A Look at Kinder HSPVA's New Downtown Campus

By Monica Russo • METRO Connections • March 2019

  •  2 min read

The renowned Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) has a new home. Located along METRORail's Green and Purple lines, in the heart of Houston's Theater District, the $96 million facility opened for classes on January 7.

The school's roots go deep. It was founded nearly a half century ago by Lamar High School drama teacher Ruth Denney. HSPVA was one of the first institutions to provide specialized training in music, visual arts, dance and theater all while maintaining high academic standards. Since then, it has nurtured the careers of several award-winning actors, artists and musicians.

The 168,000-square-foot school includes five stories of classroom and program space. Other features include a main theater with a balcony and seating for 800, a secondary studio theater, a black box theater, dance and music studios, a fitness center, and ample practice and performance space.

Principal Scott Allen says the school's proximity to light rail is another great feature.

"We are lucky that rail runs along each side of our new site," says Allen. "We have a number of students and teachers who use METRO to commute to and from school each day and there are plans to use it for field trips. It's also a great way for people to get to our weekend performances."

Weekend events include an array of performances from jazz concerts to live theater. Each performance is open to the public and tickets are a bargain, just $10 or less in most cases. Admission to the school's upcoming performance of Arthur Miller's Crucible, for example, starts at $9.75. The Spring Orchestra Concert, scheduled in mid-April, is free. Additional performances and the box office can be found here.

To get to HSPVA by METRORail, take the Red line and exit at Central Station Main, or take the Green or Purple lines and exit at Central Station Capitol. You can also plan your trip on your smartphone with the RideMETRO app.

HSPVA performances are open to the public and tickets are a bargain, just $10 or less in most cases.

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