Los Angeles Unified School District held an arts fest on Saturday at Gloria Molina Grand Park in downtown L.A. that drew a crowd of children, parents, friends, community groups, officials and other Angelenos — so well attended that the popular 12-acre park seemed small.
Popular for years, LAUSD Arts Fest was focused on giving children a day of fun, creativity and play at the free outdoor festival that offered a lineup of live performances and “interactive art-making activities” focused on this year’s theme, “Arts and Science Unite.” In a prepared statement, LAUSD said, “Let’s celebrate the artist in all of us as the arts meets the world of sciences.”
Dancers from the Westside’s Hamilton High School intermediate class performed on stage; young students from William Anton Elementary School in East Los Angeles showed off their dresses before performing folklorico dance from the region of Jalisco; and a Latin dance team of boys and girls from Korenstein Elementary School in North Hollywood performed.
High school students from across Southern California sang with the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s youth choir, and younger students in LAUSD performed as part of the Elementary School Honor Choir.
“Today, we celebrate what arts in public schools can do for students,” said Jantré Christian, administrator of arts education at LAUSD. “Access to visual and performing arts instruction empowers youth to become creators and innovators – as artists, community leaders, and scholars.”
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North Hollywood students from Korenstein Elementary School’s Latin dance team, Azúcar, perform during the LAUSD Arts Fest in Los Angeles, an event featuring student-led music, dance, visual art, and film, on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
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North Hollywood students from Korenstein Elementary School’s Latin dance team, Azúcar, perform during the LAUSD Arts Fest in Los Angeles, an event featuring student-led music, dance, visual art, and film, on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
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Christian added, “In Los Angeles Unified, we believe the arts are for every student within every community, not only a select few. In this historic moment, where more resources than ever before are being invested in arts education, we are committed to creating and maintaining visual and performing arts programs that champion student voice and creative expression.”
Originally Published: May 5, 2025 at 1:13 PM PDT