Yvette Campbell, Lani Hall Alpert, Herb Albert, and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg cut the ribbon at this morning’s naming ceremony. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision for Harlem School of the Arts/AP Images)

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Rep. Charles Rangel, and Broadway actress N’Kenge joined Harlem School of the Arts (HSA) president and CEO Yvette Campbell, guests, and students for what Campbell called a “rebirth” of the 48-year-old institution. With $6 million worth of help from the Herb Alpert Foundation, HSA celebrated a new and extended name for the school today: The Harlem School of the Arts — The Herb Alpert Center.

“It was three years ago almost to the month that this school was going to close,” said HSA board chairman Charles Hamilton is his opening remarks. At that time, New York City’s Mayor Bloomberg made a few phone calls and starting the ball rolling to revive the school, which serves 3,500 children between the ages of two and 18 years old in Harlem and around the city.

“It’s a great day for Harlem and a great day for the city,” said Mayor Bloomberg, who called the school a “great contributor” to the cultural fabric of the city.

In an interview after the naming ceremony, Campbell told MadameNoire Business that the school had fallen on tough financial times due to one thing: “mismanagement.”

“That’s why we have a whole new board,” she told us.

The large grant from the Herb Alpert Foundation along with donations from HSA alumni and others has now created for a Campbell a school that is “debt-free,” its taxes and debts paid. The school plans to use future funds to build on its half-century of outstanding cultural history.

“There’s lots to invest in in HSA,” Campbell continued. She said the school will be making upgrades to its building (located on 141st Street, just across the street from New York’s City College campus), beautifying, and work to become a community arts center.

Herb Alpert is a famous trumpeter and co-founder of A&M Records. His body of work also includes Broadway production, visual arts, and music composition. He and his namesake organization have been big-time supporters of the arts for decades, according to the information handed out at the event.

“We’re going through a period where  the arts have really been decimated at public schools,” Alpert said during his remarks. “And it should be part of the core curriculum.”

Alpert became involved with the school after reading about its near closure in the New York Times.

Campbell confirmed with us that there was concern about changing the name of the iconic institution. However, she said, “arts organizations have to survive through the generosity of others.” She’s hoping for continued support from philanthropists and others who would like to see the school continue on and produce more talented alums.

“It’s like putting a pew in the church” in return for a donation, she said.

About This Episode

Meet Yvette Campbell, President and CEO of the Harlem School of the Arts, an institution providing arts education in music, dance, theater and visual arts to the Harlem community for the past 46 years. Fairly new to her leadership position at HSA, Campbell has already witnessed much success, raising over a million dollars in one month alone for the school. Campbell’s natural love of the arts is evident as she passionately works to make HSA one of the premier schools of the arts to serve the Harlem community and beyond. An extraordinary visionary, talented and confident leader, Campbell shares with us her innovative ideas and dreams to advance the Harlem School of the Arts to the next level. Find out why she’s the boss.

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