Burbank Arts for All marks a decade of supporting arts education in schools and the community
As 2016 comes to a close, so does the first 10 years of Burbank Arts for All, an arts education foundation that has funneled roughly $403,000 into Burbank schools in the past decade, investing in Burbank Unified’s visual arts, music, dance, theater and digital-media programs.
“We want to make sure the foundation has longevity. We’re going to be here another 10 years and beyond,” said Trena Pitchford, the foundation’s executive director.
A current drive to raise $20,000 by year’s end is underway as the organization continues to work at its vision of building “the finest arts program in the country,” Pitchford said.
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In 2016, funds went to pay for many items such as new theatrical lighting equipment, a kiln, a digital piano, software for instrumental music instruction, guest choreographers and teaching artists, all of which impacted more than 10,000 students throughout the district’s elementary, middle and high schools.
But the foundation’s vision is not tied only to raising grant money.
The organization’s attention is also focused on the larger Burbank community, which is why, over the past year, it reached out to 400 artists, community members as well as civic and business leaders through community meetings and public forums.
The purpose, Pitchford said, is to support arts education “for the entire community” to better assure that local students grow up to become viable employees who fuel Burbank’s creative economy.
That’s why the foundation has held forums that bring in experts and educators to discuss topics such as the video game industry and hosted community meetings to drive volunteer and parent engagement.
The foundation also regularly interacts and meets with Burbank school officials, and its members attend state-mandated meetings where Burbank school officials make decisions about how state funding will be spent.
Pitchford said the foundation also keeps an eye on education policy. Its members will ask Burbank school board candidates about their thoughts on arts education ahead of the spring election.
The current board and Supt. Matt Hill, she said, stand behind arts instruction during the school day, and their own ambitious 10-year arts plan is one the foundation wants to support through its end in 2022.
“It started with an idea, and it has been a community-wide effort,” Pitchford said of the foundation. “We’re not done yet. We’ve got more to do.”
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Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com
Twitter: @kellymcorrigan
