Harrison School for the Arts

Harrison School for the Arts and Polk County Public Schools were proudly represented today at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami, Florida.

We are thrilled to celebrate our Harrison seniors who had the honor of meeting Governor Jeb Bush and receiving the prestigious Arts for Life Award during a special ceremony recognizing 35 of Florida’s most outstanding young artists.

Congratulations to:
• Danielle Anderson – Visual Arts Scholarship Recipient
• Mireya Hernandez – Music Scholarship Recipient
• Michael Irvin – Music Scholarship Recipient
• Cendall Williams – Drama Scholarship Recipient

We are incredibly proud of you!

Each year, the Arts for Life program awards $2,000 scholarships to 35 graduating Florida high school seniors who demonstrate excellence in creative writing, dance, drama, music, or visual arts. Established in 1999 by former First Lady Columba Bush, the program honors exceptional young artists across the state.

Our four Harrison recipients were selected from more than 650 applicants by expert panels in their respective artistic disciplines.

Congratulations to these talented students on this remarkable achievement and to their teachers for their ongoing dedication. Special thanks to Polk County Public Schools for supporting Fine Arts education in our district.

Polk County Public Schools Harrison School for the Arts

Summer office hours start next week. We look forward to assisting you throughout the summer!

Harrison School for the Arts Alumni Spotlight – June, 2026

Our featured alumni spotlight for this month is Ke’Ron J. Wilson, Class of 2015 from the Orchestra department (2 years) and the Dance department (2 years).

She is currently a multidisciplinary freelance artist; a choreographer, dancer, model, actor, and poet. She’s been choreographing dance in New York City for 5 years, and is currently touring internationally with TRIBE, a collective directed by award-winning choreographer, Shamel Pitts.

In her spare time, she has also appeared on talk shows, walked New York Fashion Week, read poetry, taught yoga, and led meditation and wellness workshops. When she’s not doing any of that, she works box office at a dance venue. Ke’Ron lives in New York City, NY.

Q: Why did you choose Harrison as your high school experience?

Ke’Ron: I grew up feeling like an outsider and my music practices were my refuge and my escape. Harrison was, to me, an extension of the safety that I had found in my orchestral studies, as well as a place where my fantasies of being a full-time artist could potentially find life in the physical world. It felt like the only choice.

Q: What is your fondest memory of your time at Harrison?

Ke’Ron: Getting to exercise multiple artistic disciplines surrounded by like-minded peers was and is still magical. I remember switching to the dance department my junior year, training in ballet and modern techniques during the day, having all-school musical rehearsals in the evening, and still finding time to sing in the school’s CandleLight Choir. There’s a collection of memories that speak to the rigor and artistic diversity that I was able to access being a student at Harrison.

Q: What did you do after graduation?

Ke’Ron: I moved to Texas to attend Sam Houston State University on a Dance Major scholarship, and eventually graduated from there with my BFA in Dance. Post-college, I was a founding member of Social Movement Contemporary Dance Theater and a guest choreographer for the Pilot Dance Project while working on my own choreographic practice in Houston, TX for 2 years.

Q: What influences from your time at Harrison have helped you as an adult?

Ke’Ron: Being surrounded by other talented individuals helped me navigate what it means to develop an artistic voice of my own. Harrison exposed me to a wide range of creative perspectives, disciplines, and ways of thinking, which encouraged me to stay curious and keep exploring my own artistic sensibilities. As an adult, that openness to experimentation and collaboration continues to shape both my creative practice and my sense of self.

Q: What advice would you give to your high school self based on your life experiences?

Ke’Ron: I would tell Ke’ron that art really is saving her life. She need not worry too much about the outcome of all her work, and that she can trust she is building an incredible foundation to stand upon later in life. I would tell her that the work she’s doing to know and express herself is exactly the kind of rooting she’ll need to become who she dreams of being. I would tell her to breathe and to keep dreaming impossible hopes into existence, because they have and will continue to come true.

Q: What advice would you give to current Harrison students?

Ke’Ron: I would tell current Harrison students to try it all. Act, sing, dance, and play in orchestras if it’s available. Harrison — and high school in general — is a place where you can excavate hidden talents and have the structure and support to develop them into something special. Every practice feeds another, and building an ecosystem of self-expression is an incredible gift to your evolving sense of self.

Q: What organizations do you participate in and how do you give back to your community?

Ke’Ron: I’m a trans community leader. My work speaks to the trans experience in a time where we are ostracized, politicized, demonized. I work with trans dancers in the choreography I present, and I lead free yoga classes and meditation portals for community when I can.

Have a great summer break, stay safe, make good memories, and enjoy every minute of it! ☀️😎

Musical Theatre job is posted!

Please remember that backpacks are not permitted this week!

Beginning Tuesday, May 26, no backpacks will be allowed at all PCPS school sites for the remainder of the current school year.

This applies to all PCPS school sites beginning Tuesday, May 26, through Thursday, May 28 — the last day of school.

Students may carry bags no larger than a small purse. Lunchboxes will still be permitted.

This is simply a precautionary measure. It is not uncommon for schools to implement such a security change during the final days of the school year, when it is no longer necessary for students to carry backpacks or large purses.

If you feel that your child needs accommodations regarding this change, please contact your school’s administration.

Harrison is hiring! Join a great team!

The Harrison Orchestra Department recently welcomed violinist Qing Li and pianist Victor Asuncion for a special performance during 5th period in the Harrison Auditorium. Ms. Li, Principal Violinist of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and a faculty member at the Peabody Institute, was joined by Dr. Asuncion, a concert pianist who regularly tours and records with world-class artists.
Their performance provided our students with a unique opportunity to experience live music at the highest professional level right here at Harrison.

It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Mr. Clifford Parody from the Creative Writing department on being selected as one of only five recipients for the 2026 State Teaching Artist Residency (STAR) program!

This partnership between FAAE and the Hermitage dates back to 2011 and has provided some of Florida's greatest teaching artists with a much deserved opportunity to explore their artistry.

His residency will be Tuesday, June 30 through Sunday, July 12. For more information on the Hermitage Artist Retreat click below.

https://hermitageartistretreat.org/

We are very proud of Mr. Parody!!