Wharton Performing Arts School

This season, Wharton Arts proudly celebrates 40 years of transforming lives through the performing arts.

Founded in 1985, the Wharton Performing Arts School (PAS), a program of Wharton Arts, began as a small community music school and has grown into New Jersey’s largest independent nonprofit performing arts education center. Today, it hosts vibrant education opportunities that serve students of all ages and backgrounds.

With a mission to make performing arts education accessible, inclusive, and empowering, PAS nurtures creativity, confidence, and community—on stage and beyond. As we celebrate this milestone year, we honor the thousands of students, families, educators, and supporters who have helped shape our story.

Here’s to 40 years of impact—and the next 40 of inspiration.