CSArts receives the New and Emerging School Award at the ASN Conference

California School of the Arts-San Gabriel Valley (CSArts-SGV), along with over 300 art school leaders, attended the 2018 Arts School Network (ASN) Conference, from Oct. 23 to 26. The Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) hosted the conference, titled Arts in Motion: The Intersection Between Dance and the Silver Screen.

The Dean of Arts Abbe Levine attended the conference, and also assisted in coordinating with other staff members at OCSA who have been working to bring this conference to Southern California for the past two years. Eleven dance students from the Commercial Dance Conservatory attended to represent CSArts.

“Our directors are the secret movers and shakers behind the success of this school, but I also think that the administrative team spent a good amount of time planning, strategically, the rollout of this school, and that provided us a pathway to success,” Levine said.

California School of the Arts voted the best charter school by the Readers of the San Gabriel Valley News Group. (Photo courtesy of CSArts-SGV)

ASN’s mission is to provide art schools with quality resources, support, and networking opportunities. Their conference featured keynote speakers, tours, master classes, and student dance showcases.

“We were exceptionally fortunate to be able to partner with USC, Chapman University, Segerstrom and Disneyland to offer original and innovative programming for these arts educators,” Levine said.

CSArts was established in 2017 and expanded from 400 students in its first year to 800 students this year. It received the ASN New and Emerging School Award, recognizing the school’s solid planning and well-defined goals, demonstrating promise as an emerging school of excellence.  

“Having attended a handful of ASN Conferences in the past several years around the nation, I was so proud of our school for receiving this award,” Levine said. “It felt like we were truly being welcomed into this community of arts schools, and that our mission to provide an unparalleled arts and academic education in a creative, challenging, and nurturing environment was being recognized by a body of our peers.”

CSArts students performing at Descanso Gardens Enchanted: Forest of Light Preview Party (Photo courtesy of CSArts-SGV)

Dr. William Wallace, principal of CSArts, also accepted the award on behalf of the school.

“I was very proud of our organization. The Arts School Network is a national organization, and there were, I am sure many other start-up schools nationally that they could have recognized,” Wallace said. “The fact that we were able to accomplish this recognition after our first year is exciting.

Students from the Acting conservatory performing on the set of “Steel Magnolias” (Photo courtesy of CSArts-SGV)

When asked on what they believed were the best aspects of the school leading to this award, Wallace replied: “The dedication our Arts Directors and staff show to students in planning and delivering a unique curriculum and experience for students… allow our students to differentiate themselves from others as they branch out achieve their future goals.”

At CSArts, students have an opportunity to showcase their work, either on stage or in a gallery (Photo courtesy of CSArts-SGV)

Instrumental Music Conservatory students in a Guitar Methods class under the instruction of Mr. Hernandez. (Photo courtesy of CSArts-SGV)

California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley is thankful to the community of Duarte for welcoming the school with open arms and for being an outstanding partner in its shared effort of transforming young lives with arts education.

CSArts-SGV offers Preview Days, where students and their families receive an overview of the school’s academic program and have the opportunity to visit sessions on the 10 arts conservatory programs offered from the Schools of Dance, Fine & Media Arts, Music, and Theatre.

These next two Preview Days will be hosted on December 1 and Jan. 19, 2019.  Sign up for Preview Day at www.sgv.csarts.net/previewday