The Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts

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The Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts


New York, New York (October 14th, 2009) - EMMY winning and Oscar-nominated legendary actress Cicely Tyson announced today that she will host an event for the unveiling of the new state-of-the-art Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts, located at 35 Winans Street in East Orange, New Jersey on Saturday, October 24th, 2009. The red carpet and unveiling begins at 3:00pm with a private dinner to follow.

The Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts serves as the East Orange School District's educational center for the development of performing and fine arts for students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The school reflects a system of formal academic instruction with an intense arts curriculum. The academic/performing and fine arts curricula have been designed to allow students to be artistically creative in a field of their choosing; yet the academic program remains the foundation of all educational development. Ms. Tyson accepted the offer to have the school named in her honor on the condition that she is actively involved.

The idea to build the school was developed almost seven years ago and construction began in 2005 on the $143 million dollar project with funding from the State's School Development Authority. Built with the idea of revitalizing key neighborhoods in East Orange, the complex was created as a shared-use facility. After school hours, residents in the surrounding community will be able to use the school's library, media centers, gymnasiums, cafeterias, music and art rooms, and health and dental clinics.

The Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts and the Washington Academy will occupy a 309,000-square-foot facility. The new school is one the most technologically advanced schools ever built in the state of New Jersey, with extensive performing arts facilities built to Broadway standards in terms of sound, lighting, and acoustics.

CNN’s Soledad O'Brien will be the evening’s mistress of ceremonies and Reginald Van Lee, Senior Vice President, Booz Allen Hamilton and philanthropist, is the evening’s sponsor.

“These children have God-given artistic talents that we can now properly nurture and train,” said Ms. Tyson. “It is my hope that we will provide them with a foundation that will allow them to become productive members of the creative class and that their works will tell our stories for generations to come. I am pleased that the City of East Orange has chosen to invest in our collective cultural future.”

blackgivesback: The Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts