Empower youth.
Harlem School of the Arts empowers youth to reach their full potential in the arts, education, and life, through interdisciplinary arts training that celebrates the rich complexity of their community.
About Harlem School of the Arts
Art starts here.
Possibility goes everywhere.
Youth development through the arts, from toddlers to teens.
What we believe
Reach your full potential.
In art. In education. In life.
Harlem School of the Arts empowers youth to reach their full potential in the arts, education, and life, through interdisciplinary arts training that celebrates the rich complexity of their community.
Discover the power of great art.
Together we create and sustain an extraordinary and engaging place to discover the power of great art!
Excellence with community.
HSA values inclusivity, artistic excellence, and community engagement, fostering a vibrant and supportive environment for students to explore their creative passions and reach their full potential.
Find your medium
Four disciplines.
One HSA.
Move between forms, follow curiosity, and discover how one art can unlock another.
Our founder
A soprano. A founder. A legacy.
Dorothy Leigh Mainor, known as Dorothy Maynor, was an American soprano, concert singer, and the founder of the Harlem School of the Arts. Maynor is noted as the first African–American to sing at a presidential inauguration, performing at President Harry S. Truman’s inaugural gala in 1949.
Dorothy Maynor
Voices of HSA
This is what belonging sounds like.
The drawing classes at HSA are fun and help me develop my art skills. I like that I am getting help for my portfolio for art high school.
Maddie T.
The dance department at Harlem School of the Arts changed my life. It’s not just about dance; it’s about finding yourself and belonging to a supportive community.
Skylah W.
HSA has become my second home. It allows me to hang out with people who have similar interests in art. It is a community, really.
Frankie L.
HSA at a glance
The work adds up.
4,806Community served
60K+Alumni
3,000Private lesson hours
420KClass hours
Your next step
Find your place at HSA.
Explore classes, discover a discipline, or help make arts education possible for the next generation.