About Us

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 from ten different counties throughout the state. The initial funding for Turnaround Arts CA was generously provided by the California Arts Council, with additional funding by Eisner Foundation, Frank Gehry, Herb Alpert Foundation, Lynda and Stewart Resnick, Nigel Lythgoe, Rosenthal Family Foundation, and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

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 from ten different counties throughout the state.

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. At the event, Mrs. Obama announced that the President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities created a new partnership with the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to steward the backing of the National Turnaround Arts program.

New partner schools included Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary in Watts and Willard Intermediate and Sierra Preparatory Academy in Santa Ana, Martin Luther King, Jr. School of the Arts in Seaside, and Costaño Elementary in East Palo Alto.

Turnaround Arts California evolved the national pilot through the creation of our regional and principal coaching programs. It established collaborative relationships with experienced arts organizations across the state to provide hands-on support to each partner school. The innovative, impactful coaching work with school principals was later recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts through multiple funding awards.

Turnaround Arts California began a significant expansion, beginning work with ultimately 10 new schools in Southeast LA, adjacent to the LA River, enabled by major investments from the Frank O. Gehry Foundation and the CA State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon’s office.

Frank Gehry and his team of architects made the journey to Hoopa Valley Elementary in Humboldt County to visit with students and teachers. Frank worked with students 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.

Turnaround Arts California hosted Inside Out Project group actions at 10 new partner schools across the state. Using a photo booth truck, black-and-white student portraits, and wheat paste, they activated school campus walls with a temporary installation celebrating creativity and the students and teachers that make up the school community.

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

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

Designed by nationally recognized artist Foremost, Turnaround Arts California’s Cope & Hope Project uplifted the creative resilience of teachers, students and families by documenting through photography how we cope in a time of distress and school closures, and brought them together virtually to envision our hopes for the future of public schools.

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 and principal 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. The CA Arts Education Association recognized Lesson Lab with an Exemplary Program Award in 2024.

Marina Vista Elementary Arts Academy (Marina) and Fremont Lopez Elementary (Stockton) 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.

This initiative was created to support community-building and well-being as schools returned to in-person instruction following pandemic closures. Seven partner schools, including teachers, students, and families, were paired with local artists and arts organizations to conceptualize and implement unique murals and art installations on their campuses.

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. Read more about these amazing students and their experience.

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.