VAPA Newsletter
March 2025
La Mirada High School Ceramics Students Visit AMOCA
Ceramics students from LMHS took a field trip to the American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA), where they immersed themselves in the world of contemporary and historical ceramics. During the visit, students explored three captivating exhibits:
- Architectural Pottery: Ceramics for a Modern Landscape – showcasing innovative ceramic designs that blend art with functional outdoor spaces.
- 3 Artists in Residence – featuring the work of Stephanie Kim, Reniel Del Rosario, and Michelle Solorzano, offering a behind-the-scenes look at their creative processes and artistic journeys.
- SoCal Critters – an engaging collection highlighting playful and imaginative ceramic creatures inspired by Southern California’s diverse environment.
Students also toured AMOCA’s working studio, where they observed the artists in residence, explored their workspaces, and learned about specialized pottery equipment and kilns. The trip also exposed students to the wide range of careers available in the art world—extending beyond being an artist to roles in museum operations, curation, education, and technical support.
Arts Exhibit at the 14th Annual Artastic Art Festival
The yearly art competition was held at the Norwalk Sports and Arts Complex on Friday, March 14th. Norwalk La Mirada Art teachers have been entering student art work in this contest every year for 14 years. Students who place are eligible for a small scholarship for art supplies. Categories include Computer Generated Arts, Ceramics, Sculpture, Painting, Drawing and Photography. Professional artists show work in an adjacent gallery to the student gallery and many are present at the Art Festival. This allows for students to see the work AND meet professional artists from their own communities.
Shoe Designs in Media Arts at Benton Middle School
Benton's media arts students designed custom candy shoe designs using Adobe Illustrator. After completing their designs, they participated in a peer critique. Students gave kind, helpful, and specific feedback to their peers to help them Glow and Grow!
Students at Benton learn Adobe Illustrator as part of their experience in media arts. Illustrator is used by a wide range of professionals, particularly in design, marketing, and communications, to create vector graphics, illustrations, and logos for various applications like print, web, and social media.
According to Enlyft, a data platform that tracks real-time information on technical tools for job markets, Adobe Illustrator is used by 74,758 companies throughout the United States as well as in the Information Technology and Services industry worldwide. There are many other products that digital artists use, but Illustrator offers an interface accessible for students who are serious about learning a creative tech skill. Students at Benton become proficient in this technology over time and leave with an amazing portfolio of their work.
Black History Month Projects from Advanced Art at LMHS
Advanced Art students highlighted Black excellence by painting portraits for Black History Month. After choosing a TV show or movie featuring a famous black actor in an iconic scene, students applied the "Grisaille" painting method to their project.
Matilda Jr. the Musical is coming to Benton Middle School!
Benton Middle School will be performing the beloved production of Matilda Jr.! The cast and crew of over 80 students has been working hard for months with their director, Jennifer Nitschke, music director, Esther Lin and choreographer, Tiffany Churchhill to prepare for this big night.
Shows will be presented in the Benton MPR on March 20-22nd, March 26th -29th. Closing night is already sold out! Get your tickets at https://bentonms.booktix.com/. Show Poster Credit Benton Student: Leena Loera.
Show program
Culture Fair at La Mirada High School!
The Culture Fair will take place on April 9th from 4:30 to 8:00 PM on the LMHS campus. This event is sponsored in unison by the VAPA department and the World Language departments. They will be performance (dances...) and food. This art show will showcare art from semester 2 students. This will include the senior art show for AP Art classes and Ceramics!
“Creativity is as important as literacy” ― Ken Robinson
Sir Ken Robinson (1950-2020) worked with governments, education systems, international agencies, global corporations and some of the world’s leading cultural organizations to unlock the creative energy of people and organizations. He led national and international projects on creative and cultural education in the UK, Europe, Asia and the United States. The embodiment of the prestigious TED Conference and its commitment to spreading new ideas, Sir Ken Robinson is the most watched speaker in TED’s history. His 2006 talk, “Do Schools Kill Creativity” has been viewed online over 60 million times and seen by an estimated 380 million people in 160 countries.
CREATE California
Do you follow CREATE California? Create California is a great resource for finding funding sources outside of the district for field trips and professional development. CC also features lesson plans to help develop future leaders in the arts. Students can explore the intersection between civic engagement and the arts. They can learn about creative expression in visual arts, music, and performance as a stage for social change.
Thanks to NLMUSD VAPA teachers for contributing to this month's Newsletter!
Help us shine a light on the talented VAPA teachers and their students across NLMUSD. The link to report events for the VAPA master calendar, monthly newsletter, and VAPA Instagram account is above. Don't forget to follow VAPA on Instagram @nlmarts. 🎭 🎨 🎶🥁💃
Please contact us for VAPA support! You can book us through Calendly links provided via email.
VAPA Hours: Mondays, alternate Wednesdays & Thursdays
Phone: Extension 102263
Jennifer Hodge (Visual)
Jennifer Nitschke (Performing)