The John Sayles School of Fine Arts (SSFA) is named after of one of our famous district graduates, internationally known filmmaker, John Sayles.

The school provides an integrated Regents high school curriculum with an interdisciplinary focus in visual art, music, theatre, and dance.   The center is a 42,000 square foot wing at Schenectady High School that includes a black box theatre, dance studio, video production studio, media arts lab, piano lab, music studio, art studios and the Miriam Butzel Gallery, which features many student exhibit throughout the year.

In the John Sayles School of Fine Arts community partnerships provide our students extensive opportunities to work with artists in residencies, see live performances, view professional art work, as well as, to exhibit and perform in our community.  

Since its debut in 1998, the Sayles School of Fine Arts Blue Roses Theatre Company has performed more than 40 shows in its impressive 250-seat Black Box Theatre. 

The Sayles School of Fine Arts is one of the few schools statewide to offer dance.  Students study jazz, tap, ballet and Hip-Hop.  Dance Connection is the school's performance troupe.

SSFA has two jazz bands and a full band and orchestra along with four select choirs.

The visual arts curriculum offers a range of courses from Studio in Art to International Baccalaureate (IB) Visual Art. 

The Henry and Miriam Butzel Gallery located in the Sayles wing showcase student and community artwork during throughout the year.