Pasadena Unified Celebrates National Arts Foundation Month

In celebration of National Arts Education Month in March, the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) will be highlighting student creativity in the coming weeks. The festivities kick off with the opening of the No Boundaries student art exhibition and will also include All-District Elementary and Secondary Music Festivals and PUSD’s participation in ArtNight Pasadena. All events are free and open to the public.

No Boundaries is the district-wide exhibition of student visual and performing art in PUSD presented in partnership with Paseo Colorado, the Pasadena Educational Foundation, and ArtNight Pasadena. Celebrating its ninth year, the exhibit features more than 400 pieces of two and three dimensional student artwork representing every school in the district. The title “No Boundaries” refers to the exhibit’s objective of showcasing student artwork without limits to the size or media used as well as the unlimited creative potential of students in PUSD.

For the first time No Boundaries will be presented at Paseo Colorado, near the Garfield Promenade in the former Loehmann’s Department Store location. The opening reception for No Boundaries takes place Friday, February 28 from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 pm with live student performances and appearances by the artists.

PUSD is also an official partner of ArtNight Pasadena, which takes place Friday, March 14. No Boundaries will be a shuttle stop during ArtNight and student and faculty performances will be offered throughout the evening. Additionally, excerpts from the film Go Public: A Day in the Life of an American School District featuring PUSD arts programs will be on view (www.gopublicproject.org).

Music programs will also be trumpeted in March and April. On March 7th , over 1000 students in bands, orchestras and choirs will perform in the PUSD All-District Secondary Music Festival. Guest conductors from the Pasadena Master Chorale, Pasadena Young Musicians Orchestra, and Citrus College as well as PUSD staff will conduct the performances. The music festival will take place at Pasadena High School, with bands, orchestras, & jazz ensembles performing from 5:30 p.m.-7:15 p.m., and choirs singing from 8:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Not to be outdone, PUSD’s younger students will participate in the All-District Elementary Music Festival Thursday, April 3rd at 6:30 p.m. at Wilson Middle School. Hundreds of students from elementary schools across the district will be brought together to perform including an honor band, an honor orchestra and a beginning string orchestra.

For more information about PUSD’s arts initiatives visit www.gopusd.com/arts or call (626) 396-3600, ext. 88129.

No Boundaries

Location: Paseo Colorado (former Loehmann’s Department Store), 248 E. Colorado, Pasadena
Dates and Times: Exhibition will be on view from February 28 – March 16
Opening Reception, Friday, February 28, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
ArtNight Pasadena, Friday, March 14, 6 – 10 p.m.
Regular Hours: Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

All-District Secondary Music Festival

Location: Pasadena High School, 2925 E. Sierra Madre Boulevard, Pasadena
Day and Time: Friday, March 7th, Instrumental Music: 5:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m., Choirs: 8 p.m. – 9 p.m.

All-District Elementary Music Festival

Location: Wilson Middle School, 300 South Madre Avenue, Pasadena
Day and Time: Thursday, April 3rd, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Pasadena Unified School District, 351 South Hudson Avenue, Pasadena, (626) 396-3600 or visit pasadenausd.org.