HISTORY

Henry Bridges founded Community School of the Arts in 1969 at First Presbyterian Church in Charlotte.  Henry persuaded Charlotte’s most respected music teachers to work with him to provide piano and music appreciation lessons to underprivileged students at the Church, even organizing a volunteer carpool to bring students to their lessons when they had no other transportation.  He believed passionately that all students, regardless of financial means, deserve access to high quality arts education and to the intellectual and emotional benefits such an education provides.

Over the next four decades, this remarkable vision has been realized as the School has served thousands of students and provided Charlotte with the unique combination of world class arts instruction and accessibility for all.  The School recently strengthened its focus on its programs in the core areas of music and visual arts, including pottery. 

Shortly after celebrating its 30^th anniversary, the School moved in 1998 into new headquarters at Spirit Square in Uptown Charlotte.  The School’s offices, classrooms and studios at Spirit Square now anchor a network of 30 locations where more than 1,700 students study each month.