Student Artwork featured in 2025 CISC Symposium
Left to right: “Windows to Change”, by Monica P., 12th Grade, Merced County, “Silent Growth”, by Corrina G., 12th Grade, San Bernardino County, “Growth”, by Layla H., 12th Grade, Butte County
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Inside This Issue
March is Arts Education Month – a time to recognize the transformative power of the arts in our schools.
This is a time to honor the dedicated arts educators who make high-quality arts learning possible for students across our state. Your creativity, leadership, and commitment open doors for young people every day. Thank you for all that you do to ensure the arts remain an essential part of every student’s education.
- California County Superintendents Arts Initiative News
- Regional and County News and Events from Butte, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Los Angeles, Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara, Solano, and Tulare County Offices of Education.
- State Partner News from California Educational Theatre Association, California Arts Education Association, Create CA, and The California Arts Project.
Arts Initiative News
Explore Our New Prop 28 AMS Act Resource Page!
We are excited to announce the launch of our new webpage dedicated to California’s Proposition 28- the Arts and Music in Schools (AMS) Act. This page is designed to support Prop 28 implementation and can easily be shared with school and district leadership.
A special shout out to Kate Stover (Tulare County Arts Leads) for helping support the development of this page!
The page includes:
- A clear overview of Prop 28
- FAQ’s on allowable uses of funds
- Guidance on Staffing, Training, Supplies, and Partnerships.
- Considerations for LEA’s with under 500 students.
UPDATE: Arts Education & The California School Dashboard
We are excited to share that the 2026 update to the Arts Education & The CA Dashboard will now live as a dynamic resource on our website! Aligned with CA School Dashboard indicators and backed by research, this tool supports administrators in making informed decisions that strengthen student outcomes through arts education.
Thank you to our amazing County Arts Leads Aaron Bryan (Fresno), Pauline Crooks (San Diego), Kate Stover (Tulare), Jeannine Flores (Los Angeles), Lizzy Dostal (Humboldt), Sofia Fojas (Santa Clara), for their leadership and dedication in updating this document.
Advancing Arts Education Across California
On February 12, 2026, Dr. Sharon Herpin (WedEd), Kyle Holmes (Statewide Arts Initiative), and Dr. Veronica Alvarez (Create CA) presented in a panel to the California Legislature on the impact and implementation of Proposition 28.
Their presentation highlighted the significant progress taking place across California’s 58 counties. With Proposition 28 funding underway, schools are expanding student access to arts education, investing in workforce growth, and engaging in meaningful strategic planning to rebuild and strengthen arts programs statewide.
We are grateful to our county offices for their continued leadership, to our partners at Create CA for their collaboration, and to the Assembly members for their thoughtful engagement in strengthening this once-in-a-generation opportunity for California students.
Arts Education Accelerator Fund Launch
We are proud to share that the California County Superintendents Statewide Arts Initiative has been selected to participate in California’s new Arts Education Accelerator Fund Policy Table.
At the official kickoff of the Arts Education Accelerator Fund, Kyle Holmes, Director of the Statewide Arts Initiative, joined Gloria E. Ciriza, Superintendent of Schools at the San Diego County Office of Education, along with SDCOE Arts Coordinator Pauline Crooks, to celebrate the launch and highlight the essential role county offices play in advancing equitable access to arts education.
Celebrating Heroes of Arts Education Gala Award Recipients!
We are proud to celebrate Jackie White, Region 3 Arts Lead at the Sacramento County Office of Education, for being honored at the Heroes of Arts Education Gala hosted by the Friends of Sacramento Arts. Jackie’s leadership and dedication to arts education continues to inspire and uplift counties across Region 3. A well-deserved recognition for an outstanding leader!
We also are thrilled to celebrate our partner, Create CA, for being recognized during this special evening. We are looking forward to honoring both Jackie and Create CA in Sacramento next week and celebrating their incredible contributions to advancing arts education.
2026 CISC Symposium Synapse
Congratulations to the San Mateo County Office of Education on a successful CISC Leadership Symposium! We are especially grateful to San Mateo COE Arts Lead Allison Gamlen for thoughtfully elevating student artwork from across the state. Beyond showcasing powerful final pieces, she created intentional space for students to reflect on their creative process, articulate their growth, and share why the arts matter in their lives.
In arts education, the product is important but it is the creative process that fosters confidence, critical thinking, and transformation. This symposium beautifully highlighted both.
Continuing to Celebrate New Strategic Arts Plans!
We continue to celebrate the growth of Strategic Arts Plans across the state. Inyo and Siskiyou County Offices of Education have just published their plans, and El Dorado County is almost there! Meanwhile, Region 7 is developing the first-ever region-wide arts plan, which will be shared soon, stay tuned. Click on the plans to explore.
Arts Initiative Interactive Map
Check out our Strategic Planning page. Discover tools and resources to support your arts education planning. Our interactive map showcases county and district-level strategic plans.
Don't Forget about these Arts Initiative Website Resources!
County News and Events
Explore how County Offices of Education are supporting arts education implementation across the state through professional learning, and celebrations of student artists. Please refer to the updated arts leads contact list if you have questions about any of these items.
Butte County Office of Education
Butte County Spring Events!
Click on the flyers to learn more!
Contra Costa County Office of Education
Arts and SEL Subcommittee Collaboration
The Contra Costa County Office of Education hosts content area subcommittee meetings with district leaders every other month. In January, we started the new year with a collaboration between the Arts Convening and Social Emotional Learning Subcommittee members. SEL and the Arts are a natural connection. Participants engaged in a restorative justice circle for an inclusive welcome activity, naming a value to hold close for the work together. The value of “Justice” was added to the community circle in light of the recent political upheavals.
Accessing a high school level activity from Creativity at the Core Module 26 Creative Health and Wellbeing through Visual Art, participants created abstract art titled “My Color and Shape Journey.” CASEL Competencies practiced include Self-Awareness, Self-Management and Social Awareness. Visual Arts standards practiced are Prof.VA:Cr1.2 – Shape an artistic investigation of an aspect of present-day life using a contemporary practice of art or design, and Prof.VA:Cr2.1 – Engage in making a work of art or design without having a preconceived plan.
Table groups shared their work, discussing the symbolism in the colors and shapes of their choice. We did a gallery walk to see everyone’s artwork and shared appreciations. In many cases, colleagues working in the same district worked together for the first time during this meeting, planting a seed for future collaborative opportunities. Bringing these two groups of school leaders together was symbiotic and inspiring.
El Dorado County Office of Education
El Dorado County Strategic Arts Plan
In 2024, Arts and Culture El Dorado was engaged by Dr. Ed Manansala to develop an Arts Education Strategic Plan to establish a countywide vision for arts education and to recommend actionable strategies in support of that vision. The plan would be based on the California Arts Education Framework (2020) and build upon the best practices established throughout California.
Arts and Culture El Dorado consulted with a wide cross-section of individuals, community leaders, and educational leaders within El Dorado County, as well as leaders across the state in both the arts and education sectors, to develop a plan that is tailored to the unique characteristics of El Dorado County and at the same time is informed by statewide trends. Arts and Culture El Dorado’s methods focused on broad community engagement, quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, site visits, and focus groups. The ideas incorporated in this plan originated directly from the people who contributed to the conversation.
Key takeaways were that students’ social and emotional well-being is of primary value to the community, rural and remote districts are concerned with attracting qualified arts education staff, and that broader community engagement in the arts essential to supporting robust arts programming in schools.
Glenn County Office of Education
Family Arts Night
In January, Glenn County Office of Education hosted a countywide Family Art Night.Teachers from across the county submitted individual student and class sets of art for display. Across the room, tables were set up with materials for families to engage together in artmaking, with local high school students available for support. Activities included a collaborative mural, print making, collage, watercolor painting, and paper weaving. About 150 people were in attendance over the course of the evening.
Humboldt County Office of Education
Creative Education Symposium
Open to all Educators, Administrators in Region 1 & 2
Hosted by the Humboldt County Office of Education, the Creative Education Symposium is an annual gathering where educators come together to explore arts integration, social-emotional learning (SEL), and creative teaching practices. This year’s theme, Collective Expression, invites educators to come together through the arts to reflect, reconnect, and celebrate what is possible when we create in community, especially during times when there is so much happening in the world.
Nationally renowned artists Imani González and Jason Nious will kick off the day by coming together for a collaborative opening performance, blending world music vocals and body percussion to inspire creative energy for the day.
New this year, participants will choose one artistic pathway: music, theatre arts, body percussion, or visual arts, and spend the day in an in-depth, hands-on workshop led by one artist. In addition to Imani and Jason, we are excited to be joined by local artists Bernadette Vielbig, who will lead a Collective Consciousness Wall Relief Sculpture workshop, and Tony Fuemmeler, who will guide participants through devised theatre, exploring ensemble based storytelling and shared creation.
The day will culminate with all groups coming back together to share their learning and artistic discoveries through a collaborative performance and showcase celebrating connection, creativity, and the power of making art together.
Los Angeles County Office of Education
Very Special Arts Festival 4/17/26
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 (LACOE), 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
Measure What You Treasure
On January 14, 2026, the “Art Program Assessment Workshop: Measure What You Treasure” was held at the Wilshire Ebell of Los Angeles. The workshop was led by LACOE’s Arts & STEAM Coordinator, Jeannine Flores and Arts Education Consultant, Peggy Burt. The Greater L.A. Education Foundation supported the workshop as part of the Prop 28 community support grant and the L.A. Department of Arts & Culture supported the workshop by providing grant case studies that were studied by participants.
54 Local Education Agencies and Community-Based Organizations attended. 70% of LEAs/organizations were from Los Angeles County followed by Orange County (20%) and 10% from other County Offices of Education and the California County Superintendents. The 100 participants gained a greater understanding of how to assess arts programs with a variety of approaches and how to leverage assessment competencies for funding opportunities around Prop 28, LA County Advancement Grants and more.
Fulfilling the Promise of Prop 28
On December 4, 2025, the “Fulfilling the Promise of Prop 28 Workshop” was held at the Huntington Gardens, Art Museum and Library in San Marino. The workshop was led by LACOE’s Arts & STEAM Coordinator, Jeannine Flores (Center for Distance & Online Learning, Curriculum and Instructional Services) with support from Create CA, the Los Angeles Department of Arts and Culture, the Huntington Gardens and the Greater L.A. Education Foundation.
43 LEAs representing individual charter schools and school districts attended. These LEAs received resources and tools to write a waiver and invest in the arts by the June 30, 2026 deadline. An overview of the funding set the stage for action planning that identified each LEA’s direction for spending. Experts from LACOE, Create CA and the L.A. Department of Arts and Culture were able to coach and advise district leaders throughout the workshop.
Arts & STEAM Collide at the Getty
On February 20, 2026, LACOE STEM Science, Arts & STEAM and the Getty Education Team provided professional development to 50 teachers from across Los Angeles County. Participants gained science and art content knowledge, explored the Next Generation Science Standards and Arts Standards, discussed pedagogical delivery and preparation and had VIP access to special collections of the Getty. The Getty shared their rich arts & science resources with the educators. The K-5 Educator Resources are available to the public at pst.art/en/k-5.
Monterey County Office of Education
Monterey Spring Events!
San Benito County Office of Education
What's in the Wall?
Aesthetics, equity, and inclusivity. The San Benito County Office of Education serves as the local education agency for our county alternative programs. San Andreas Continuation High School, Santa Ana Opportunity School, Pinnacles Community School all offer an opportunity for at-promise youth to continue their education, all under the same roof. This mural, commissioned with AMS funding and with student voice input, tells the story of a united alternative community that welcomes all, and all are welcomed. San Andreas Continuation High School is the proud recipient of the Model Continuation High School recognition for the 2025-2026 school year and will retain this recognition through 2029.
Art in Bloom Showcase
Spring is in the air, and in our art!
The San Benito County Office of Education is pleased to announce the annual Art Showcase! This year’s theme, Art In Bloom, celebrates spring, nature, and inclusivity by welcoming student artists of all abilities and cultural backgrounds. This event welcomes and displays all mediums of visual and performing arts. This event is presented in partnership with the San Benito County Arts Council and our new collaborating partner, the San Benito County Superior Court.
Santa Clara County Office of Education
The Santa Clara County Office of Education cordially invites you to the 2026 ¡Viva el mariachi! Showcase. This culturally vibrant event spotlights youth mariachi and folklórico groups both within and outside Santa Clara County. Proudly representing their local schools and districts are students from the San Jose Unified School District, the Milpitas Unified School District, the Campbell Union School District, the Sunnyvale School District, the East Side Union High School District, and the Pajaro Valley Unified School District.
Date: March 20, 2026; 6:00 PM
Location: Mexican Heritage Plaza Theatre
Registration Link
Arts Education Resource Fair!
SCCOE and SV Creates are hosting an Arts Education Resource Fair at RAFT, 1355 Ridder Park Drive, for educators looking for partnerships with arts organizations in 2026-27, with dedicated funding for arts education in schools. A light breakfast and lunch are provided along with free RAFT memberships and $50 to spend for the first 25 sign-ups!
Solano County Office of Education
STEAM Discovery Festival
The STEAM Discovery Festival is a day of exploration and entertainment, drawing thousands of attendees of all ages eager to learn from passionate makers and artists. We invite you to be part of it by sharing what you create and love, whether it’s science, art, engineering, electronics, education, food, or something entirely unexpected! The FREE Registration is supported by the Benicia Makerspace, the Solano County Office of Education, and our generous sponsors, this beloved community event brings together creativity, curiosity, and hands-on discovery.
Want to host an interactive booth? From e-vehicles and robotics to home DIY projects and interactive workshops, there’s no limit to what you can showcase.
Display finished or in-progress projects, teach a workshop, sell your work, or give an inspiring talk. Individuals, young makers, first-timers, makerspaces, clubs, classes, businesses, and startups are all welcome to apply. There is no cost for non-commercial makers to participate. For more information and to register, click here.
Questions? sdf@beniciamakerspace.org
Audience: Open to all educators, students, and families in the region.
Tulare County Office of Education
Annual TCOE Student Art Exhibition Opens
As a part of Arts Education Month, the annual TCOE Student Art Exhibition just opened. This year’s exhibition showcases hundreds of art pieces from students across the county. Over 550 pieces from 41 participating schools will be available for virtual viewing at: tcoe.org/ArtGallery.
Open to students in grades PK-12, the annual Student Art Exhibition showcases the county’s young artists. The exhibition includes visual and media arts in 2D, 3D, and digital. To learn more about the event visit: https://tcoe.org/StudentArt.
Pastel Society of the West Coast Scholarship!
Apply by April 15, 2026 for a $2,000 Art Scholarship from the Pastel Society of the West Coast! More details are on this flyer.
California Educational Theatre Association
CETA Festival
The second weekend of January, we celebrated our CETA Festival!
These pictures showcase the selected shows and awards. It’s a three-day weekend packed with workshops, awards, and countless performances — including plays and scenes from high schools all across California.
California Arts Education Association
California's Youth Art Month Flag Contest Winner
California’s Youth Art Month Flag Contest Winner is Isabella Ortega, a tenth grader at La Sierra High School, Art Teacher Mollie Ganier from CAEA South. Title of Work: Blind with a Vision, Media: Mixed Media (graphite, colored pencil, and acrylic). The YAM Flag Program is a national contest where K-12 students design flags representing their state and the year’s theme. The 2025/2026 theme is “The World Needs Art.” Winning designs are made into physical flags and displayed at the National Art Education Association (NAEA) annual convention.
Idyllwild Arts Foundation Partnership
Every year, CAEA, in partnership with the Idyllwild Arts Foundation, offers a scholarship that enables one student to attend the Idyllwild Arts Summer Arts program, with full two-week residential tuition and art supplies covered. The CAEA 2026 Idyllwild Summer Arts Program Scholarship winner is Alyssa Chao, grade 10 from Palisades Charter School, Art Teacher Karim Shuquem from CAEA South. A sample of her artwork (Hypnotized Authority, digital drawing) is attached.
NAEA National Convention
About 350 CAEA member teachers will represent California at the 2026 National Art Education Association (NAEA) National Convention, taking place from March 5 to 7, 2026 in Chicago. During the convention, they will participate in hands-on workshops, research sessions, and collaborative networking opportunities. Many will also take the stage as presenters, sharing their expertise in areas ranging from arts leadership, mural-making, digital art, and advocacy.
Rise Above
CAEA San Diego members published their third issue of Rise Above, a San Diego Art Ed. e-zine. The latest issue of Rise Above Volume 3 is packed full of K-12 lesson plans, interviews, stories, and a list of art & culture events around San Diego. The cover features winning art from the San Diego Youth Art Month show. Here’s the link.
2026 Bruce Groff HS Art Exhibit
The 2026 Bruce Groff High School Art Exhibit will be held April 9-25, 2026, at City Gallery at San Diego City College. The Groff Exhibition is a highly selective juried art exhibition open to all San Diego Art students in grades 9-12. It honors the late CAEA member Bruce Wayne Groff’s passion for fostering excellence in the visual artwork of high school students. The Groff Exhibition is the pinnacle of standards-based, competitively juried annual student art exhibitions in San Diego County. The work chosen represents a diverse group of teens who are dedicated to their artistic practice and demonstrate a unique perspective in creative expression.
Create California
March is Arts Education Month and we’re excited kick it off by announcing our partnership with Create CA and Peanuts to Spark Creativity for Brighter Futures — a statewide campaign celebrating arts education and the educators who make creativity possible every day. Throughout the year, we’ll share Peanuts-inspired artwork and messages highlighting why creativity matters for student learning, confidence, and connection.
California public school teachers (or anyone who sparks creativity) are invited to register to receive a free Spark Creativity Campaign Kit, including a classroom poster, a Peanuts t-shirt, and access to a classroom lesson plan. Supplies are limited.
Add Your Voice to the Blueprint for Creative Schools!
Create CA has partnered with WestEd to update the California Blueprint for Creative Schools and ensure it reflects today’s realities and priorities for equitable arts education. First published in 2015, the Blueprint outlines a vision for making arts education a core part of every student’s learning experience—this revision will build on that foundation to address the current needs of communities across California.
WestEd is gathering input from stakeholders statewide through a brief, anonymous survey (10–20 minutes). We invite you to review the current Blueprint and share your feedback—your perspective will directly inform the updated Blueprint.
March Arts Now Meetup
Register for the Next Arts Now Meetup!
Join us for the Arts Now Meetups—your space to connect with peers and colleagues across California! These open-format gatherings dive into the realities of arts education today, creating opportunities to address shared challenges, exchange promising practices, request support, and explore emerging ideas and trends. Find community, build partnerships, and gain the motivation to strengthen your advocacy for arts education.
The California Arts Project
TCAP's Courageous Creativity Conference
Join us for 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).
