naperville, Illinois

Our

Vision

Building artists to engage in a practicum of pre-professional arts training balanced with rigorous academics.

Our

Mission

The Academy of the Arts is committed to providing a high-level arts curriculum while engaging students in a rigorous academic education.  It is our belief that creativity and the quest for innovation will foster individuality, allowing the holistic development of each artist.

The Academy of the Arts is a not-for-profit educational institution in the Western Suburbs of Chicago that educates students and adults in music, dance, theater, art, and the entertainment industry.
Meet the Artists

Academy of the Arts provides students with rigorous curriculum in all academic content areas while preparing them for success in the arts beyond high school.

View Curriculum

Our programming is developed to provide students with exceptional academics while maintaining the importance of the arts in a well-rounded education. 

Our Programs

Teaching

Artists

“As an alumnus of arts schools in Miami, I can attest to how rewarding an experience it is for students who are trained in these unique institutions. Being surrounded by music/art/dance/theater on every school day shaped me as an artist and as a person, and I owe all my accomplishments to the teachers and peers that inspired me along the way.”
ALEX LACAMOIRE <h2 style="display:inline-block;font-size:1.5em;margin-left:10px;margin-right:10px;">Music</h2>
ALEX LACAMOIRE

Music

Composer and Arranger, HAMILTON, DEAR EVAN HANSEN, IN THE HEIGHTS
“When a child is given the opportunity to study a passion they can see, hear, and perform, it puts their lives in their own hands and gives a wonderful sense of freedom. That's the beauty of the arts – you can be and see who you want to be.”
TAYLOR DAYNE <h2 style="display:inline-block;font-size:1.5em;margin-left:10px;margin-right:10px;">Music</h2>
TAYLOR DAYNE

Music

Pop icon with debut single "Tell It to My Heart" in 1987
“Arts education is the one place where young students have the ability to express themselves and be who they really are. Creative outlets like arts education have proven to drastically improve development of motor skills, language skills and social skills amongst all ethnicities as disabilities. It’s the one universal line of connection and communication that brings us all together.”
JACK SIPPEL <h2 style="display:inline-block;font-size:1.5em;margin-left:10px;margin-right:10px;">Dance</h2>
JACK SIPPEL

Dance

Associate Choreographer, Netflix's "The Prom"
KEELAN WHITMORE <h2 style="display:inline-block;font-size:1.5em;margin-left:10px;margin-right:10px;">Dance</h2>
KEELAN WHITMORE

Dance

Dance soloist with TanzTheater Muenster in Germany
CHADAE NICHOL <h2 style="display:inline-block;font-size:1.5em;margin-left:10px;margin-right:10px;">Dance</h2>
CHADAE NICHOL

Dance

Broadway performer recently in MOTOWN THE MUSICAL
“It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized how fortunate I was as a Midwestern kid to have gone to a performing arts school. I was the textbook “artistic” child with zero interest in sports. Not only did that program give me a safe and nurturing environment to grow as a person, it also gave me invaluable early training for my thirty-five years as a professional performer.”
STEPHEN WALLEM <h2 style="display:inline-block;font-size:1.5em;margin-left:10px;margin-right:10px;">Theatre</h2>
STEPHEN WALLEM

Theatre

Actor and singer best known as Thor for seven seasons on "Nurse Jackie"
“The Arts and Music are a form of therapy and expression. To have a space that provides compassion and creativity in our society is a gift all children deserve and need.”
EDEN ALPERT <h2 style="display:inline-block;font-size:1.5em;margin-left:10px;margin-right:10px;">Industry</h2>
EDEN ALPERT

Industry

Daughter of Herb Alpert, the founder of A&M Records
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ALEX LACAMOIRE <h2 style="display:inline-block;font-size:1.5em;margin-left:10px;margin-right:10px;">Music</h2>
ALEX LACAMOIRE

Music

Composer and Arranger, HAMILTON, DEAR EVAN HANSEN, IN THE HEIGHTS
TAYLOR DAYNE <h2 style="display:inline-block;font-size:1.5em;margin-left:10px;margin-right:10px;">Music</h2>
TAYLOR DAYNE

Music

Pop icon with debut single "Tell It to My Heart" in 1987
JACK SIPPEL <h2 style="display:inline-block;font-size:1.5em;margin-left:10px;margin-right:10px;">Dance</h2>
JACK SIPPEL

Dance

Associate Choreographer, Netflix's "The Prom"
KEELAN WHITMORE <h2 style="display:inline-block;font-size:1.5em;margin-left:10px;margin-right:10px;">Dance</h2>
KEELAN WHITMORE

Dance

Dance soloist with TanzTheater Muenster in Germany
CHADAE NICHOL <h2 style="display:inline-block;font-size:1.5em;margin-left:10px;margin-right:10px;">Dance</h2>
CHADAE NICHOL

Dance

Broadway performer recently in MOTOWN THE MUSICAL
STEPHEN WALLEM <h2 style="display:inline-block;font-size:1.5em;margin-left:10px;margin-right:10px;">Theatre</h2>
STEPHEN WALLEM

Theatre

Actor and singer best known as Thor for seven seasons on "Nurse Jackie"
EDEN ALPERT <h2 style="display:inline-block;font-size:1.5em;margin-left:10px;margin-right:10px;">Industry</h2>
EDEN ALPERT

Industry

Daughter of Herb Alpert, the founder of A&M Records
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We are

Commited to providing:

Access

Access to our educational programming to any students that possess the skills to attend our program regardless of their background.

Scholarships

Scholarships to a significant percentage of the student body based on financial need.

Inclusivity

Inclusivity to students and faculty from all backgrounds.

Diversity

Diversity in our student population, focusing on a wide geographical radius outside of the Naperville area.

Racially nondiscriminatory policy

Academy of the Arts employs staff and admits students of any race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, gender, religion, and sexual orientation to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It doesn’t discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, and ethnic origin, gender, religion, and sexual orientation in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.

Core

Values

CREATIVITY

Designing a multitude of opportunities for students to create and explore

EXCELLENCE

Supporting students to discover their fullest potential

Humility

Developing independence and being responsible to giving back to the artistic community

Inclusion

Educating to recognize and acknowledge barriers that prevent learning for all while striving to provide just treatment and opportunity for each of our unique artists

Innovation

Teaching students the art of discovery with unique techniques, opportunities, and experiences

Professionalism

Providing students opportunities to actively and conscientiously engage in the artistic community

Why our students

Need Arts Education

“A recent IBM poll of 1,500 CEOs identified creativity as the No. 1 “leadership competency” of the future.”
IBM Global CEO Survey
“Prospects for graduates from art schools today are better than they've ever been before in terms of income, their ability to survive economic turbulence and their preparedness for the job market of the 2020s.”
Forbes
“Participation in arts education practices and processes can translate into the development of both artistic and social-emotional competencies, including self-management and self-discipline, interpersonal skills, and self-expression, that extend beyond arts.”
University of Chicago
“Students who study the arts are consistently higher academic achievers than students who do not study the arts.”
Journal of Aesthetic Education
“When teachers reinforce academic concepts with the arts, students learn more and score higher on standardized tests.”
Mississippi State University
“Arts students were 29% more likely to apply to a postsecondary institution than non-arts students.”
University of Maryland
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Academy of the Arts | PO Box 4101 | Naperville, IL 60567