TOLEDO, Ohio — When Toledo School for the Arts opened its doors on the corner of Jefferson and Superior in 1999, there were 127 students.
There were no fancy dance studios or galleries then. Founders of the school say that at the time they were told an art school in Toledo would only be successful “when pigs fly.”
Today, more than 700 kids from all over northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan attend TSA in a building at 14th and Adams streets, a building that was once a Willys-Overland manufacturing plant. An additional 200 are on a waiting list.
On Friday, the school held a groundbreaking ceremony for its multi-million dollar expansion project, The Next Big Thing.
The project includes an annex that will be built along Adams Street, featuring additional classrooms, a barrier-free dance studio, an art gallery, and retail store.
The school also hopes to welcome the public in with night classes and outreach programs.
“TSA is more than a school. It’s a community school and now is the time to cement TSA’s place in the community by expanding its reach,” David Gierke, Development Director, said in a video released by the school.
The addition will double the capacity of the building, but the school says they only plan to enroll an additional 140 students.
“This project will allow us to continue to push the creative envelope and to reimagine what is possible in education.” said Doug Mead, who is the director of the school.
The space will also allow the school to expand its publishing company, booking agency, and recording studio.
“They may have manufactured automobiles in this building 90 years ago, but in a lot of ways we will be manufacturing souls, talent, skills, and young people. It’s a beautiful symmetry for this building.” Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said.
A building built for Jeeps and now home to the flying pigs.
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