Perpich News

Professional Development

  • 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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  • 2026 Minnesota Dance Summer Workshop: Creating A Space of Belonging

    August 20, 2026

    Dance educators from across Minnesota gathered on August 19th for their annual Summer Workshop. This year’s workshop celebrated the legacy of TU Dance Founding Artistic Director, Toni Pierce-Sands, and her profound impact on the field of dance education. Toni inspired and helped…

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  • Could Popular Music Education Enhance Your Music Program?

    August 19, 2026

    Presenter Mary Claxton introduces participants in Modern Band 101 to a guitar chord

    Approximately 35 music educators participated in a popular music professional development workshop on August 18, 2026, organized through a collaboration of the MN Department of Education,…

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  • New Visual Arts Books from Perpich Library

    August 17, 2026

    The Perpich Library has an extensive collection of visual arts books to be utilized for teaching, creating, and learning. Here are a few of the amazing books we added to the collection this summer.

    All items on this list are available at the…

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  • From Reflection to Action: CAPP Cohort Begins Year Two

    August 14, 2026

    Erika Nesvig, Sarah Christian-Garceau, Laura Grimm, Morgan Losure, and Mariah Dant of Waconia analyze the Brainerd strategic arts plan and give feedback.

    Earlier this week, the Comprehensive Arts Planning Program (CAPP) started its second year of programming for the…

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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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  • Summer Music Professional Development Workshops 2026

    August 10, 2026

    Over 100 music educators attended a series of five professional development workshops last week, hosted on the Perpich Center campus. The sessions appealed to a wide variety of educators, including elementary classroom teachers, arts administrators, general music teachers, band, choir, and orchestra…

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  • Theater Educators and Directors Reconnect to the Practice of Play

    August 7, 2026

    At this year’s annual, day-long Theater Director and Educator Conference – “Empowerment Through Play-Filled Learning, Leadership, and Mindsets” – guest presenters Malia’Kekia Nicolini and Christopher Beaulieu of Play Pathways Initiative deeply engaged participants from across the state in a pedagogy of play….

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  • Act One and Perpich Center for Arts Education Bring VR Arts Immersion™ To Minnesota Students

    August 3, 2026

    Act One, an Arizona nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that students have access to meaningful arts experiences, is expanding the reach of its innovative VR Arts Immersion™ program through a new collaboration with Perpich Center for Arts Education in Minnesota.

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