Ruth Carter Joins Boston Arts Academy Foundation is InsideCharity’s take on Ruth’s important installation.
Boston, MA (November 23, 2021) – Boston Arts Academy Foundation (BAAF) today announced that Academy Award-winning costume designer and Massachusetts native Ruth E. Carter has joined the BAAF’s Board of Directors.
Carter, a living legend in costume design, got her start working backstage as an intern at StageWest, now City Stage, in her hometown of Springfield, Mass. She graduated from Springfield Technical High School before going on to study at Hampton University in Virginia.
The first Black costume designer awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Carter uses fashion and design to share narratives of culture, race, and politics. Her designs enable actors to fully immerse themselves in the roles of the characters they represent.
An expert storyteller, Carter has worked on more than 50 major films over the course of her career. Her designs can be seen in movies such as ‘Black Panther,’ ‘Malcolm X,’ ‘Selma,’ and ‘Amistad’.
“Ruth is a visionary in her field and a champion for Black representation in the arts,” said Denella J. Clark, President and CEO of the Boston Arts Academy Foundation. “To have her give her time, talent, and energy to support the Foundation speaks volumes about who she is, but also about her shared vision of the importance of equal access to visual and performing arts for our city’s students.”
Ruth Carter Joins Boston Arts Academy Foundation
Carter recently visited Massachusetts to celebrate her mother’s 100th birthday and coordinate the installation of the first sign marking “Amore Village” in Springfield. Originally built in 1949, Amore Village was a neighborhood known for helping low-income Black families achieve home ownership.
“I started out just like the students of Boston Arts Academy,” said Carter. “There is so much talent in these communities and we must ensure equal access to opportunity. I believe in the mission of the Boston Arts Academy Foundation, and I am proud to join the Board of Directors to support its vision.”
In addition to Carter, BAAF’s Board elected Jerome Smith, Senior Manager of External Affairs at Amazon, and Maggie Baxter, VP of Programming at NBC Boston, as new members. They will serve alongside other civic leaders including Board Chairman and Avid Technology CEO Jeff Rosica.
About Boston Arts Academy Foundation
Established in 1999, the BAA Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization that raises essential funds from private philanthropic sources to augment the BAA school budget. The BAA Foundation helps bridge the gap between the school’s allocation from the Boston Public Schools, and the true cost of a high-quality education that is both arts-intensive and college preparatory.
Construction of the new BAA school building will not change BPS’s funding formula, which does not fully cover the cost of a college preparatory academic program and a competitive arts program. Through the six-year, comprehensive Building Our Future campaign, the BAA Foundation is raising $32 million to augment BAA’s school budget and ensure long-term sustainability. The campaign includes raising $10 million to bring the BAA Foundation endowment to $13.5 million, and securing $15.5 million in operating reserves. The endowment and reserves support what makes BAA unique, including expanded programming, the Health and Wellness Program, STEAM (STEM+Art), and funding for the arts. The endowment will support college scholarships for graduating seniors. The campaign supports BAA Foundation’s Annual Fund, which raises $5,000 per student each year. Building Our Future will ensure that as BAA’s student body grows, students can become successful artists, scholars, and citizens. Visit our website to learn more: https://bostonartsacademy.org/foundation.
About Boston Arts Academy
Founded in 1998 as the city’s only public high school for the visual and performing arts, Boston Arts Academy (BAA) has distinguished itself among urban public high schools as a leader in innovative and effective student-centered education. Consistently recognized locally and nationally for its achievements, BAA exemplifies the power of an arts-rich education and many BAA graduates have found success in college through the arts. In fact, for the past six straight years, at least 97 percent of BAA graduates have been accepted to college, with most being first-generation college attendees. BAA’s dynamic program prepares graduates to be critical thinkers, effective communicators, collaborators, and creators. Students come from all 23 Boston neighborhoods to receive the formal arts training and academic instruction that will make them Boston’s next generation of artists and cultural leaders.
In October 2018, the BAA community broke ground on a new $125 million facility at its Fenway location, which will expand from 121,000 to 153,500 square feet and open for students in 2022. Among many highlights, it will include new and much-needed enhanced theatres, career center, academic classrooms, dance studios, music practice rooms and fashion technology studios and workspace. When BAA opens its new school building, the number of students enrolled will increase to 500, and eventually grow over the years. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and visit our website to learn more: https://bostonartsacademy.org/.
Media Contact:
Kristen Daudelin
781-987-4202
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