THE OF THE RIPPLE EFFECT POWER
A COMMENT THAT MADE YOU FEEL SEEN. USING A NEW
HOLDING A DIPLOMA. A CONVERSATION WITH A LONGTIME HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT.
TOOL OR APP. SPEAKING IN FRONT OF A CROWD.
LONGTIME MENTOR. THE START OF A CAREER. THESE MOMENTS
Level 3 Scholarship students at ArtCenter College of Design with
a
at
Natural History One,
video installation by Diana Thater on view
South Campus, 1111 S. Arroyo Parkway in Pasadena, photo by Anissa Basnayake.
The power of these moments—personal actions, strong connections, and showing up—flows through the artworxLA community experience. These moments are especially meaningful during times of resilience. Reflecting on the past year and our 32-year journey of supporting alternative high school students and incarcerated youth in L.A.
County, we are deeply grateful for your commitment to our mission. Together, we combat the high school dropout rate through sustained in-depth arts engagement. Your partnership creates a ripple e ect, fostering individual and collective growth, and the stories in this impact report demonstrate the capacity of arts education to heal, inspire vision, and make new paths into the future. Thank you for your generous support!
18,000
Students Served
50 + +
Alternative High Schools
2023/2024
BY THE NUMBERS
ADVANCED PROGRAMS
62
LEVEL1
Classroom Workshops
2
Student Public Art Exhibitions
762
Students Served Fellowships, Scholarships, Internships Awarded
EXTENDING
2,016
WHO WE SERVE
78%
2023/2024
EVALUATION HIGHLIGHTS
85%
of students reported their motivation to graduate increased after artworxLA workshops.
73% 70%
Latino or Latinx of students reported an increase in their ability to distress and regulate their emotions through the arts. of students reported an increase in their ability to collaborate with fellow classmates.
Black or African American Two or More Races
Youth ages 13–24 enrolled in alternative high schools, with a focus on BIPOC groups that have disproportionately higher dropout rates and justice system involvement. 1% 1% 2% 3% 5% 10% 75% 65%
Asian Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
of students reported having increased knowledge of creative careers as a result of classroom workshops. of students reported being more open to di erent backgrounds and perspectives as a result of workshops. of students reported an increase in class participation in other subjectareas as a result of workshops. of students increased attendance, which is considerable growth within alternative education communities.
CENTRAL
PASADENA
“I definitely upgraded my communications skills. Before [artworxLA], I had trouble forming sentences and communicating with anyone. Now I can even communicate about myself as a creative brand. I’m able to communicate what works for me, and how I am able to meet people where they are. What’s funny, though, is that being social through the arts ended up feeling like a respite.”
—Sarah A., Student
ARCADIA
LEVEL1
Mixed media acrylic and silkscreen printing on quilted canvas by Metropolitan High School students, inspired by Eddie Rodolfo Aparicio , Holbein En Crenshaw (Washington Blvd. and Crenshaw Blvd., LA, CA), 2018. Students studied Aparicio’s work as part of the theme
Tracing Our Environment, Tracing Ourselves.
THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
MOCA presents, collects, preserves, and interprets the art of our time. The museum is also dedicated to making art accessible, embracing change, and supporting contemporary expression and diverse perspectives. In our second year of partnership led by Director of Education and & Visitor Engagement Catherine Arias, MOCA sta provided students with a VIP experience of the exhibitions MOCA Focus: Eddie Rodolfo Aparicio and Paul Pfei er: Prologue to the Story of the Birth of Freedom. Over 16 weeks in the fall and spring, students explored how art influences perception and presented their own works reflecting identity, place-making, media, and spectacle.
Above: Students with the installation Incarnator (2021) in the MOCA exhibition Paul Pfei er: Prologue to the Story of the Birth of Freedom. Photos by Alicia Alderete.
LEVEL1
HAMMER MUSEUM AT UCLA
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
The Hammer Museum champions the art and artists who challenge us to see the world in a new light, to experience the unexpected, to ignite our imaginations, and inspire change. For 13 weeks, artworxLA students were inspired by the Made in L.A. biennial exhibition Acts of Living. Students explored the question, “What is the relationship between art, community, and everyday life?” Their works reflected personal experiences while drawing inspiration from 39 LA-based artists in the exhibition. The public presentation encouraged participants to consider their roles in shaping Los Angeles’s visual culture and featured artists from the artworxLA family: Maria Maea, Michael Alvarez, Vincent Hernández, and Teresa Tolliver. Thank you to Hallie Scott, Alice Kaufman, Kai Monet, Rachel Regalado, and everyone at the Hammer Museum.
Photos by Alicia Alderete.
LEVEL1
THE PETER AND MASHA PLOTKIN MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
NEW SUPPORTER SPOTLIGHT
Among the special guests who joined students at the December 6 showcase was Andrew Plotkin and Board members from The Peter and Masha Plotkin Memorial Foundation. artworxLA was honored to receive generous support from the Foundation to enhance classroom programming throughout Los Angeles County as part of their mission to fund music and art programs for children and promote arts education for underserved youth.
“artworxLA brought me into a new creative world I had never experienced in my area. I didn’t go outside of my bubble. It gave me a renewed passion and new career path. You taught me patience, perseverance, and perspective. With every program comes the opportunity for leadership, and you get us to speak up, to network, to try new things, and it’s good, because it shapes who we are.”
— Kevin B, Recent Graduate
Kevin and Zarela explore the Mullin Transportation Design Center as part of the tour of ArtCenter College of Design South Campus.
LEVEL 2
MEET ZIONNA
Zionna found her passion for fashion through artworxLA After-school Fellowships, and she has worked on her hand-crafted designs, Unique Imperfections, for two years. With a message of bold individuality in the face of bullying, Zionna brought her project to life this spring in unique workshops hosted by Make Something and Visionary Studios.
LEVEL 2
MAKE SOMETHING PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Led by Aaron Rose and Molly Small, Make
Something connects artworxLA youth with accomplished creatives through hands-on artist projects. This year, Je rey Deitch hosted a t-shirt design workshop with artist Sonya Sombreuil
connected to her solo exhibition. Students learned how Sombreuil extends her painting practice onto clothing, record covers, and flyers, and practiced their own DIY ethos to convey important messages.
LEVEL3
Level 3 Digital Design Student Zuri looking for her favorite use of text, images, and graphic elements in the student project galleries art ArtCenter College of Design South Campus.
STEPHEN’S PATH ALUMNI
SPOTLIGHT
In 2013, Stephen Na enrolled in artworxLA’s pilot Academy program, a model for arts integration in continuation schools. Through artworxLA programs, he met several mentors and apprenticed with legendary artists like Man One and Asylm. After illustrating scenes for director M. Blash and working as a PA for Dilated Pixels, Stephen recently joined Rough Draft Studios as a Color Designer for Futurama. All this while also giving back as an artworxLA Curatorial Studies Teaching Artist on the Pasadena Unified exhibition No Boundaries.
ARTCENTER COLLEGE OF DESIGN
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Stephen met C.C. Ybarra during artworxLA’s Product Design Residency at ArtCenter College of Design. C.C. helped him apply to ArtCenter’s Illustration Department, where he graduated with LEVEL3
Above: artworxLA Youth Development Specialist and students Zuri, Jastin, and Moisés with Chaz Bojórquez, WHISPER (2021), in the exhibition IdentificarX at ArtCenter South Campus.
a focus on Entertainment Art. ArtCenter has supported artworxLA students for over a decade, o ering workshops and scholarships like this summer’s course in Procreate. Led by Yelen Ayé and Erika Verik, 12 students explored digital illustration, including environmental design, typography, 3D design, and AI integration.
USC SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
In 2019 Amy Murphy, Associate Professor at USC School of Architecture, initiated a partnership with artworxLA that started with the Level 1 theme Homes for Hope. Sparking interest in artworxLA youth about how art and architecture can address societal issues like housing, the partnership inspired students over the years to apply to USC’s
Exploration of Architecture summer program led by Lauren Matchison, Jennifer Park, and Elisabeth Archer.
MEET ISAAK
This year, Student Board Representative Isaak S., received a scholarship to spend four weeks living on campus and learning about architecture. He appreciated how his experience applied to all areas of design, including fashion. Isaak further developed these skills with his clothing brand, Volar, creating samples and marketing them through artworxLA’s partnership with Special Academy.
MEET LESLIE AND MILANA
SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS
LEVEL3
For over 20 years, Otis College of Art and Design has hosted students on scholarship for their Summer of Art residential college prep program. artworxLA is grateful to Alicia Green and the entire team who support our students throughout the month-long program This year, Leslie S. and Milana K. were selected for Fashion Design and Animation. In describing her experience, Leslie shared, “this taught me to challenge myself, trust my instincts, and inspired me to set the goal for my own fashion line and boutique.”
OTIS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Otis also hosted artworxLA’s Fashion Design & Branding Fellowship, led by faculty Natalie Salvador and started by Karen Regoli 15 years ago. This year’s Getty Marrow Undergraduate Intern, Jada Wong, is an Otis Illustration BFA student and continues a legacy of Otis interns, many of whom became artworxLA sta , thanks to support from Patricia Kovic and Michele Jacquis over the years.
ZARELA’S UPDATE GRADUATE
SPOTLIGHT
The first in her family to go to a university, Zarela graduated from Central HS at 16. Through a combination of financial aid, scholarships, and generous support from the direct giving platform The Change Reaction, Zarela was able to make her dream come true and just finished her first year at University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA. artworxLA Youth Development Specialist Carlos Gacharná remained a constant support for Zarela throughout the year.
LEVEL4
SPECIAL ACADEMY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
This summer, Zarela also joined the Craft in Advertising Internship at Special Academy, where she developed a campaign for a publishing brand focused on BIPOC youth and stories of joy and resilience. The global marketing firm Special Group o ers a paid opportunity for 12 interns to learn brand strategy, creative direction, design, and production from an incredible roster of professional mentors. We are grateful for Special’s investment in our youth, which included transportation, stipends, and an Apple iPad as a gift for each intern.
Alum Jasmine Guevara with Juan Hernán González, A la Rueda, Rueda (2019) in the exhibition Bahia Reverb: Artists and Place at Art + Practice.
JASMINE’S NEW ROLE
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Passionate about educational equity and inspired by her sister’s college journey, Jasmine Guevara taught others to read transcripts while still in high school. Through artworxLA, she developed a love for photography and salsa dancing, which she still competes in professionally. While earning her B.A. at Cal State Northridge, she taught in after-school programs, and after graduation, Jasmine became Academic Records Coordinator at USC’s Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry.
GRACE + ZÓCALO PUBLIC SQUARE
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Grace A. was one of six alumni who were paid freelance illustrators by Zócalo Public Square this past year. They illuminated articles connected to the anniversary exploration of “The Future of the Public Square.” Participants worked with professional editors Talib Jabbar and Eryn Brown to learn about the illustration process from concept to submission to publication.
COMING HOME TO A NEW HEADQUARTERS
A 2024 highlight was moving to our new home at Wellnest Emotional Health and Wellbeing, returning after 13 years to the neighborhood around USC and Exposition Park. In addition to the cultural treasures in the area, we’re excited about partnership opportunities with Wellnest, a nationally acclaimed provider of emotional health services for youth and families. Connecting our community to local supportive services is a cornerstone of artworxLA’s strategic plan.
Similarly, Creative Wellbeing is an approach for fostering communities of wellness that was developed collaboratively by the LA County Department of Arts and Culture, O ce of Child Protection, Department of Mental Health, and Arts for Healing and Justice Network. Through this initiative, artworxLA served over 200 adults with Healing the Healer personal/professional development workshops this year in the network of LA County Department of Health Services.
Left: Grace A., illustration submission for the article “How Can We Make the Digital Public Square Work For Us?” by Alexandra
Givens, President & CEO, Center for Democracy & Technology
FUNDERS CORPORATIONS
Anonymous
Capital Group Companies
Hot Topic Foundation
KAA Design
The Kurt Geiger Kindness Foundation
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Special Group
US Bank Foundation
GOVERNMENT
California Arts Council
City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural A airs
Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture
National Endowment for the Arts
DISTRICT PARTNERS
Culver City Unified School District
Los Angeles County O ce of Education
Los Angeles Unified School District
Lynwood Unified School District
Pasadena Unified School District
The Education Corps, a workforce learning charter of Inyo County O ce of Education
FOUNDATIONS
The Herb Alpert Foundation
The Bob Barker Company Foundation
California Community Foundation
The Johnny Carson Foundation
The Change Reaction
Crafting the Future
The Carol and James Collins Foundation
The Dodson Family Foundation
Endeavor Education
Exploring the Arts
The Five Fund
Fox Family Foundation
The Getty Foundation
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation
The Green Foundation
Mericos Foundation
One Voice
Perenchio Foundation
The Peter and Masha Plotkin
Memorial Foundation
The Rose Hills Foundation
Snap Foundation
The Stoller Family Charitable
Lead Annuity Trust
Dwight Stuart Youth Fund
The Weingart Foundation
artworxLA is a proud member of the Arts for Healing and Justice Network (AHJN), which provides program support through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture’s Juvenile Justice initiative.
LOOKING AHEAD
Thanks to support from Crafting the Future and the Kurt Geiger Kindness Foundation, we will launch a Streetwear Fellowship this year with additional new programs on the way. Thank you to all of our supporters for making this possible, and we’re excited to share the continued impact of this year’s e orts!
2023/24 artworxLA Sta : Caroline Ashkar, Tasnim Boufelfel, Jovanna Briscoe, Joe T. Bruns, Jocelyn Casas, Grace Ciacciarelli, Rachel Curry, Fabrizio Flores, Raúl Flores, Carlos Eduardo Gacharná, Estefanía Gallo González, P. Stephen Hardy, Beatriz Jaramillo, Loren LeBlanc, Eva Liebovitz, Robb McMillan, Malavika Rao, Anjali Roos, Angélica Ruiz, Eddie Ruiz, Julian Samuels, Audrey Salzburg, Pablo Simental, Anna Spyrou, Monica Vargas, Evelyn Yin, Jaime Zavala
South Vermont Ave., Suite 101 Los Angeles, CA 90007
artworx LA combats the high school dropout crisis with a long-term, sequential arts program o ering a pursuable life path that inspires students to stay in school, evolve as unique individuals, and flourish as creative adults. Learn more about our impact and see our 2023/24 highlights inside, or visit artworxla.org !
Cover illustration by artworx LA Alum
Grace Armstrong. Annual Impact Report design by Sarah McNerney