Getting Excited for the Better Together Youth Arts Festival!
Better Together is a joyful celebration of the creativity and spirit of every young artist in the ARTS programs this spring. Their work is a vibrant reflection of their voices and ideas.
Young artists from National City and the South Bay, working with our teaching artists, have spent the spring exploring what community means to them. Their studios have been buzzing with curiosity and creativity. Through hands-on projects and teamwork, they’ve turned their ideas into art that fills the ARTS Center with color, hope, and meaning.
Please join us at the ARTS Center on Saturday, May 16 for our Youth Arts Festival! All spring, our team and young artists have been working together to create art inspired by this year’s theme: Collective Care.
Big shoutout to Katie Carrion, our Program Coordinator for ARTS On Campus, for creating these fantastic artwork curation illustrations that help us plan our exhibition layout! Check them out to get an idea of what you will find throughout our space.
Our partnership with the Chula Vista Elementary School District expanded this session to include intersession field trips to the ARTS Center, as well as afterschool programming at Rohr and Loma Verde Elementary Schools.
To be showcased at our Youth Arts Festival:
Colorful garden boxes and creative plant pot projects from our LEAD Intersession Camps, inspired by the theme “Elements of Creativity.”
New afterschool garden projects from Rohr and Loma Verde Elementary, where students transformed their outdoor spaces with color and care.
Across National School District sites, students explored what it means to care for each other and their communities. Their art—drawings, paintings, and installations—are inspired by nature, kindness, and the many ways we can help each other. The creativity from grades K–6 shines through every piece.
Some highlights include:
“Kelp Forest Canopy” immersive installation by El Toyon Elementary students
Check out the Shrinky Dink Friendship Garland in the Student Lounge and make your own Shrinky Dink keychains to take home
Highlighting two new large-scale murals at Bayfront and Mueller Charter schools in Chula Vista that celebrate leadership, identity, and collaboration
Don't miss the premiere of our video showcasing the new 6th-grade mural at Mueller Charter, along with an interactive version of the Bayfront mural displayed in the Visual Arts Room!
Live music and performances in our Music Room, plus listen to original tracks, soundscapes, and podcasts that reflect students’ stories.
Unveiling new murals in our Hall of Inspiration! Hear directly from the young artists as they discuss how the ways we care for each other inspired their paintings, murals, and fairy houses.
Our Sculpture project team will present a variety of metal and woodworking pieces in our gallery and a branding activity in the patio.
Sewing 101: each student created their own upcycled clothing and accessories, which will be on display in our Gallery, and don't forget to make your own sock puppet in the Visual Arts Room.
A collaborative collage created with our friends the Fifty and Better’s “FABs” from the Kimball Senior Center, celebrating stories and connection across generations
This season, students at our partner Juvenile Court and Community Schools created powerful art in painting, digital media, and printmaking, showing their voices and visions.
With the National Conflict Resolution Center’s Juvenile Diversion Initiative, students explored digital GIFs, collage, clay, and more—finding new ways to express themselves and connect.
As we count down the days to May 16, we invite you to join us in celebrating the creativity, resilience, and heart of our young artists. Their work is a testament to the power of art to bring people together, inspire hope, and build a stronger community. We can’t wait to share this memorable day with you at the ARTS Center!
