History
Former Minnesota Governor Rudy Perpich and his wife Lola provided the vision for the creation of the center following an extended stay in Vienna, Austria. Inspired by the seamless integration of arts and academics in Viennese schools, Lola and Rudy worked to create a similar model in Minnesota when Rudy was re-elected governor in 1983. After lengthy debate the idea of an arts high school was expanded to include professional development in arts education available to all Minnesota teachers and a statewide resource library.
The center was established in legislation in 1985 and was titled the Minnesota School of the Arts and Resource Center. Opening as The Minnesota Center for Arts Education (MCAE) in the autumn of 1989, the school opened with junior students who graduated in the spring of 1991. The school has graduated nearly 2,000 alumni, many of whom have gone on to top ranked colleges and conservatories across the country.
The center is located on property that belonged to the Golden Valley Lutheran College and the majority of the Center's buildings were originally part of that school. All of the buildings have been modified to accommodate the mission of the Perpich Center. A major addition to the main school building was made in 1998-99.
Read more about this topic: Perpich Center For Arts Education
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