By Allison Schaub, Advancement Assistant
We love Fridays at P.S. ARTS, and we especially love a Friday that puts a spotlight on the arts. Today, the first Friday of October, is California Arts Day. This annual celebration coincides with National Arts and Humanities Month, a coast-to-coast collective recognition of the importance of art and culture in our country. California Arts Day not only celebrates how the arts have helped shape our Golden State, but also serves as an opportunity to reflect on the state of arts education in our schools.
P.S. ARTS helps fill the gap that shrinking budgets have created in our public school system. Our organization feels it is crucial that all children, regardless of socio-economic circumstances, are entitled to a well-rounded and excellent education. This year we will provide weekly dance, music, theater, and visual arts to more than 20,000 students in 10 school districts across Southern and Central California. However, the impact goes beyond these numbers. P.S. ARTS is creating an exemplary model that strives for overall school improvement and sense of community among students, parents, teachers, and schools.
Today, we recognize the achievements of our growing organization as well as the increased budget for statewide arts education. This is the first time in over a decade that the California Arts Council has received an increase in funding. In the 2014-2015 year, the CAC will receive nearly 6x the average general fund support compared to years past. This increased funding is an important step towards providing high-quality arts education programs in public schools across the state.
Here at P.S. ARTS, we feel fortunate to have over 20,000 reasons to celebrate year-round. We’d like to wish our all-star students, Teaching Artists, and supporters a happy and fun-filled California Arts Day!
