A talented Inner-City Arts alumna debuted her own original theatrical work in our Rosenthal Theater this year. The musical, Ruby’s Button, brought together current Work of Art interns as the cast, countless production collaborators, and our weekday student audiences in a joyful celebration of the performing arts. Ruby Barrios’ start as an Inner-City Arts student and and eventual Work of Art enterpriser helped launch her creative journey, which will surely take her far from here!

“Seeing Ruby’s Button come alive at Inner-City Arts felt like a homecoming. As part of the WOA program, I experienced firsthand how having mentors believe in you, regardless of societal expectations, can transform your life. I had the honor of collaborating with my lifelong mentors, becoming a teacher to current WOA students, and seeing children in the audience start to rekindle personal agency.”

–RUBY BARRIOS

Thanks to the generous support and creative leadership of The Getty, Inner-City Arts gave high schoolers the extraordinary opportunity to show photos in two separate professional-quality exhibits during 2022-23. Students participated in one of our Saturday Institutes classes in photography over 12 weeks, visited The Getty together, and participated in a joint exhibition with students from Black Image Center, L.A. Commons, and Venice Arts. The first cohort took inspiration from the Kamoinge Workshop exhibit of summer 2022, and the second group of students dove into Dawoud Bey and Carrie Mae Weems: In Dialogue during spring 2023.

We are thrilled by these exemplary collaborations and proud of our students and teaching artists who took on the challenge with grace and artistry!

“What a thrill to see the range of ways that the Inner-City Arts students were catalyzed by the museum’s recent photography exhibitions! The artists were excited by the strength of the student work we shared with them, and I look forward to future collaborations with Inner-City Arts students and staff.”

–Mazie Harris, Asst. Curator, Dept. of Photographs, J. Paul Getty Museum

In our first full-school residency in the San Fernando Valley, we brought Inner-City Arts to K-5 students in 24 classrooms at Haskell Elementary School this year. During 12 arts instruction sessions per week over 10 total weeks, about 300 of Haskell’s children explored the visual arts through creative mixed-media projects. After participating alongside their students, the school’s teachers enjoyed three days of our Professional Development program in workshops designed to help them reflect and recharge with arts-based strategies that apply to all instruction areas, support an inclusive classroom community and strengthen social emotional competencies for all learners.

“The students and staff at Haskell warmly welcomed me into their school community, and we created special relationships and creative collaborations. Being able to bring the Inner-City Arts experience to their classrooms encouraged every student to dive comfortably into their art-making.”

–Emily Buttner, Teaching Artist

Pasadena Art Alliance – The coveted annual accolade was awarded to Inner-City Arts in recognition of our visual arts education excellence and the impact of our programming on the lives of youth in Los Angeles County.

The Soho House Foundation – awarded Inner-City Arts for the premiere giving season of its foundation in the North American region.