Student Artwork: “In the Field” by a student from the one.Cruikshank School in San Joaquin County.
Inside This Issue
- California County Superintendents Arts Initiative News
- Regional County News and Events from Butte, Contra Costa, Glenn, Humboldt, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Mendocino, Monterey, Riverside, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, and Tulare County Offices of Education.
- State Partner News from Pastel Society of the West Coast, Create CA, AME Institute, The California Arts Project, California Educational Theatre Association, California Arts Education Association, and California Dance Education Association.
Arts Initiative News
The new year has begun with a good amount of chaos and uncertainty. In this environment, a word that can serve as a guide is PURPOSE, “the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists”. While the reasons for what we do or create might develop and evolve, a steadfast purpose of arts educators is to help ensure that students have opportunities to develop their creativity and skills; communicate their hopes, dreams, and fears; and realize their full potential as they prepare for the future. Thank you to California arts educators and partners for maintaining a focus on this purpose. We need you!
Strategic Planning Across the State
Developing a strategic arts education plan helps ensure that arts education is prioritized and delivered in a meaningful, impactful, and sustainable way that benefits all students. In 2024-25 the Arts Initiative has been able to provide grant funds to Butte, Inyo, Kings, Lake, Riverside, San Joaquin, and Siskiyou County Offices of Education to develop or update their strategic arts education plans. They have assembled planning teams and are working to develop plans to be completed by June 2025. Arts Leads from Los Angeles and Tulare COEs are supporting this effort. Several other COEs including Colusa, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Orange, Santa Clara, Sonoma, and Ventura, are also refreshing or developing plans.
Over the years, the Arts Initiative has been fortunate to have the expertise of veteran strategic planner Peggy Burt to lead this work. You can learn more about the “why” and “how” of this process in a recent Siskiyou COE Connection podcast Arts Planning in Siskiyou County which features Peggy and Siskiyou County Arts Educator Andrea Marchyok.
California Student Media Festival Entries Due April 1st
The California Student Media Festival provides a free platform for students to share their work with potential to win recognition and awards for their schools. This is a great way to showcase student voice, creativity, and media arts skills while also elevating stories about the good work happening in schools and communities. The organizers of the festival are seeking entries from all corners of the state. Over the years, a wide variety of topics have been covered in entries from students of all ages. Please help spread the word on this wonderful opportunity. Judges are also needed. If you have a 2 minute break and want to smile, consider viewing this short example film Bad Apple from Redding Elementary School District.
County Arts Leads in Action!
Winter is busy for county arts leads who go to conferences to network, learn, and share best practices. Recent hot places to be include The Kennedy Center’s Partners in Education Annual Meeting, The STEAM Symposium, the California UDL Lead the Way Summit, and the CISC Leadership Symposium.
Arts Education Sessions at the CISC Symposium Feb 19-21
The annual CISC Leadership Symposium takes place on February 19—21 in Anaheim. Over the years, this event has drawn influential California education leaders to share expertise and best practices. Thanks to Pauline Crooks of San Diego COE for compiling this list of sessions focused on arts education for those of you who may be attending this year.
- The Art of Feedback: Igniting Growth & Inclusion in the Arts: Aaron Bryan, Pauline Crooks, and Kate Stover (2/19 at 12:30pm)
- Evaluating the Arts-Honoring the Process Before the Product: Kate Stover and Pauline Crooks (2/20 at 10:15 am)
- Igniting Equity Through Strategic Planning in Arts Education: Patrice Cooley, Pauline Crooks, and Kate Stover (2/20 at 11:30 am)
- Building Effective Arts Education Programs: Jeannine Flores, Michael Garcia, and Scott Fitzpatrick (2/21 at 9:45 am)
County News and Events
Explore what County Offices of Education are doing as they support arts education across the state. Please refer to the updated arts leads contact list if you have questions about any of these items.
Butte County Office of Education
With Support from the Arts Initiative Butte County Drafts New 5-Year Strategic Plan
The new five year Arts Education plan was developed through four Zoom sessions with 18 participants from school districts and the arts community of Butte County. Arts Initiative planning consultant Peggy Burt facilitated the process to set strategic directions, goals, and actions that will provide direction for the County Office of Education and their VAPA program.
Arts Education Initiative Joins Local History Museum and Elementary Schools for Deep Student Learning
In partnership with Wyandotte Academy, Stanford Avenue School, Oroville’s Chinese History Museum, and Ensuring the Arts for Any Given Child Initiative, students created artworks incorporating the Year of the Snake theme after being introduced to objects from the Chinese Museum’s rich collection. Their artwork was put on display at the museum during the annual Lunar New Year festival and field trips to the museum were scheduled during the month of February that will satisfy the local history HSS requirement for third grade.
Molodi Live Dance Residency for Students and PE teachers at Rural School
On February 26th Palermo Middle School in Butte County will host Molodi Live, a step, body percussion dance group, led by Jason Nious, a Kennedy Center, national teaching artist. Molodi will perform during two school wide assemblies that will reach all 500 6th through 8th grade students. This will be followed by a master class with 30 students and the three Physical Education teachers who will learn how to add this dance form to their PE curriculum.
This project is supported by the Ensuring the Arts for Any Given Child Initiative. Visit https://www.molodilive.com/
Superintendent's Annual High School Art Exhibit to be held at CSU Chico
The annual exhibit of high school art from 13 school districts will open on February 20 and run through March 6 at Chico State’s art gallery. Student works will be judged on three criteria: Demonstrated Skill in the Medium; Evidence of Innovation; and Emphasis on Exploration. An awards reception when winners will be announced will be held at the gallery with music by the Pleasant Valley High School Jazz Combo.
Dreaming Big Music Festival for School Bands
This annual showcase of middle school and high school bands consists of two concerts. A free morning concert for 5th grade students and an evening ticketed concert. The morning concert will include interactive activities for the student audience to keep them engaged during band changes. During the concert band members will demonstrate a selection of instruments and prior to the concert a Student Guide with music themed games and information on concert etiquette will be distributed to classrooms. The event is being held in part to acknowledge Music In Our Schools Month.
New Student Storytelling Workshops for Glenn and Butte County Students
During March, high school students at Orland High School will have the opportunity to engage in a multi-session after school storytelling workshop with local writer Bonnie Pipkin. Pipkin is the author of a novel for young adults, a performer, and a college writing instructor. She will engage students in the components of storytelling so they can tell personal stories that break down stereotypes and biases and connect on a human level. Pipkin will also hold sessions with students in Butte County during March at two high schools and two middle schools in Oroville and Chico. Live storytelling events by the students will take place on March 27 in Chico and on March 28 in Orland.
Contra Costa County Office of Education
Strategic Arts Planning in Contra Costa County
Contra Costa County Office of Education is thrilled to begin the Strategic Arts Planning process with Peggy Burt this spring! A diverse team of members from across the county, including teachers, principals, VAPA Coordinators, County Office Coordinators and Community Partners, will gather for two full day in-person meetings. Day one will consist of learning the current state of the arts in Contra Costa County. The team will begin to outline a practical vision for the county. Members will identify strengths, challenges and opportunities for the arts for all students. Day two will bring in the California Arts Standards, Framework, and culturally responsive pedagogy, as the team narrows the focus and priorities. We are excited to serve as a model for districts as they develop their own strategic arts plans and supplement arts programming thanks to Prop 28 AMS funds.
Visual Arts Training: Our Food, Our Culture
Educators are invited to participate in a visual arts training titled, “Our Food, Our Culture” in February at the County Office of Education. This workshop will empower teachers to use the lesson plan and student facing video in our 4th and 5th grade lesson library to implement the lesson in their classrooms. The lesson centers on students’ culture as they illustrate an important or favorite food from their family. Students think about the food in their raw and cooked states, how to represent different textures visually, and the cultural significance of that food. Classmates share their work in order to build community and gain information about each other.
Glenn County Office of Education
Family Art Night with a Creative Health Theme Held in Glenn County
In January, Glenn County Office of Education hosted a countywide Art Night for families. The event centered on a display of student work created with teachers who participated in a fall workshop on creative health based on the Arts Initiative’s Creativity at the Core Module Creative Health and Well-Being through Visual Art. The room was filled with activities for families to engage together in artmaking, with local high school students available for support. A teacher in attendance remarked, “At so many school events, parents congregate in the back and talk amongst themselves, or stand to the side and scroll on their phones. There was very little of that at Family Art Night, and the kids were so happy to be creative alongside their family members!” About 200 people were in attendance.
Humboldt County Office of Education
Creative Education Symposium
Discover how the arts can foster open communication, meaningful connections, and creative education for belonging and inclusion. Keynote speakers include Mariah Rankine-Landers and Jessa Brie Moreno, authors of Do Your Lessons Love Your Students? will challenge us to reimagine education through belonging, inclusion, and creativity. Following their keynote, they will lead an interactive breakout session. Breakout Sessions Include:
- Arts Integration for Belonging and Inclusion
- Juggling: The Complicated Joys of Teaching
- Creating Community Murals
- Elevating Native Art in the Classroom
- Movement and SEL
- Storytelling Through Shadow Puppetry
- Zine Making
- Storytelling with Data…and more.
Date: March 29th, 2025
Location: Humboldt County Office of Education, Sequoia Conference Center
Kern County Office of Education
The Youth Concert Series took place on January 30 and 31, with the theme “Movies and Video Games.” Over 4,000 students from Kern County schools attended to hear the Bakersfield Symphony and learn about the instruments in the orchestra. In celebration of Arts Education Month in March, the Arts in the Courtyard event will feature performances in a downtown courtyard during lunchtime, showcasing theater, dance, visual arts, and music. Additionally, the Spring Honor Choir and Orchestra groups are preparing for their upcoming performances.
Kings County Office of Education
Creativity is flourishing in Kings County as students engage in creating, competing, and collaborating across all areas of the arts. From high school band students partnering with ASL students for a Pitch Perfect concert to exciting new arts programs emerging in elementary schools, a deep passion for the arts is being nurtured and celebrated.
To support this momentum, Kings County was awarded a Strategic Arts Planning Grant earlier this year. In response, we formed a dedicated committee of educators and community members to assess the current state of arts education and envision its future growth. Together, this team is shaping a vibrant, sustainable arts landscape for our students.
As arts education continues to expand, students are also embracing the opportunity to showcase their creativity. This year, they have been encouraged to submit artwork reflecting the rich diversity of their community. These inspiring pieces will be proudly displayed at the Kings County Office of Education’s Community Connect event in May.
We are thrilled to see the arts thriving in Kings County and look forward to fostering even more opportunities for students and the community to create, express, and connect through the power of the arts!
Los Angeles County Office of Education
Creative Wellbeing and the Arts: Fire recovery efforts in L.A. County
By: Peggy Burt
The arts and culture communities of Los Angeles County have come together to support the fire recovery efforts in a number of ways over the last three weeks. From large scale professional concerts, to community donation drives, the Eaton and Palisades fires have had a massive and tragic impact on our friends, neighbors, colleagues and school communities.
On Jan 22nd, the Pasadena Unified School District, that encompasses the communities of Sierra Madre, Altadena and Pasadena, hosted a day long convening for all staff members. It was an opportunity to grieve, to support and to lift up all staff in preparation for the return of students to school sites. Some sites were completely unharmed, while the Eliot Arts Magnet Middle School was heavily damaged. Both the Eliot Arts Magnet and the Altadena Arts Elementary School are relocating to new quarters.
The Keynote Speaker for the day was Dr. Marleen Wong from the Center for Safe & Resilient Schools and Workplaces. Staff learned about trauma-responsive strategies to help process and heal. Staff were invited into Community / Healing Circles with their school site teams to engage in a shared experience promoting their own unique school community restoration.
Partners from the LA County Dept of Arts & Culture / Arts for Healing & Justice Network were on hand to support staff to prepare for the return of students to our school communities. The Creative Wellbeing program at the Los Angeles County Dept of Arts & Culture hosted workshops on behalf of the Pasadena Unified School District on Wednesday Jan 22nd that were designed to engage staff in healing-centered arts practices to use for their own self-care and to support their students. Many thanks to Elisabeth Nails, Program Specialist, Los Angeles County Dept of Arts & Culture and Karen Anderson, Arts & Enrichment Coordinator for the Pasadena Unified School District for their leadership and support.
Teaching Artists and Organizations providing Creative Wellbeing Workshops included:
Fostering Dreams Project, Mindful Strategies, Plus Me Project, Upward Together, Center for the Empowerment of Family, No Easy Props
Further L.A County Wildfire Resources
Explore Art & Science with the Getty: March 19, 2025
Very Special Arts Festival: May 2, 2025
The Music Center’s Very Special Arts Festival is an annual free, inclusive event celebrating the artistic achievements of students with all abilities. The festival features student and professional performances, visual and performing arts workshops and a student art exhibit created around a theme that is introduced to the students each year. Presented in partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles County Office of Education, the Very Special Arts Festival is open to all grade levels. For more information and to register your school, visit https://www.musiccenter.org/vsaf.
Mariposa County Office of Education
Expanding Arts Education and Opportunities in Mariposa County
The Mariposa County Office of Education (MCOE) is deepening its commitment to arts education through key initiatives that enhance arts integration, expand student access to creative learning experiences, and provide professional development for educators.
A cornerstone of this effort is the Arts Integration Community of Practice (CoP), a monthly gathering for teachers and administrators designed to strengthen their understanding of arts integration. This collaborative space allows educators to exchange strategies, develop new skills, and explore creative approaches to curriculum design, ensuring the arts are meaningfully incorporated into classroom learning.
In partnership with the Mariposa County Arts Council, MCOE is also implementing major components of its Strategic Arts Education Plan. This includes developing a structured curriculum that integrates visual arts, media arts, and music into core subjects while providing educators with ongoing professional development and practical strategies for arts-based instruction. Expanded artist residencies will connect students with local and regional artists, offering hands-on creative experiences and providing educators with professional learning opportunities through co-teaching models. Additionally, MCOE and the Arts Council are working to establish workforce development pathways for student artists, creating opportunities for mentorship, real-world experience, and exposure to careers in the arts.
As part of the Strategic Arts Education Plan, MCOE has introduced an Indigenous Arts and Cultural Curriculum for all 4th-grade classrooms, designed to align with California history standards. This program focuses on Indigenous California lifeways and cultural arts, providing students with a deeper understanding of Indigenous traditions and histories.
Beyond classroom instruction, MCOE and MCUSD are continuing their collaboration with the Mariposa County Arts Council and Sierra Foothill Conservancy to offer a place-based Art + Environmental Science outdoor education camp during Spring and Summer Break for TK-6 students. This immersive program blends scientific exploration with artistic expression, creating meaningful hands-on learning experiences in nature.
Mendocino County Office of Education
Mendocino County Office of Education continues to support local artists sharing their talents with students throughout the county through the Get Arts in Schools Program (GASP). This year, the GASP program, in partnership with the Mendocino Arts Council, is bringing students opportunities in dance, visual arts, performing arts, podcasting and more. The Mendocino Dance Company has kicked off the Spring season with a series of classes to introduce students to self expression through movement. Students who were interviewed about the series shared their love and enthusiasm for their dance classes, especially dancing to James Brown! Poets in the Schools is underway and the annual anthology will be printed in late Spring. We would also like to celebrate the cohort of teachers from Mendocino County that continue to implement visual thinking strategies and the Acting Right Actors’ Toolbox strategies three years after their Arts Integration Grant sunset. It is wonderful to see teachers reach mastery after several years of iterations to find what works best for their students. MCOE is proud of this commitment to continuous improvement in service of students.
Monterey County Office of Education
Afterschool Teatro and Music Program at Gonzales High School
The afterschool Teatro and Music Program at Gonzales High School, offered through Artists Ink, provides students with a dynamic space to explore the performing arts. From mastering guitar and vocal techniques to diving into music production, participants develop their musical talents while gaining hands-on experience in the creative process. Beyond music, students can immerse themselves in scriptwriting, lighting design, costume design, and stage management, allowing them to take on various roles in theater production. This program fosters artistic expression, collaboration, and technical skills, empowering students to bring their creative visions to life on stage and behind the scenes.
Monterey County Opportunities and Events
- Monterey Museum Of Art’s Block Party: April 5th
- Monterey VAPA Collaborative Network: March 5th and May 7th
- Exploring Climate through Media Arts: March 12th
Riverside County Office of Education
Artists in Residence in RCOE Court and Community Schools
Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, Riverside County Office of Education’s Alternative Education and Instructional Services departments began working collaboratively. Utilizing Prop 28 funding they set about adding arts to the school day at all of the county’s court and community schools. Alternative Education Executive Director, Dr. Deanna McCarty and Instructional Service Arts Administrator, Louisa Higgins brainstormed and envisioned what the arts might look like for the hundreds of students at secondary sites spread all across the large county of Riverside.
They came up with a hub of three regions to support the South County (Murrieta and San Jacinto), West County (Riverside) and Coachella Valley (Palm Springs and Indio). Artists would be assigned to one of the hubs for a six-week period, to deliver sequential, standards-based arts classes. Next came the task of identifying highly effective artists and educators with the experience and attitude most fitting for this important work. The artists toured the facilities and received training in trauma informed practices and the rules and regulations for the probation programs.
At last, we began to offer the three rotations. Mrs. Karen Riley brings us stimulating visual arts. Mr. James Coats shares the wonder of poetry. Mr. David Ricks engages with the joy of dance. Below, you can see more about their background, and why they love to do this work! It is our privilege and pleasure to bring this program forward and continue it for many years into the future. We know that art is for everyone, and that all students in our county have a right to benefit from a full and complete education that serves the whole child. Read more information about the artists here.
Santa Clara County Office of Education
2025 ¡Viva el mariachi! Showcase
The Santa Clara County Office of Education is sponsoring its third annual showcase of youth mariachi and folklórico groups. The event will take place on Wednesday, April 3, from 5-8 PM at the Mexican Heritage Plaza with visiting guest performers Mariachi Los Gavilanes de Monaco Middle School in Las Vegas. School mariachi and ballet folklórico groups will also be performing from East Side Union High School, San Jose Unified, Campbell Union School District, Luther Burbank School, Pajaro Valley Unified School District in Santa Cruz, and San Jose State University.
2025 Young Artist Showcase
Theme- Arts Build Civic Engagement: Involved in Arts, Involved in Life!
This year’s artwork theme is inspired by research highlighted by the National Endowment of the Arts in 2004: Arts as Civic Engagement: Involved in Arts, involved in Life (National Endowment for the Arts, 2004). In 2017, the Irvine Foundation funded a study that had similar findings (Rabkin, 2017). There is a consistent correlation between arts participation and civic engagement, and experiences during adolescence are particularly impactful (Rabkin, 2017, p. 5). The arts build connections between people, evoking trust, and are crucial in rebuilding social capital – shared values and resources used towards achieving a common goal or set of goals. Students can speak to their experiences of arts participation and how they have engaged as volunteers in their communities around environmental, socio-economic, and political issues. Because the nature of the arts is a collaborative and expressive one, youth will be able to create expressive pieces about the ways they engage with their respective communities.
Submissions are accepted until April 1, 2025. A virtual celebration will take place on Friday, May 23 at 4:00 PM.
Santa Cruz County Office of Education
Prop 28 Art and Music in Schools Funding in Alternative Education Programs
With our Prop 28 Art & Music in Schools funds, we have been able to support visual & performing arts teachers in our Alternative Education programs. Students are learning how to draw and paint; engage in digital arts; play the guitar; and create puppets all through the lens of culturally responsive teaching.
ArtsBridge
The ArtsBridge program, a collaboration between UCSC and our Santa Cruz COE supports undergraduate and graduate students in going into classrooms and exploring the field of visual and performing arts education by working with teachers. Many who have participated in this program end up pursuing a credential or a Teaching Artist position.
Link Up Orchestra Rocks Youth Concerts
Over 4000 students from Santa Cruz County will be attending the Youth Concerts, a collaboration between our COE, the Santa Cruz Symphony and Carnegie Hall.
Our Conductor, Maestro Daniel Stewart and our MC, Professor Omari Tau lead our students in playing instruments, singing the selections and doing body percussion for pieces like La Bruja, Ram Tori Maya, Anvil Chorus and Oye! This year, we are pleased to include schools from Monterey County.
Shasta County Office of Education
Art and SEL Integration Professional Learning Series in Shasta County
K-8 classroom teachers and K-12 visual art teachers are invited to this professional learning event. Participants will learn how to increase student engagement and a sense of belonging through art and SEL lessons. The series runs from March 8 through April 29th. Stipends are offered for Shasta County teachers.
Tulare County Office of Education
Throughout March, in honor of Arts Education Month, Tulare County Office of Education is hosting a pair of youth art showcases.
Museum Masterpieces- Youth Art Show
This Third Annual event is a partnership between the Tulare County Office of Education (TCOE) and the Porterville Historical Museum (PHM). This collaboration was developed through the QUAIL Project – TCOE’s multi-year, federally funded, professional learning and community partnership initiative. Museum Masterpieces is open to PreK-8th grade students from the small and rural school districts in the Porterville area. These are: Alta Vista – Ducor – Hope – Hot Springs – Pleasant View – Rockford – Saucelito – Springville – Strathmore – Sunnyside – Terra Bella – Woodville. Student 2D and 3D artwork will be on display in the Main Exhibit Hall of the Porterville Historical Museum (257 N. D Street, Porterville) throughout March for Arts Education Month. TCOE’s goal is to develop partnerships like this with other museums, galleries, and local businesses throughout Tulare County, providing young artists with an opportunity to see their artwork showcased in their towns and neighborhoods. Whether it’s a big city, small town, or rural community, we believe the arts are for everyone.
Virtual Student Art Exhibition
Held in conjunction with Arts Education Month and open to all Tulare County students in grades PK-12, the annual virtual exhibition showcase the county’s young artists. The online gallery features over 530 hand-drawn and digital works, photographs, and sculptures from 41 Tulare County schools. Students, educators, and community members are invited to visit the gallery at www.tcoe.org/ArtGallery to see the artwork, which are organized into smaller galleries by school.
Highway 99 Youth Arts Data Project
The California County Superintendents Statewide Arts Initiative is pleased to support a new initiative in Region 7 – The Highway 99 Youth Arts Data Project. Through this project, the Region 7 CISC Arts subcommittee – representing Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, and Tulare counties (Highway 99 Arts) – is inviting local high school students to participate in a unique opportunity aimed at honoring and celebrating student voice.
As schools move into a new era of arts education in California, spurred by the additional funding provided by Proposition 28, it is critical that they continue working to provide arts courses, programming, and experiences which will meet the needs and curiosities of ALL students. In order to do this effectively, the first step is to connect with students directly to get their thoughts and feedback on current arts opportunities. The arts are defined as: dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts. The Region 7 team has worked over the last year to develop a survey instrument to determine students’ interests, barriers, and collective vision for the future of the arts in the Highway 99 region. The questions on this survey were developed in partnership with researchers and students from area high schools. This project is student-led, student-driven, and student-focused, all with an end goal of ensuring that student voice is front and center. This survey is the first of its kind to be administered across the region and county office leaders look forward to learning directly from area students. The COEs will use the data gathered to drive work in their region moving forward and they will also synthesize it into tools, resources, and data points that can inform local, regional, and statewide conversations.
State Partner News
Pastel Society of the West Coast Scholarship!
Scholarship opportunity is available. For more information click on this flyer.
Deadline: April 15th, 2025
Create California
March Arts Now Meetup: March 25, 10 AM PST
Attend the March Arts Now Meetup to be in community with your peers and colleagues! This open-format meeting provides the opportunity to connect with colleagues around the state, share promising practices, ask for support and discuss new ideas and trends in arts education. Find community, partnership and motivation that will help you be a better arts education advocate! This event is free but requires registration.
Mapping Joy in the Wilderness: March 3rd, 4:30 PM PST
Join Get Lit and Create CA for an evening of poetry, writing, and sharing thoughts and ideas around recent large, ongoing, and challenging events. Workshop participants will be introduced to powerful poetry, have the chance to write and share their own, and engage in creative and joyful exercises. The workshop will be facilitated by two Get Lit Teaching Artists. Register here!
AME Institute
Bay Area Pop-Up
The AME Institute Bay Area Pop-Up is right around the corner, register now to secure your spot!
Join us for this one-day professional learning event connecting educators with the creative industries in the Bay Area. Afternoon sessions will be hosted by ABC-7,A.C.T., Adobe, BAVC Media, Dolby, KQED, Lucasfilm, Pixar, Unity.
The day kicks off at A.C.T.’s Strand Theatre with an AME Expo and our opening conversation, “Keeping Creativity and Innovation in the Bay.” Bay Area thought leaders Rodney Earl Jackson Jr. (SFBATCO), Dawn Valadez (BAVC), and Grace Porras (#MakeitBay) will discuss how we can support emerging talent in the region and keep them local! Facilitated by Lex Leifheit (Cultural Affairs, City of Oakland), this conversation will highlight strategies, programs, and initiatives that build our creative workforce and equip young artists with the skills to thrive. The day includes breakfast, lunch, and an end-of-day networking reception at Adobe!
Date: February 28, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA
Registration Link
The California Arts Project
Courageous Creativity Conference
Registration is now open for Courageous Creativity, an arts education leadership conference grounded in the aspirations of the CA Arts Education Framework, CA Arts Standards, and the opportunities presented by the Arts and Music in Schools Funding (AMS). For more information visit TCAP’s website.
California Educational Theatre Association
Stand Up 4 Arts Education
Join California’s 4 Arts Education Organizations on March 12, 2025, at our State Capitol as they celebrate the power of the Arts. Be inspired by Music, Dance, and Theatre performances, Art Exhibits, and guest speakers. Help students, educators, and other supporters advocate for the importance of Arts Education.
California Arts Education Association
CAEA San Diego Fall Regional Conference
Save the Date! CAEA San Diego is excited to announce our upcoming fall regional conference: Innovate, Inspire, Impact: Celebrating 60 years of CAEA. Join us for an inspiring gathering of arts educators, advocates, vendors, and leaders with engaging workshops, dynamic speakers, and valuable networking opportunities!
Location: Liberty Station, San Diego
Date: October 10-12, 2025
For more information contact Bob Medina or Alyssa Navapanich.
2025 CAEA Youth Art Month Program
Southern California Regional Show: Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego. Exhibit: 3/1/25-3/15/25; Closing Reception 3/15/25 Time: 10am-12pm Artwork will be on Display at: Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, CA
Central Area Show: March 1, 2025. Reception and awards ceremony at Bakersfield Art Association
Northern Area Show: February 11 to March 1, 2025. The artwork will be on display at PBS KVIE Studios, Sacramento, CA Closing reception March 1, 2025.
2024-2025 CAEA San Diego County K-8 Student Art Exhibit
Exhibition Opens February 3rd, 2025, at the Mission Valley Library. Closing Reception is February 22nd, 2025, for artists, educators, and their families.
San Diego Museum of Art
More than 45 students taught by CAEA member educators: Alison Behr, Tanya Robertson, Meera Ramanathan, Don Masse, Alyssa Navapanich, Hilary Spitzer, Grace Colletta, and Teri James will have their art included in the San Diego Museum of Art Exhibition Young Art 2025: Nurture and Nature on View April 5–May 18, 2025. The San Diego Museum of Art’s biennial youth exhibition, Young Art, holds the extraordinary distinction of being the longest-running program in the Museum’s history. https://www.sdmart.org/young-art/
California Dance Education Association
CDEA State Conference
This Spring, the California Dance Education Association is active and on the move! On March 1 and 2, we will host our annual State Conference, this time at Long Beach State. It will be a weekend full of connecting, learning, and moving together in community. The theme is “Radical Roots: Leveraging Voices and Storytelling in Dance.” In March, our members will take their students to Sacramento to participate in the Stand Up 4 Arts event: an arts education advocacy day in which Visual and Performing Arts students from around the state visit our Capitol to meet with their law-makers, perform, and celebrate the impact arts education has had on their lives. Then on May 3, CDEA will host its annual dance festival, CA Dances, this time at Sonoma State University. This performance festival will be in collaboration with SSU’s jazz festival and the dance performances will also honor jazz roots in dance. We hope you’ll join us for these wonderful events! Stay tuned for the Festival submission site coming soon here.
