Exploring the Arts completed a successful capital campaign to help support the construction of a new, award-winning building for the public high school Tony and Susan founded, Frank Sinatra School of the Arts. The school moved into its brand new home at the start of the 2009-10 school year in Tony's hometown of Astoria, Queens at the Kaufman Astoria Studios complex. The philosophy guiding the building's design was to provide a home for the school that would showcase the arts and welcome its surrounding community. The exterior is therefore not one of brick but of glass, with large windows that visually invite those on the outside in. True to Tony and Susan's original vision, the building has become a great resource for the city at large. It is home not only to Frank Sinatra School of the Arts but also to the ETA-supported, NYC Department of Educations' Summer Arts Institute. In addition, the building's Tony Bennett Concert Hall hosted the 2009 Mayor's Awards for Arts & Culture as well as Mayor Bloomberg's 2009 State of the City Address.

THE NEW BUILDING'S FACILITIES INCLUDE:

- An 800-seat concert hall
- 2 black box theaters
- An stagecraft workshop
- 2 dance studios
- 2 fine art studios
- An art gallery
- Choral & orchestral classrooms
- Recording booths & private practice rooms
- A multi-media technology lab
- An outdoor rooftop performance garden

DESIGN AWARDS:

- AIA
New York State Excellence in Design 2010

- The Chicago Athenaeum
American Architecture Award 2010

- SARA
NY Design Award 2010

- schooldesigner.com
Collabetition Platinum Award

- Queens Chamber of Commerce
Building Hall of Fame Award 2009

PHOTO ALBUM:
Tour The New School!

LINKS:
- Susan T. Rodriguez/Ennead Architects
- NYC Department of Education