Visual Arts Education

Visual Art is taught in elementary school by classroom teachers.  Additional arts instruction is provided by teaching artists, through longstanding partnerships with the Armory Center for the Arts, Creative Arts Group in Sierra Madre, the California Art Club, and Lightbringer project.  Select elementary schools have art rooms to support art instruction.

Field Trips and arts integrated lessons are provided through My Masterpieces: Discovering Art in My Community, a signature program of the Pasadena Educational Foundation. Through My Masterpieces, every K-6 student explores the museums of our community, every year. 

Professional development programs are offered by the PUSD Arts Office and our community partners to strengthen teachers' abilities to integrate the arts into everyday teaching and learning. An ongoing partnership with The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens has enabled our elementary teachers to integrate the arts with the Common Core. In addition, a part-time visual arts coach is available to support teachers.  

All PUSD middle schools offer visual arts as an elective course, with certificated art teachers. Eliot Arts is our middle school arts magnet, with teachers practicing arts integration with core subjects, as well as arts electives in a variety of art forms. All of our high schools offer visual arts programs with a range of courses. Specialized Pathways at John Muir High School. Marshall Fundamental, and Pasadena High School offer a focus on preparation for careers in the arts, such as graphic design and film production.

The yearly All-District Art Exhibition, No Boundaries, showcases PUSD student talents in the visual arts. This exhibition is mounted in an empty storefront in the community, and becomes a center for celebrating the arts during its two-week run.