This summer passers-by will start to see some campus improvements begin on the Fern Street entrance, thanks to a generous donation by School of the Arts Foundation Board Member Ed Ricci. Ed Ricci joined the Board of Directors in 2012 after his interest was sparked by seeing the talent of our students. “The high quality of the artistic skills shown by the students, in particular, hearing Virginia Mims (Class of 2015) sing a French aria - I was hooked. I think high school education that combines college prep with artistic development is the best education we can give to our kids. High school education requires arts and smarts and Dreyfoos has them both.”

A lawyer, Ed Ricci is particularly impressed by the awards won by our Dreyfoos Speech and Debate Team, although he cites the various orchestra performances he has seen to be his favorite. “Having come back from New York after seeing the New York City Ballet do Swan Lake I heard the Dreyfoos Orchestra perform the same Tchaikovsky music. I actually think the Dreyfoos kids were better than the orchestra in New York.”

After joining the Foundation Board of Directors, Mr. Ricci became the Chairman of the Generations to Come Campaign – a campaign begun for the 25th Anniversary of the School to strengthen endowments for program and campus upgrades.

“I think architecture speaks louder than music and louder than words. The entrance on Fern Street, I have said many times, is uglier than the entrance to the Okeechobee state Prison; the white guard house is more befitting a Prison than a high school.”

A portion of Mr. Ricci’s donation to the campaign will go to revitalize the entrance on Fern Street. “By changing the entrance to something beautiful everyone knows that the Dreyfoos School of the Arts is a special place in the best sense of the word.”

Seeing Dreyfoos students excel in their art areas gives hope to Mr. Ricci that “the next generation will not only preserve the best of our culture but help it to grow.”

As for the next 25 years, it is his hope that “Dreyfoos will continue educating brilliant students in the sciences as well as in the arts.”

*If you are interested in revitalizing the campus, consider a donation to replace the construction fencing that borders the historical front entrance of the school. A $5,500 donation would provide 50 feet of new fencing and a cement pillar with a plaque thanking you for your generosity.