Artwork created by our dear late friend, John Sweeney (06/10/1959 - 04/15/2015), Vocal Class of 1977
Next Reunion will be October 5-7th 2018
40 Year Reunion for class of 1978
Organizers: Karl Bowles 281-802-4442, Rob Negrin & Don Clayton
Friday October the 5th Meet and Greet in the evening. Location TBD
Saturday October the 6th at 11 AM Pictures on the steps of the old Ruth Denney Theatre where the original HSPVA campus was. Now the Heinen Theatre 3517 Austin St. #101, Houston, TX 77004 on HCC campus
Saturday Evening, October 6th starting at 6PM will be the main event at the home of Karl & Laura Bowles (Call Karl for address and to RSVP. Food and booze provided)
Sunday, October 7th, starting at 11 AM Brunch (Location TBD)
Sunday afternoon - evening, October 7th Jam Session and after party at Robert Negrin's house
Right now we have not yet determined if we will be charging money to attend. Robert Negrin, Don Clayton, Brady King and myself are working out the details. Everyone who ever attended or was staff at HSPVA is welcome.
2015 HSPVA Original Campus Reunion
OVER 500 ALUMNI AND FACULTY FROM HOUSTON'S HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS (HSPVA) ORIGINAL CAMPUS CLASSES REUNITED OCT 8-11, 2015 IN CELEBRATION OF ART, HISTORY AND PERFORMANCES. THERE WERE EIGHT DIFFERENT “HAPPENINGS” THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA UNDER THE THEME “UNITED WE STAND,” WHICH WAS RUTH DENNEY’S CHOICE OF THE SCHOOL THEME SONG. PROCEEDS WERE DONATED TO HSPVA FRIENDS BENEFITING HSPVA.
Houston, TX – Alumni who attended Houston’s High School for Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) at the 3517 Austin Street campus held an “Original Campus Reunion” the weekend of October 8 – 11, 2015. Through a revival of the “The Happening,” a cherished feature of HSPVA student life, our reunion showcased celebrity art and performances, brought back alumni whether they have pursued artistic goals professionally to win local, national or international renown, or just wanted to rekindle their fire with former classmates. While recognizing the legacy we have left for education and the arts in Houston, our unique reunion experienced culminate in a formal celebration of HSPVA’s new five-story campus to be strategically located in the Theater District in downtown Houston at 790 Austin Street.
HSPVA is one of the first high schools in the country dedicated to the fine arts, with the first class graduating in 1974. The founding director, Ruth Denney, faced many hurdles in making this vision a reality. Finding a campus was one of them, and the former Temple Beth Israel synagogue at 3517 Austin Street was the first home of what many viewed as a dubious experiment.
The faculty and students built a new kind of school, academically and socially, with limited performance spaces and classes while striving for academic and artistic excellence. HSPVA promoted a feeling that everyone was part of something very special. That spirit remains to this day.
