students in both of these roles is essential to the Academy’s mission.
Some of the programs that are part of the Arts Academy have been functioning for many years, such as the Community Choirs, established in 1987, and the Piano Studio, established in 2003. In 2005, however, these programs and others joined forces to become the St. Peter’s Community Arts Academy. Although the church sponsors and supports the Academy, it is not affiliated religiously. The Reverend James Adams and his wife, Sue, thought to open up space to the Arts Academy both as a way to utilize underused space and encourage the arts in Geneva, as well as to support the needs of the church. The Rev. Adams serves as Head of School to the Academy, and Sue fills the role of Academic Administrator.
Central to the mission of the Academy is the opportunity for students to perform. The Arts Academy facilitates or participates in many academic year performance events, including the Sounds of Christmas Concert, Spring Sing Concert, Music & Dance Celebration at the Smith Opera House, Christmas caroling downtown, and a variety of recitals. Not only do these performances assist in helping students build confidence in their ability to practice, rehearse, and perform in ways that recognize their potential as individuals, but performances also help in the ongoing development of Geneva as a vibrant community that values the arts and education.
If you’d like to become involved in the Arts Academy in any measure or to learn more about taking lessons or joining a class, please call 315-789-0106.