About Us

It marked the first federal effort to use the arts to improve America’s most struggling schools, testing whether high-quality, integrated arts education could strengthen low-income, chronically underperforming schools. The pilot proved successful: every participating school improved in reading or math and far outperformed comparable schools receiving non-arts School Improvement Grants.

Frank Gehry and Malissa Shriver launch Turnaround Arts California as an independent nonprofit and begin building on the success of the pilot program, partnering with ten initial partner schools.

Nine students from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in Compton performed at the Turnaround Arts Talent Show, hosted at the White House by First Lady Michelle Obama. They performed a powerful spoken word piece entitled, “Flight,” developed through Turnaround Arts California’s partnership with Get Lit: Words Ignite.

New partner schools included Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary in Watts and Willard Intermediate and Sierra Preparatory Academy in Santa Ana.

Our coaching programs represent the first evolution of the Turnaround Arts model since the national pilot, strengthening long-term school partnerships. Rather than duplicating existing work, we partner with teaching artists and organizations to provide hands-on support to educators. The NEA later funded Turnaround Arts California, recognizing our principal coaching program’s value.

Special investments from the Frank O. Gehry Foundation and Former Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon’s office, allowed Turnaround Arts California to begin work with 10 new schools in Southeast LA, adjacent to the LA River.

Frank Gehry and his team of architects made the journey to Hoopa Valley Elementary to visit with students and teachers. Frank taught students how to put their own spin on his signature “fish lamps” in preparation for the community’s annual Fish Festival.

Students and teachers from Turnaround Arts California schools joined Turnaround Artists to dance, sing, and raise visibility of the organization’s work. The video premiered at the Turnaround Arts Kennedy Center Talent show in March 2018.

This very special 2018 showcase brought together four Turnaround Arts California schools, along with schools across the country to make visible the incredible artistic achievements of our students and the nationwide need for equity in arts access.

McKinley Elementary and Martin Luther King, Jr. School of the Arts receive the California Department of Education’s Exemplary Arts Education Award, recognizing their commitment to providing high quality and equitable arts education to their students.

Sierra Preparatory Academy in Santa Ana was one of 33 schools statewide to receive the Exemplary Arts Award. State Superintendent Thurmond praised these schools for delivering strong arts education despite distance-learning challenges, recognizing their commitment to student wellness, creativity, critical thinking, and social connection.

Responding to teacher interest, we launched Lesson Labs, a professional development program that pairs school-based teacher teams with a teaching artist to design, implement, and assess arts-rich, standards-aligned lessons. Teachers soon reported higher student engagement, motivation, comprehension, and retention.

Marina Vista Elementary Arts Academy and Fremont Lopez Elementary received the Exemplary Arts Education Award from the California Department of Education. State Superintendent Tony Thurmond praised their steadfast commitment to arts education, highlighting its impact on student wellness, creativity, critical thinking, and bridging social divides.

Following an in-depth search and selection process, we welcomed Finney Elementary in Chula Vista, Arts in Action Elementary and Middle Schools in Los Angeles, and Echo Valley Elementary in Salinas to our network, extending our reach to 1,600 additional students and teachers across California.

Turnaround Arts honored six superintendents from partner school districts with a Creative Leadership award in recognition of their commitment to the arts as an essential tool for learning engagement and college and career readiness in the 21st century. Read about our honorees.

Students from three California partner schools took the stage at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ historic Eisenhower Theater on Sunday, April 7th, 2024. The National Turnaround Arts Student Showcase brought together 100 students from Turnaround Arts partner schools nationwide to celebrate their creativity and artistic achievements.

Turnaround Arts California celebrates a decade of building creativity and opportunity in 35 public schools reaching over 37,000 students and teachers. We marked the occasion by releasing the results of a comprehensive program evaluation completed in partnership with Moxie Research.

Del Mar Elementary in Santa Cruz and John D. Sloat Elementary in Sacramento join the Turnaround Arts network to invest deeply in the arts to build opportunities for their students and families.