Los Angeles has been a locus for arts activism and community-based muralism since the 1960s and 1970s when minority and immigrant communities began to engage creative methodologies to advance movements for social change. My thesis examines a contemporary history of community-based muralism in Los Angeles and considers how this provides a framework for community-based arts pedagogy, which can be integrated into K-12 public schools to empower youth in their cultures, identities, and aspirations. I explore the connection between community-based muralism and community-based arts pedagogy by looking closely at the lineage and artistic methodologies of the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) in Venice, CA. My thesis includes a historical analysis of community-based muralism and I discuss The Great Wall of Los Angeles mural that was conceptualized and developed by Judith Baca and SPARC in 1976. I also present a case study of The Emancipation Project, a K-12 arts education program developed by SPARC in 2013, to illustrate how SPARC engages methods and practices from community-based muralism to develop a community-based arts pedagogy that aims to empower students. My thesis positions community-based arts pedagogy as a critical approach to education that not only builds connections between classroom and community, but also supports students and families in addressing critical issues within their neighborhoods.

The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated a monumental transformation in public education as millions of K-12th grade students in the United States transitioned to online learning. I served as Programs Manager at an arts non-profit in Los Angeles during the height of the pandemic. My early conversations with school principals, classroom teachers, and colleagues in the arts illuminated the key question that guided my research: What happens to arts education during a time of crisis? My research documents the changes and adaptations of K-12 arts education programs in Los Angeles between 2020 and 2022, with a key focus on the development of virtual arts curricula during a precarious public health crisis. COVID-19 marks a critical moment in a longer history of arts education that has been shaped by past crises as well as complex social, political, and economic frameworks. My research is positioned within the vast context of K-12 arts education in Los Angeles with the intention of understanding how this time of crisis interfaces with ongoing challenges of access and equity. I offer insights on the impact of COVID-19 on K-12 arts education in Los Angeles through three case studies: 1) The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Itinerant Arts Programs; 2) The Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) Arts Education Program; and 3) The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) Mobile School Program. Alongside discussions on funding structures and arts pedagogy, I begin to identify strategies that could support LAUSD and public school systems across the United States in delivering student-centered arts education during future crises. The implications of this research extend beyond COVID-19 and indicate a pathway toward strengthening the infrastructure of arts education to empower the next generations of students during and beyond times of crisis.