“Creativity Challenge: The State of Arts Education in California,” the report conducted by SRI Education with funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, found that only 11% of California public schools meet the state’s education code to provide sequential standards-based sequential arts education K-12 in music, dance, theater, and visual arts. Arts education is essential for student well-being, academic success, preparation for 21st-century jobs, and civic engagement.
Why is California, a hub of innovation across sectors, falling behind in cultivating creativity? What does this mean for our youth? The report indicates a lack of funding and a need for credentialed teachers; but the report also highlights successes, pointing to localized advocacy efforts from organizations like Create CA.
Create CA will advance its commitment to racial equity, social justice, youth voice, and creative expression through an organizing and art-making course created in partnership with ArtCenter College of Design. Recognizing that BIPOC students are often excluded and erased from school district decision-making practices, the Student Voices program began in 2014 as a way to activate and provide a platform for youth voices. Caitlin Lainoff, Create CA’s Youth Engagement Manager, with over a decade of experience in arts and education, is expanding the Student Voices program to grow more local advocates with the first-ever venture into post-secondary education and activism.
“We wanted to connect with college-aged students in a reciprocal relationship, providing an opportunity to hear from communities in California not usually represented, and to connect students to resources that they otherwise might not have access to through our partnership with ArtCenter,” said Lainoff.
Students will be led by Indigenous visual artist, cultural organizer, and activist, Joel “Rage.One” Garcia (Huichol) through conscious art and design. Garcia’s work explores healing and reconciliation, as well as memory and place. He’s a former fellow of Goethe-Instut, Monument Lab, and the Intercultural Leadership Institute as well as an artist-in-residence at Oxy Arts and AIR (Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator).
The trimester will have students meet virtually weekly from January through April 2023, allowing participants to reflect the demographics of students in California public schools. Students will learn Procreate and Illustrator, drawing from their personal experiences in order to maximize community connection. The goal is to empower students with comprehensive knowledge of the design process and how to translate that into powerful visual messaging. Organizing principles and case-making on a school district level will be central to the course to enable students to apply their newfound design knowledge to advocate for arts education.
Create CA will be responsible for the dissemination of student work across communications platforms, which includes 18,000 individuals on our newsletter list and 14,000 followers across our social media platforms. The designs created will help to mobilize youth learning to speak for their own education. A virtual gallery will showcase student art as part of the program culmination.
This work is made possible with support from the California Arts Council.
Create CA advocates for high-quality arts education for all students by providing policy expertise and mobilizing a statewide network of advocates and allied partners. Read Create CA’s racial equity statement here.
California Arts Council (CAC) Established by the State of California in 1976, the California Arts Council is a state agency with a mission of strengthening arts, culture, and creative expression as the tools to cultivate a better California for all. CAC is California’s only public arts grants provider with funding that is accessible to all 58 counties. As a state agency, CAC supports local arts infrastructure and programming statewide through grants, programs, and services. Learn more about California Arts Council here.
ArtCenter College of Design offers a new model for art and design education in the 21st century. Our visionary approach is based on the College’s conservatory-like approach to teaching and learning; a desire for rich, intercultural and transdisciplinary dialogue; and a mandate to provide students innovative learning and making spaces. Learn more about ArtCenter here.
