About Us – ArtWorks Academy of Performing Arts

ArtWorks Academy's History

Welcome to ArtWorks Academy! We are so glad you are interested in putting your child in performing or visual arts classes! ArtWorks Academy offers one of the most diverse arts education programs in the metro. ArtWorks Academy is known for being a family friendly environment where children are challenged, learn proper technique, and fall in love with the arts, all while having a great time and making lifelong friendships!

ArtWorks Academy was formed in 2007 by Jonathan and Cheryl Morris and Michael and Katie Morris. While growing up in Edmond and Oklahoma City, Katie and Cheryl met at a performing arts academy. Over the years their friendship grew and they talked about how they might one day open a performing arts academy of their own. Fast forward about 16 years and it finally became a reality! While performing together Katie and Cheryl met their future husbands; brothers Michael and Jonathan Morris. After years of careful planning, ArtWorks Academy of Performing Arts opened its doors to the public in August of 2007 with its inaugural production of Disney’s High School Musical! Over the years word of mouth spread and ArtWorks Academy has served thousands of students of all ages!

2007 – ArtWorks Academy of Performing Arts was founded and began offering classes at our first location, The Vine Church, which was located on W. Lindsey and Berry in Norman, OK

2008 – Our inaugural production, Disney’s High School Musical, featured 3^rd-12^thgrade students.

2008 – We made Randall University our home for all future mainstage productions.

2009 – We moved into our own space on Market Place in north Norman

2010 – The Dance Company, ArtWorks Academy’s competition dance team, was formed

2011 – The first live orchestra was formed for Jane Eyre

2015 – Musical Theatre Company (MTC) was formed

2017 – The Dance Company become Relevé Dance Company and Petite Protégé and Protégé were added to our dance program

2018 – Growth brought the need to expand through the development of satellite locations in Moore, Newcastle and SE Norman

2019 – Continued growth created the need to expand our Main Campus. Loft Theatre, our new black box space, was added to our Main Campus and theatre classes began rehearsing there, as well

2020 – We all lived through a global pandemic, during which ArtWorks Academy had 18 (masked and socially distanced) productions and formed a new satellite in Yukon

Our Mission

To educate children through character building activities that encourage a love of the arts and inspire them to succeed.

Our Philosophy

We are an organization devoted to enriching the lives of youth through the power of the arts. Using the arts as a catalyst for change, we help guide our students as they seek to impact their world. Our programs are designed to encourage every child’s creativity in a positive environment. Our hope is that each child will walk away with a stronger sense of self-worth, more confidence and a wildly creative spirit.

Our Faculty

Students receive excellent training in a positive and professional environment. Our classes are designed to bring out the best in each of our students. Our faculty members are college educated and love teaching and inspiring their students. We strongly believe ArtWorks Academy is like no other. We invite you to enroll your child in our classes with confidence!

Our Students

ArtWorks Academy students come from all over the metro, with the majority residing in Norman, Moore and Oklahoma City. We have students from north Edmond to Lawton and Shawnee to Yukon. Our students range in age from 12 months to adults. The diversity of classes we offer at our Main Campus allows students to take multiple classes or for their siblings to be in a dance class while they are in a theatre class, for instance. In addition to the classes at our Main Campus, we have outreach programs around the metro.

Our Alumni

We are so proud of all of the students who have performed on our stage over the years. ArtWorks Academy students have gone on to obtain degrees in musical theatre, theatre, dance, music education and other arts oriented degrees. They have attended universities from coast to coast, including NYU, Boston Conservatory, The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Oklahoma City University, University of Central Oklahoma, University of Oklahoma, Webster University, and so many more! Many have gone on to be perform professionally and are teaching in the arts. We are equally proud of the students who have chosen a career outside of the arts, as we know their time spent at ArtWorks Academy helped them develop oral communication skills, creative problem solving abilities, and taught them the importance of working cooperatively.