Perpich News

Arts High School Alumni News

  • A Note from our Executive Director, Allegra Smisek – August 31, 2026

    August 31, 2026

    Greetings from Perpich Center for Arts Education!
    Perpich is both a place people come to and a resource we bring to communities across Minnesota.

    Allegra Smisek, Executive Director

    This August offered a wonderful reminder of both sides of that mission. Perpich…

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  • Jeff Baenen Creates Housing Scholarship for Perpich Student

    August 12, 2026

    For Jeff Baenen, a lifelong love of the arts has taken many forms: journalism, theater, music, comedy, and even playing the voice of God.

    Now, that passion is helping make a Perpich education more accessible to a student living on campus.

    Baenen, a retired…

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  • A Note from our Executive Director, Allegra Smisek – July 24, 2026

    July 24, 2026

    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…

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  • A Note from our Executive Director, Allegra Smisek – June 26, 2026

    June 26, 2026

    Greetings from Perpich Center for Arts Education!
    This month, we welcomed nearly 60 students in grades 6 through 10 to campus for the first week of Perpich Summer Camp. Throughout the week, our studios, rehearsal spaces, and classrooms buzzed with creativity as students…

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  • A Full-Circle Return for John Heimbuch (Theater 1996)

    June 10, 2026

    For John Heimbuch (Theater 1996), returning to Perpich Arts High School is more than a teaching opportunity; it’s an opportunity to return to the community that helped shape his artistic journey.

    John Heimbuch (Theater 1996)

    Earlier this spring, Heimbuch spent…

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  • James Allen Retires After 25 Years at Perpich

    May 26, 2026

    James Allen, Music Instructor

    After 25 years of service at Perpich Arts High School, Music Instructor James Allen is preparing for his final sound check — though not necessarily his final performance. Allen’s last day at Perpich will be…

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  • A Note from our Executive Director, Allegra Smisek – May 25, 2026

    May 25, 2026

    Greetings from Perpich Center for Arts Education!
    The 2026 Perpich Arts High School Graduation Ceremony on Friday, May 22 was a beautiful reflection of who our students are: courageous artists, thoughtful collaborators, and deeply authentic young people.

    Allegra Smisek, Executive…

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  • Perpich Arts High School Graduation 2026

    May 22, 2026
    The Class of 2026 took the stage at the Ames Center in Burnsville, Minnesota in a heartfelt and deeply personal graduation ceremony on May 22, 2026 that celebrated not only artistic achievement, but also community, resilience, and self-expression at Perpich Arts High…

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  • “I’m Working On It”: Taylor Gruye (Literary Arts 2008) Reflects on Work, Writing, and Resilience

    May 19, 2026
    Perpich Arts High School alum Taylor Gruye (Literary Arts 2008) has turned years of difficult jobs, strange workplace encounters, and hard-earned resilience into a new book, I’m Working On It: Still Professional After All These Years.

    Taylor Gruye (Literary…

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