SAH’s American Architecture and Landscape Field Trip Program Makes Grant to artworxLA

In Spring of 2016 SAH awarded artworxLA a $5,000 grant to support the design and implementation of a 10-week program on architectural history for underserved Los Angeles high school students engaged in the organization’s series of artist-led classroom workshops. The funding helped artworxLA provide a special architectural history class and tours of downtown L.A. from March through May 2016 for teens who are at the highest risk of exiting high school without a diploma. The experience gave students the opportunity to explore their city beyond their local neighborhoods and deepened their understanding of and connection to the architecture in Los Angeles. Students expressed their desire for community building through artwork, which they presented at the Hammer Museum at the conclusion of the program.

Teaching artist Rosalind Sagara led the 10-week course on the topic of “Experimentation with Art and Ideas” in partnership with the Hammer Museum, UCLA. Drawing on her historic preservation expertise, she offered students a unique learning experience through the workshop, “Art and Architecture: Power of Place,” which considered the question: “How does historic downtown L.A. reflect creative ideas and experimentation in the built environment?” The class learned about the architectural styles, types, and social histories that define Los Angeles and toured sites and historic landmarks such as the Bradbury Building, Grand Central Market, Central Library, and the Con Edison Building. The group visited Biddy Mason Park and, noticing a lack of youth in the area, decided to create brochures to build awareness of the site. The students documented their observations and experiences in the park, and on May 25, the finished brochures were displayed at the Hammer Museum and the class gave a public presentation of their work.



SAH’s support of artworxLA has been made possible by funding that SAH received in 2014 and 2015 to create programs that provide architectural enrichment for grammar school and high school students through architectural tours. SAH offers grants and programming for K-12 students through the SAH Architecture and Landscape Fieldtrip Program. We are grateful to Ken Breisch, recent past president of SAH, who introduced  artworxLA to SAH and encouraged them to apply for funding.

If you would like to introduce SAH to a small not-for-profit organization that enriches underserved students’ lives through workshops, classes, and field trips that focus on the history of architecture and landscapes, please contact SAH Executive Director Pauline Saliga at psaliga@sah.org. 





About Rosalind Sagara 
Teaching artist Rosalind Sagara is the co-founder and board chair of the Save Our Chinatown Committee in Riverside, leading a grassroots effort to ensure that a vital component of California history is preserved. She recently became project manager and architectural historian for Historic Resources Group (Riverside). Sagara earned a B.A. in English with honors from the University of California, Riverside, an M.A. in film studies from the University of Iowa, and an M.A. in heritage conservation from the University of Southern California.

About artworxLA
artworxLA exclusively serves high school students in the alternative educational system. Its mission is to combat the high school dropout crisis through a long-term, sequential arts program offering a pursuable life path that inspires students to stay in school, evolve as unique individuals, and flourish as creative adults. artworxLA serves 600 teens annually, providing opportunities for them to engage in their education with a plan towards graduation. Visit artworxla.org  to learn more.