Institute for the Creative Arts -

The Institute for the Creative Arts is the first Performing & Visual Arts High School in Arkansas. ICA combines a rigorous college preparatory academic program with pre-professional training in the arts including programs in music, theatre, dance, visual art, film, and culinary.  The school will specialize in arts programs that are not typically offered in a traditional high school.  Students will be immersed daily in an arts discipline of their choice and spend several hours weekly training and honing their skills.

ICA is an open enrollment tuition-free public charter school and accepts students on a first-come, first-served basis. Any student who has an Arkansas residence may enroll in the Institute. Funding is provided by the state.

The Institute will be housed in the new Center for the Creative Arts at 1101 Riverfront Drive, a 40,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility located on a stunning 10-acre campus on Fort Smith’s beautiful riverfront. The facility, owned by Community School of the Arts, will house ICA along with CSA after-school classes.

ICA will begin its inaugural year in August of 2024. 

ICA will offer six major areas or Schools of arts study including:

Contemporary Music: Jazz, Pop, & Rock Styles, Music Composition & Technology, Music Recording

Theatre

Musical Theatre

Technical Theatre

Dance: Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Modern

Visual Art: Digital Art, Animation, Gaming, Graphic Design

Creative/Theatrical Writing

Students will have the opportunity to enroll in standard academic courses or may select Pre-AP and AP courses should they have an interest in a rigorous academic curriculum.  Because it is an all-day high school, all required academic courses and beyond will be offered to allow students to graduate from ICA and have the credits they need.

Students will have the opportunity to select their choice or choices of arts study. For those students who have an interest in multiple arts disciplines, this is the perfect setting to take a variety of arts classes.  For those students who have one specialized area, we have a complete four-year curriculum for you.

ICA will open this fall to students entering grades 9-11 with grade 12 added in the fall of 2025. Any Arkansas student may enroll.  Students who have an interest in a creative field are strongly encouraged to register.  This school is specifically designed for you!  All students are welcome because many students who attend an arts school end up in a professional career other than arts, and it is their arts experience that helped make them successful in their life endeavors.

Yes, ICA welcomes students entering 12th grade to join us this fall specifically for arts classes that are of interest to the student.  While ICA will not be able to formally graduate students in the 2024-2025 school year, we will be able to provide courses that will count toward required courses or electives for a student’s transcript at graduation.  Depending upon the number of courses the student takes will determine the number of hours daily the student will spend with us.  We strongly encourage 12th graders to participate with us!

ICA welcomes students from the homeschool community. Our instructors and leaders will work with students and parents to plan a program that allows flexibility in the number of days and hours the student spends with us weekly.

The school day will run from 8am-4pm with the day divided between academic and arts instruction. The goal for the school day is for students to get to participate half of their day in an arts curriculum. 

Students are enrolled for one academic school year at a time and are encouraged to enroll for all four years of high school.

ICA functions as a conservatory-style model in which professional practicing artist-teachers instruct and prepare students for college, a career in the arts, and other professional careers. These highly specialized teachers will serve as mentors to students in our programs.   Private instruction, group classes, ensemble rehearsals, exhibits and performances are all part of this wonderful immersion experience. 

Upon pre-registration at ICA, students will be asked to fill out a questionnaire so that ICA instructors can better understand the areas of arts interest a student might have. While students are free to enroll in arts classes of their choosing, instructors will meet with students prior to school opening or during the first week of school to assist them in identifying their creative talents and determining the best arts path for each student.  Students will not be denied access to arts programs due to lack of experience.  Our goal at ICA is to identify and explore the creative talents in each student and develop those talents to the fullest!

The school day at ICA is uniquely designed to meet the needs of arts students who are focused on their craft.  Block scheduling is planned which means that classes will typically be offered on a Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Thursday schedule.  Class time will be extended in this schedule to allow for students to spend longer time in rehearsals and working on major projects.  Fridays will cover all classes but in a condensed amount of time called Fast Fridays. Students will spend a short amount of time in each class but with the bulk of arts classes in the afternoons so that entire afternoon may be devoted to the arts.

The ICA website has a complete listing of programs and classes offered.  Visit www.icafortsmith.org.  The Academics and Arts tabs will lead you to course offerings and information about classes.

ICA is pleased to announce that the Fort Smith City Transit Authority is providing transportation to and from the Center for any student needing transportation. ICA will fund the cost for a student to ride the city bus to and from ICA.  Students will need to identify their specific bus stop and time to be at the stop.

It is time to enroll! 

Students entering grades 9-11 in the fall of 2024 may enroll now.  Students entering grade 12 in the fall may also enroll in classes of their choice as a supplement to their current school. 

To enroll, simply go to www.icafortsmith.org and visit the ENROLLMENT page in the menu. This page will fully explain how a student can enroll with ICA. There is a legal process that students must go through to be officially enrolled in a state funded school.  A birth certificate, social security card, up-to-date immunization record, and proof of residency in Arkansas are all required along with other state documentation. Head to the Enrollment page for more information.

We welcome the opportunity to take you, your family, and friends on a tour of the new facility!  You can see first-hand where school is going to take place and get a feel for what a state-of-the-art facility is really like.  The Center for the Creative Arts is a special place.  Students will love attending school here.  Contact us today and we’ll take you on a personal tour.

For questions, contact us at info@icafortsmith.org or call us at

479-434-2114.