Art Education Resources
No-Cost or Low Cost Arts Education For All Ages
Canoga Park Youth Arts Center | 7222 Remmet Avenue, Canoga Park, CA 91303 | (818) 346-7099
“The Canoga Park Youth Arts Center is dedicated to positively impacting the lives of children and families through quality, innovative education programs, gallery exhibitions and community festivals. We offer an ongoing cycle of Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall sessions. Every workshop is uniquely designed to be fun, educational and exciting. Young minds and creative spirits are nurtured by our outstanding faculty of artist/instructors who bring years of knowledge, expertise and energy into the studio. Our classes are kept small so that every student gets maximum attention and instruction allowing students to grow in a positive, personalized and safe classroom environment.”
Center for the Arts Eagle Rock | 2225 Colorado Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90041 | (323) 226-1617
“Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock provides local, innovative, and accessible arts programming.We create innovative and multicultural art education opportunities through workshops, after school programming, and art camps.We produce six exhibitions per year and showcase over 200 local, emerging, and established artists annually in our art auction.Along with Councilmember Jose Huizar we produce the largest free music festival in Los Angeles, the Eagle Rock Music Festival.”
“The Center: South LA will be an Arts Center in South Los Angeles. We will offer a variety of creative classes in traditional and non-traditional Dance, Theatre Drawing/Painting, Music and Arts & Crafts. We will always strive to offer interesting classes and event in the arts with a lean to the more “non-traditional” form in that category. Our goal is for art to be accessible to everyone. The Center will be a catalyst for revitalization, development and community connection in the South Los Angeles by serving as a central place for classes, performances, various group meetings and exhibitions.”
Department of Cultural Affairs: Community Arts Division | 4800 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90027 | (323) 644-6269
“Through its 18 neighborhood cultural centers, the Community Arts Division offers high quality instruction in the performing, visual, and new media arts; produces solo and group art exhibitions; maintains a Slide Registry of over 2,000 California artists; creates outreach programs for underserved populations; develops special initiatives for youth including the Sony Media Arts Program, which provides training in computer animation and graphics to middle-school students, and promotes numerous festivals during the year that celebrate the cultural diversity of the community.” Cultural Center locations include: Barnsdall Art Center, Barnsdall Junior Arts Center, Canoga Park Youth Arts Center, Sun Valley Youth Arts Center, Music LA Program, Watts Towers Art Center, and William Grant Still Arts Center
Free Arts for Abused Children | 12095 W. Washington Boulevard, Suite 104, Los Angeles, CA 90066 | (310) 313-4278
“Free Arts programs are designed to serve children, age two to eighteen years, who have been abused, are homeless or at-risk of falling through the cracks of the system. Many of the children we work with have been removed from their homes and placed in the protective custody of the court system. Free Arts programs interlace the healing and therapeutic power of the arts into the lives of the children and families we work with. Expressive art forms like dance, drama, writing, music, and painting are used to encourage them to channel emotions, release anger, model positive methods of communication, and develop renewed trust in adults.”
The HeArt Project | 1140 N Citrus Ave, Los Angeles, California 90038 | (323) 465-1404
“The HeArt Project envisions a world where all alternative high school students graduate from high school, thrive into adulthood, and propel all society with their unique creativity. Mission: The HeArt Project combats the epidemic high school dropout crisis with a long-term, sequential arts program offering a pursuable life path that inspires students to stay in school, evolve as unique individuals and flourish as creative adults.”
Inner City Arts | 720 Kohler Street, Los Angeles, CA 90021 | (213) 627-9621
“Inner-City Arts, widely regarded as one of the nation’s most effective arts education providers, is an oasis of learning, achievement and creativity in the heart of Skid Row, and a vital partner in the work of creating a safer, healthier Los Angeles.”
5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036 | (323) 857-6000
“Throughout the year, LACMA art classes provide unique opportunities to learn about art through studio activities, discussion sessions, and visits to the galleries. No prior art-making experience is necessary.
LACMA offers classes for children, teens, families and adults. Children's classes focus on artworks in the museum's permanent collection or in special exhibitions and integrate creative problem-solving with art-making instruction. There are plenty of classes to choose from, but enrollment in each is limited. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.”
(Financial aid to attend art classes and art camp are available for children ages six through twelve and teens through the National Arts Association and its gift in memory of Mr. Edward M. Condon. For further information, call the art class registrar at 323-857-6139.)
McGroarty Arts Center| 7570 McGroarty Terrace, Tujunga, CA 91042 | (818) 352-5285
“McGroarty Arts Center provides access to the arts through in-depth arts instruction and experiences. Affordable or free multidisciplinary arts instruction is offered to at-risk youth, children, and families, as are performances, exhibitions, and events that engage the greater public. The Center is a venue for artists to present their work, while preserving the legacy of John Steven McGroarty and his historic home.”
Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA Grand): MOCA for Families | 250 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012 | (213) 621-1710
“First Sundays are for everyone at Sunday Studio - Drop in, create art, and share Sundays with your family at the museum's hands-on, artist-led workshops for families with children ages 5 and up. Museum admission is free to all participants. Reservations are not required. All family workshops and gallery activities are offered in English and Spanish. For more information, please contact Fabrizio Flores at 213/621-1765.”
Museum of Latin American Contemporary Art (MOLAA): Education Program for Children & Families
628 Alamitos Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90803 | (562) 216-4109
“MOLAA's Education Program offers a multi-disciplinary experience for students, families and the general public through an ongoing schedule of Docent-guided tours of the temporary exhibitions and permanent collection, school tours and workshops, art and culture classes, festivals, films, performances and guest lectures. The MOLAA Education Program offers a variety of programs that are presented either each or each month such as Story Time and Art for Children is each Wed, a Dance class each Thursday evening, and Target-free family art workshops each Sunday; Every other Saturday an adult art class is offered, sometimes with a Master artists; once a month we offer a Saturday Cooking Class and one Sunday a month we offer a Festival program of dance, musical groups and performances related to various important Latin American holidays, celebrations and cultural traditions.”
“The Mobile Mural Lab connects with a variety of communities including: (visual artists, graffiti artists, youth based organizations, and performers) by means of social networking and visibility within the public realm…The Mobile Mural Lab collaborates with communities to re-imagine a public domain where individuals have the liberty to creatively express themselves outside the confines of private space. The Mobile Mural Lab investigates the fore-mentioned topics by means of a re-appropriated 1982 Search & Rescue Vehicle, newly outfitted for two different forms of production”
Plaza de la Raza | 3540 North Mission Road, Los Angeles, CA 90031 | (323) 223-2475 “Plaza de la Raza was founded by prominent labor, business and community leaders and local residents originally in response to plans by the City of Los Angeles Parks and Recreation Commission to demolish Lincoln Park’s historic boathouse. Margo Albert, Mexican-born actress/singer and Frank López, a well-known labor union organizer, spearheaded the efforts to find alternatives to the boathouse’s destruction and proved to be the guiding lights in the formation of Plaza as a community-based cultural arts and education center. It officially became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on May 20, 1970.”
Self-Help Graphics: S.O.Y. Artista Program (Summer of Youth Artist Program)
1300 E 1st St, Los Angeles, CA 90033 | (323) 881-6444
“SHG is a nationally recognized center for Latino arts that develops and nurtures artists in printmaking. SHG seeks to advance Latino art broadly through programming, exhibitions and outreach to diverse audiences in East Los Angeles and beyond. SHG seeks to identify and engage young and emerging artists from the community in all aspects of its activities.”
The Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC)| 685 Venice Blvd, Venice, CA 90291 | (310) 822-9560
“SPARC has over a thirty year history of working in Art Education in the communities of Los Angeles and other sites nationally and internationally. We have specialized in work with at risk adolescents and have developed art curriculum at all levels including University graduate and undergraduate students and teacher training. Contact us for Visual Arts curriculum development for your school or community. Special workshops are available for groups upon request.
St. Elmo Village: Workshops, Outreach/In-School Instruction, Tours/Field Trips | 4830 Saint Elmo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90019 | (323) 931-3409
“St. Elmo Village, is where we live - a place where people can meet as people first, to share those feelings, those things one wishes to share without dictation. Working together in a place like the Village, we are reminded of the things that we have in common rather than those that separate us. The philosophy of St. Elmo Village is that all people are creative and powerful in their own way. Through sharing the creative process, we encourage self-confidence and self-esteem through the arts. St. Elmo Village has been providing art workshops, festivals and numerous enhancement programs in the surrounding neighborhood and the Los Angeles community at large. The Village emphasizes pride in self as well as in our environment, which instills a desire to build up...”
Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural and Bookstore: Workshops for Children, Youth & Families
13197-A Gladstone Ave., Sylmar, CA 91342 | (818) 939-3433
“Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural and Bookstore is a dream of community empowerment. Three San Fernando residents--Maria Trinidad Rodriguez, Enrique Sanchez, and Luis J. Rodriguez--came together in November 2000 and created a partnership to make this dream come true. On December 15, 2001 this dream became a reality when we opened our doors to the public.”
Watts House Project | 1726-1750 East 107th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90002
“The Watts House Project (WHP) is an ongoing, collaborative artwork in the shape of a neighborhood redevelopment centered on East 107th St., across from the historic Watts Towers in Los Angeles. WHP is driven by the vision of local families, artists, and architects who work collaboratively to reimagine the neighborhood through housing renovations and community activism. By tapping into local resources, leveraging existing assets, and building a network of city-wide partnerships, WHP strives to become a model for innovative neighborhood associations regionally and nationally.”
Watts Towers Arts Center & Watts Towers Charles Mingus Youth Arts Center | 1727 East 107th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90002 | (213) 847-4646
“The Watts Towers Arts Center provides diverse cultural enrichment programming through tours of the Towers, lectures, changing exhibitions, and studio workshops for both teachers and students. Each year, thousands of people from all over the world are attracted to the site to participate in the programs, and to see the Towers and hear the story of their creation. The Watts Towers Arts Center is known internationally for its association with and development of master artists.”
Youth Speak! Collective: Digital Media, Youth Council, Mural Design and more... | 11243 Glenoaks Blvd. Suite #11, Pacoima, CA 91331 | (818) 890-2928
“Youth Speak Collective is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Pacoima, California. Youth Speak’s mission is to empower low-income, at-risk youth and their families with the skills necessary to pursue higher education and create strong communities. The organization’s name stems from its commitment to providing youth with the opportunity to ‘speak’ – to be vocal and empowered, helping develop the very programs they participate in, programs that improve the health of their neighborhoods.”
Tuition Based Public Programs
Art Center College of Design: Saturday High, Art Center for Kids, Art Center at Night | 1700 Lida Street, Pasadena, CA 91103 | (626) 396-2200
“Art Center’s Public Programs provide access to exceptional instruction, facilities and networking opportunities. Headquartered at South Campus but holding classes at both, these programs feature a varied and evolving curriculum led by a dedicated faculty of professional artists and top design practitioners, many of which are Art Center alumni.” (Scholarships are available; please contact Art Center College of Design Public Programs office: 626.396.2319)
Otis College of Art & Design: Continuing Education | 9045 Lincoln Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90045 | (310) 665-6800
“Continuing Education offers a wide range of beginning, intermediate, and advanced art and design courses for all ages on weekends and evenings, as well as special summer programs. These courses enable you to pursue your artistic and professional development, as well as your personal and intellectual growth.”
Public Schools for the Arts (K-12)
Charter High School of the Arts: Multi Media and Performing | 6842 Van Nuys Boulevard, Van Nuys, CA 91405 | (818) 994-7614
“The mission of Charter High School of the Arts is to provide an education that empowers students to reach their highest potential and inspires a love of learning. Champions of Academic Excellence, Social Responsibility, Self Expression, and Life-Long Learning are developed through the Arts.”
Crenshaw Arts/Tech Charter High School (C.A.T.C.H.) | 2941 West 70th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90043 | (323) 778-7700
“At C.A.T.C.H., as in life, we use the term graphic design to refer to a number of artistic and professional disciplines which focus on visual communication and presentation. At our school, we use a variety of methods to combine symbols, images, and words to create a visual representation of ideas and messages.”
L.A. County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) | 5151 State University Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90032 | (323) 343-2550
“Mission: Students at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, through powerful learning experiences, will embrace and excel in the arts and academics while working towards their visions of the future.”
Los Feliz Charter School for the Arts (LFCSA) | Office: 1553 Cassil Place, Los Angeles, CA 90028 | (323) 539-2810
“LFCSA is a parent-initiated, innovative, non-profit, public elementary school serving a socio-economically, ethnically and linguistically diverse student population. Our mission is to provide a high-quality public education that embraces learning in and through the arts as an integral part of a balanced learning environment.”
Los Angeles High School of the Arts (LAHSA) | 701 S. Catalina Street, Los Angeles, CA 90005 | (213) 480-4500
“The Los Angeles High School of the Arts (LAHSA) is a fully-public, non-audition performing arts school serving Koreatown's Kennedy Zone of Choice. At the Los Angeles High School of the Arts (LAHSA), students learn real-world skills necessary for success in life and the entertainment industry. Students are taught by professional actors, directors, dancers and singers, lighting, set, sound, and costume designers and technicians.”
School of Visual and Performing Arts: Central Los Angeles High School #9 | 450 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA |(213) 217-8600
College and University Art Programs
Art Center College of Design | 1700 Lida Street, Pasadena, CA 91103 | (626) 396-2200
“Learn to create. Influence change. This is our mission at Art Center College of Design. For more than 80 years, we’ve achieved an international reputation for our rigorous, transdisciplinary curriculum, faculty of professionals, strong ties to industry and a commitment to socially responsible design. At Art Center, we prepare artists and designers to be make a positive impact in their chosen fields—as well as the world at large.”
UCLA @ SPARC: Cesar Chavez Digital Mural Lab | 685 Venice Blvd, Venice, CA 90291 | (310) 822-9560 “…in 1996 Judy Baca established the UCLA SPARC César Chávez Digital/Mural Lab. By setting the UCLA lab at SPARC, the non-profit that is home and history of the murals of Los Angeles, Judy not only pioneered digital techniques for creating murals, but also became innovative in a teaching methodology that trained University students and artists about community issues and art within an actual community setting thus combining theory and practice as one.”
Otis College of Art & Design: Graduate Public Practice | 9045 Lincoln Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90045 | (310) 665-6800 “The program, under the leadership of Suzanne Lacy, the renowned artist, educator, theorist of socially engaged public art and author, prepares students to re-invent traditional media-specific ways of thinking about art making. Los Angeles--global center of public practices by artists and collaborative groups--is its dynamic setting, with studio facilities in the historic 18th Street Art Center.”
California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) | 24700 McBean Parkway Valencia, CA 91355 | (661) 255-1050
“CalArts is internationally renowned as one of the leading centers for undergraduate and graduate study in the performing and visual arts and in the critical study of these arts…It was the nation's first art institute to offer BFAs and MFAs in both the visual and performing arts, and today the Institute remains dedicated to training and nurturing the next generation of professional artists, fostering brilliance and innovation within the broadest context possible.”
California State University, Long Beach: College of the Arts | 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90840 | (562) 985-4376
“The Department of Art at CSULB is the flagship of visual arts education, scholarship, and practice in the CSU system. It is the largest publicly funded university art department in the United States, the first art department in the CSU system to offer the MFA degree, and the first public university art department in California to be accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.”
California State University Northridge: Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication |
18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330| (818) 677-1200
“The goals of the Art Department are establishing and developing for students an inclusive and balanced program in visual art, which encompass four areas of study: Art Education, Art History, Studio Art, and Visual Communications.”
California State University Los Angeles: Department of Art
5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032 | (323) 343-4010
"Our Department is a vibrant community of artists; designers, educators and historians dedicated to helping future generations realize their dreams. We are accredited and nationally recognized by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design."
University of Los Angeles (UCLA): Department of Art
Broad Art Center, Suite 2275, 240 Charles E. Young Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095 | (310) 825-3281
“The [UCLA] Department of Art is committed to a professional art training within the context of a liberal arts university. Visual artists are responsible for some of the most provocative and enduring expressions of culture. At UCLA, emerging artists are provided with the tools they need to express themselves in ways that are meaningful in the social context in which they live and work.”
University of Los Angeles (UCLA): Department of World Arts & Cultures
120 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095 | (310) 825 3951
“World Arts and Cultures—the name itself expresses a commitment to cross-cultural understanding through the arts. By looking to world arts, the department seeks to decenter Western perspectives by recognizing that visual and performance arts and other ways of knowing are situated locally and often made and distributed globally. WAC faculty members are interlocutors in dialogues about the frictions and flows implicated by the department's name. As such, WAC is defined by a dynamic interdisciplinary approach that encourages intercultural literacies and repertoires, including and transcending geography, ethnicity, class, and other distinctions of identity. WAC is designed for self-motivated students who want to study the arts in global and local contexts. An internationally renowned faculty provides fresh approaches to arts scholarship and arts practice. Inclusivity is our goal. Students are encouraged to take advantage of resources across campus and in greater Los Angeles, even as they learn from each other.”
USC: Roski School of Fine Arts: Art/Curatorial Practices in the Public Sphere |
850 West 37th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90089 | (213) 740-2787
“The Master of Public Art Studies Program: Art/Curatorial Practices in the Public Sphere at USC's Roski School of Fine Arts is a unique platform to research art, architecture and other modes of cultural production, as well as models of curatorial practice/exhibition making, in relation to the material/social conditions of public space.”