Staff report

The Governor's School for the Arts is celebrating 20 years of giving local high school students a concentrated education in the arts.

Students attend their regular scools then ride into Norfolk to dive into their chosen art forms for an extra few hours of education and experience.

The school will celebrate its anniversary and show off its talent at a gala Saturday night in Virginia Beach. Here's a by-the-numbers look at one of regionalism's greatest ambassadors:

Number of visionaries who pushed to get the school created

1 - Louise Lowenthal, who died in 2006

Number of school systems that feed into the school

8 - Chesapeake, Franklin, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach, and Isle of Wight and Southampton counties

Number of students

345

Number of departments in 1988

4

Number of departments in 2008

6 - music, vocal music, visual arts, theater, musical theater, dance)

Headquarters in 1988

The former Small's Hardware on Hampton Boulevard in Norfolk

Headquarters in 2008

Granby Street in downtown Norfolk, with posts at Old Dominion University and with the Virginia Stage Company and the Todd Rosenlieb Dance Center in Norfolk; next year the school will add a new space on 21st Street in Norfolk.

Some of the master teachers

Jazzman Chuck Mangione, actress Jean Stapleton, Virginia Symphony Music Director JoAnn Falleta, violin virtuoso Isaac Stern, visual artist Dale Chihuly.

What some of the former students have done

- Scott Andrews, principal clarinet with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

- Angelica Aspiras, appeared in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" on Broadway

- Rachel Buschert, producing modern-dance in New York

- Matt Caplan, appeared in "Rent" and "High Fidelity" on Broadway

- Zachary Casebolt, Nashville musician performing with Black Mozart

- Justin Faunce, recently reviewed in Art News "Top 10 Trends in Contemporary Art"; exhibiting at the Leo Koenig Gallery in New York

- Van Hughes, in "SAVED!" and had a role in "Hairspray" on Broadway; on TV, appeared in "Law & Order: SVU"

- Jill Jaques, principal horn for Vancouver and Columbia symphony orchestras

- Michelle Krusiec, on ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money" and in the film "What Happens in Vegas... "; TV credits include "Grey's Anatomy" and "Navy NCIS"

- Zach Nighton, film "Surfer Dude" opens this year; co-starred in the film "The Hitcher"; TV work includes "Life on a Stick," "Love, Inc."

- Marjorie Owens, winner Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Young Artist Program

- Jacqueline Patch, with Todd Rosenlieb Dance

- Jeffrey Phelps, conducts Governor's School for the Arts Orchestra; former conductor for the Williamsburg Youth Orchestra

- Barbara Quintiliani, winner Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and Francisco Vinas International Vocal Competition; performed with the Boston Opera, Washington Opera and other companies

- Brian Simerson, has danced with MOMIX for 15 years

- Rashidra Scott, in "Avenue Q" on Broadway

- C.J. Tyson, in "Wicked" on Broadway

- Sarah Viccellio, roles in the film "Evening" and TV series "Damages."