ARMORY CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Grants
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Programs Evaluation Plan
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Collective
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Learning Center
Why the arts?
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DREAM Magazine
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Programs
Arts in California Parks
Arts in California Parks helps to nourish, educate, and inspire individuals and communities.

Arts in Corrections
A partnership with the CA Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, designed to have a positive impact on the social and emotional well-being of people experiencing incarceration. www.artsincorrections.org

California Creative Corps
A media, outreach, and engagement pilot program designed to support communities statewide following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Creative Economy of California
Building a resilient future for California’s creative economy.

California Cultural Districts
Highlighting some of the thriving cultural diversity and unique artistic identities within local communities across the state. www.caculturaldistricts.org

Poetry Out Loud
Igniting student potential through the power of poetry. An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, administered statewide by the California Arts Council. www.capoetryoutloud.org

California Poet Laureate
The Governor’s advocate for the art of poetry. Visit www.capoetlaureate.org.

California Teen Poet Laureate
COMING SOON: State legislation supports the development of the state’s first Youth Poet Laureate program.

Individual Artists Fellowship
Through a network of regionally based Administering Organizations, the Individual Artists Fellowship program will continue to recognize, uplift, and celebrate the excellence of California artists practicing any art form.
About
About Us
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We believe that racial injustice is the most pervasive and entrenched form of injustice permeating the institutions and structures that everyone must access. Read our Racial Equity Statement.

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Support the Arts
Donate
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Keep Arts in Schools Fund
Support creativity in California’s classrooms by donating to the Keep Arts in Schools Voluntary Contribution Fund on your state tax return.

Arts License Plate
Proceeds from the California Arts Plate support arts programming across California.

Grantee Database

Grant Year

2024-25

Grant Program

Creative Youth Development

Award Amount

$17,360.00

Project Description

With support from the California Arts Council, the Armory will provide sequential, after-school visual art classes serving 400 youth aged 5-18 from under-resourced, system-impacted neighborhoods in Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley. Classes are held year-round at six accessible community partner sites in Pasadena—including social services organizations, recreation centers, city parks, and libraries— and one LA County Probation Camp in La Verne, housing teens in the juvenile justice system. All classes are free to participants and represent the Armory’s longstanding, 35-year commitment to making high-quality visual art education accessible to everyone.

Organization Summary

The Armory is one of the only organizations in the San Gabriel Valley to offer free arts programming year-round. Our programs enhance social-emotional wellness, provide a powerful vehicle for self-expression, unite communities, and help inspire creative career pathways for youth:

Off-Site Programs: Year-round free programming to historically underserved children, teens, older adults, families, system-impacted youth, and unsheltered individuals.

School-Based Programs: Cross-curricular instruction to students in Title I classrooms in Pasadena that merge visual arts with core curriculum, including math and environmental sciences.

On-Site Studio Programs: Tuition-based arts classes for children, teens, and adults, designed and taught by Armory Teaching Artists at our main facility.

Contemporary Art Exhibitions: Rigorously researched and professionally presented exhibitions, screenings, performances, publications, lectures, and panels. Admission is always free.

Organization