Greetings from Perpich Center for Arts Education!

Summertime at Perpich is energizing. Our campus is alive with creativity as young artists discover new passions through summer camps, educators from across Minnesota gather to learn and grow together, and our staff uses this season to reflect, plan, and prepare for the year ahead. It is a powerful reminder that learning and creativity happen at every stage of life and in every corner of our organization.

Allegra Smisek, Executive Director

This month, our leadership team gathered to reflect on the past year and look ahead to 2026–27. Each leader shared what they learned, celebrated progress, and identified goals for the coming year. More importantly, we talked about how our individual work connects to Perpich’s mission and strategic directions. Those conversations reinforced that our greatest impact comes when each of us understands how our work contributes to a shared mission.

Together, we reaffirmed the three strategic directions that will guide our work:

• Elevate artistic and academic excellence through a culture of belonging.
• Cultivate connections and boldly tell our story.
• Optimize systems to support a thriving, future-ready state agency.

These strategic directions provide a shared focus for our work and remind us that every role at Perpich contributes to serving students, educators, artists, and communities across Minnesota.

We’re also excited to welcome Tina Krieger as Perpich’s new Human Resources Director. Tina has been a trusted member of the Perpich community for more than a decade, and I know she will continue to strengthen our organization by supporting the people who make our mission possible.

In the weeks ahead, our Board of Directors will gather for its annual retreat to continue shaping the future of Perpich. Together, we’ll reflect on what makes Perpich unique and explore opportunities to strengthen our statewide impact.

As we look toward the new school year, I’m excited about what lies ahead. The work taking place this summer is helping position Perpich for an even stronger future, one grounded in artistic excellence, meaningful connections, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Thank you for being part of our story and for helping us ensure that students, educators, artists, and communities across Minnesota continue to experience the transformative power of arts education.

With gratitude,

Allegra Smisek
Executive Director | Perpich Center for Arts Education