In 2020, BSA was named a Silver Medal School by the U.S. News & World Report magazine and was ranked 1,173th nationally and 29th in the state of Maryland (first overall in Baltimore City).

This charter followed many years of effort to create an arts high school, including a 1978 recommendation of a special Task Force appointed and given strong support by then Mayor William Donald Schaefer, (1921–2011), [served 1971–1986]; [later Governor of Maryland, 1987–1995, Comptroller of Maryland, 1999–2007].

In addition, the school maintains artistic relationships with local organizations such as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Center Stage, the Hippodrome Foundation, and the Walters Museum.

Students follow a college-preparatory curriculum that intends to emphasizes the core values commonly found in a liberal arts education.

Due to the focus of many of the student's on their artistic discipline the school only began hosting extracurriculars in the 2000s and still retains a limited selection.

[10] The BSA's official in-school newspaper is The Muse which runs bi-monthly and is independent from the school.

[12] Situated in Mount Vernon, a historic cultural district immediately north of downtown Baltimore, BSA is located in two buildings on the corner of Madison Avenue and Cathedral Street.