The Coronado Unified School District and Coronado School of the Arts (CoSA), San Diego County’s premier public school arts conservatory, are excited to unveil new signage at the Coronado Performing Arts Center. The 570-seat arts center, located at Coronado High School at 650 D Avenue, is not only home to CoSA, but also accommodates organizations in Coronado and the greater San Diego community seeking a large performing arts venue, according to Shane Schmeichel, Director of Special Projects with Coronado Unified School District.
“Without a sign, the glass doors and lobby could be any facility, like a gym, a two-story building with classrooms, or a community center,” said Schmeichel. “The signage not only helps first-time visitors find our space, but it highlights and recognizes the location as the heartbeat of our vibrant performing arts community.”
The new signage was funded by a grant from the City of Coronado to the CoSA Foundation, with the goal of highlighting this “gem” of a facility and the value it adds to the community, according to Schmeichel.
The Coronado Performing Arts Center was built in 2007 as a state-of-the-art facility and just received $600,000 in upgrades. Recent updates include sound and wireless microphone upgrades, a new light board, assistive listening devices, new stage lighting, new projector and lens, and a new sound board, and new speakers and infrastructure for sound. Future upgrades are planned for a theater technician/manager live show communication system.
“It may just be a sign, but to our hard-working, talented students it is a recognition of the professional level performances represented at the space,” said Schmeichel.
The district is thankful for the community members and organizations around town that recognize the value of this space and have partnered with CUSD to support the upgrades, according to Schmeichel. This includes the Coronado Island Film Festival, CoSA Foundation, Coronado Schools Foundation, and the Coronado Community Foundation. The City of Coronado and Coronado Unified School District have or are in the process of funding the upgrades that were not covered by the county.
About CoSA
Coronado School of the Arts (CoSA) is San Diego County’s premier public school arts conservatory, home to 200 scholar artists grades 9 through 12, who attend the nationally ranked Coronado High School. CoSA provides an intense, pre-professional arts education to students from Coronado and from all over San Diego, who are admitted after a competitive application/audition process.
Each school day CoSA offers three or more hours of instruction, pairing young artists with educators who are also industry specialists. With a curriculum designed by professional artist/educators, students are immersed in their chosen specialty in one of six conservatories: Classical and Contemporary Dance, Digital Arts (Animation, Filmmaking, Game Design, and Graphic Design), Instrumental Music, Musical Theatre & Drama, Theatre Production, Design & Management and Visual Art. CoSA is a State of California-approved Career Technical Education program.
Our award-winning student artists perform and exhibit at the Coronado Performing Arts Center on the Coronado High School campus, in either the 570 seat Main Stage or 80 seat Black Box theatre. Coronado Performing Arts Center is also available for rent to local organizations. About twenty five percent of the CoSA budget is raised each year by the CoSA Foundation. If you would like to see the arts continue to thrive in education, please consider making a donation at www.cosafoundation.org.
