About Our School

The School for the Creative and Performing Arts at Bluegrass (SCAPA) is a gifted and talented school in Lexington, Kentucky, serving the entire Lexington community. After 30+ years, it is known for exceptional dramatic and musical performances, visual art exhibits, literary arts readings, and dance concerts; academic accomplishments and test scores; as well as its award-winning speech team. Home to 300+ fourth through eighth grade students, SCAPA identifies giftedness in one of nine arts areas: ballet, band, contemporary dance, literary arts, drama, piano, strings, visual art, and vocal music. Students audition in one of these areas for admittance into the school, where demonstration of their artistic abilities is the sole determining entrance factor.

SCAPA's purpose is clear and well known throughout the community. SCAPA assists all students in learning to their greatest potential, both academically and artistically. Focused and intentional arts and academic instruction, coupled with arts-academic integration fosters successful student engagement leading to concept understanding and material retention, and ultimately to student learning. Students acquire discipline from studying and perfecting an art and it carries over into the academic classrooms. Working and performing in the arts helps the students reach their full potential academically, emotionally, physically, socially, and culturally.

SCAPA has been fortunate to receive several national and state awards. Some of the most prestigious ones include: 2015 C-SPAN National Student Cam Video Contest Winner, 2012 National Grand Prize Lexus Eco Challenge Winner, 2011 Governor's Education Award in the Arts, and 2023 Family Friendly School Designation from the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. SCAPA is proud to be a top school in Kentucky.

In 2015, the U.S. Department of Education designated SCAPA Bluegrass as a National Blue Ribbon School in the category of Exemplary High Performing Schools. This is the highest award that a school can receive and we were very proud to have our students, staff, alumni, families, and community recognized for their hard work and achievements.  

• Blue Ribbon Award school profile
• Video announcement of Blue Ribbon status
• What it means to be a National Blue Ribbon School