We are excited to announce Innovate Educate Elevate, a special in-person convening as part of our Artist Educator Connect series and in celebration of P.S. ARTS’ 35th anniversary.
Join us for a half-day of energizing conversation, shared learning, and meaningful connection centered on some of the most challenging yet thought-inspiring questions in arts education today.
About the Theme
Our theme, Innovate Educate Elevate, explores how we can strengthen impactful arts learning experiences and better communicate the value of high-quality arts education. This in-person convening will create space for connection, reflection, and practical learning to support the work we do.
Who It IS For
The convening is open to arts educators, administrators, advocates, and educators of all kinds.
Practitioners: Gain practical strategies, fresh ideas, and tools to better articulate and advocate for your work.
Supporters, funders, and leaders: Deepen your understanding of innovative arts education and how to champion it in your communities and institutions.
Event Details
The INNOVATE EDUCATE ELEVATE convening will feature:
- A panel discussion on Translating the Arts: Communicating the Value of Experiential Arts Education from Diverse Perspectives
- Demonstrations and critical insights on arts integration and student engagement from P.S. ARTS Teaching Artist Coaches
- A networking opportunity to connect with fellow arts practitioners and artist educators
- Refreshments and light hors d’oeuvres
Event Location & Parking
INNOVATE EDUCATE ELEVATE will take place at the Children’s Institute Otis Booth Campus in Echo Park, located at 2121 W. Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026.
We encourage attendees to use rideshare or public transit as street parking is limited. Limited parking will be available one block away at Greater Scouting of Los Angeles.
What You’ll Gain
- Fresh perspectives on designing engaging, student-centered arts experiences
- A deeper understanding of the often under-discussed impacts of arts education
- Opportunities to connect across roles and sectors
- Practical ideas you can bring back to your work
Discussion Panelists
Tiffiny Reckley
Tiffiny C. Reckley is a Brooklyn-born music education veteran who blends her love for working with students and teachers as an arts administrator. Tiffiny, who often attributes her success to her foundation as a proud HBCU graduate, holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Music Education, and is certified as a Principal.
During her work as a band director, she discovered her passion for addressing social justice issues impacting urban arts education classrooms and actively worked toward finding sustainable solutions. No stranger to spreading the word on all platforms, she continues to leave a lasting impression as a band clinician, facilitating presentations in the US and abroad, writing various publications, and as a guest on podcasts.
Dr. Laurel Butler
Dr. Butler is a senior faculty member of the Arts Education program in the Studio Arts Department at Loyola Marymount University’s College of Communication and Fine Arts. She also serves as Director of Youth Programming at Everyday Arts, Senior Consultant for the Pathways to Arts Educator Development project at Create CA, and Artistic Director/Producer of the Magic Power Family Hour all-ages variety show at the Elysian Theater.
A sought-after consultant in social justice arts education as well as a lifelong performer and teaching artist, Dr. Butler’s award-winning work has been presented via national and international tours, festivals, conferences and publications. laurelbutler.com
Grecia Serrano Navarro
Grecia Serrano Navarro is an education leader and arts administrator with over a decade of experience designing and directing innovative programs at the intersection of music education, expanded learning, and community engagement. She has dedicated her career to ensuring high-quality arts experiences reach all students. She is currently the Director of Extended Learning Opportunities at Equitas Academy Charter School.
Previously, Grecia served as Director of the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) program at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy where she built out a robust music program. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of Michigan and a Master of Public Administration from CSUN.
Donzell Lewis
Donzell Lewis is a highly acclaimed youth theater educator/director, actor, and comedian who holds a BFA in Performance and an MFA in Theatre Pedagogy from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Donzell has dedicated a decade of his career as a Theater Teaching Artist for P.S. ARTS, where he has successfully implemented a comprehensive theatre program for grades TK-5, ensuring inclusivity for students of all abilities, including those with special needs. His exemplary service at P.S. ARTS has laid the foundation for his transition into his new role as Curriculum and Instruction Specialist. In this elevated position, Donzell is eager to channel his unwavering commitment to expanding the reach of arts education in schools, communities, and the lives of students.
John Lawler
John Lawler is the CEO of P.S. ARTS. Prior to this, he was the founder and principal of ArTES Magnet (Art Theatre Entertainment School), an innovative visual and performing arts high school, and as the principal of the Los Angeles County High School for the Performing Arts (LACHSA). He has enjoyed a successful career as a director and writer, with stage, opera, and film projects in New York, Los Angeles, London, Munich, and beyond.
He is a co-founder of the award-winning Annex Theatre in Seattle, and has been a guest artist at Sundance, the Eugene O’Neill Center, and the Williamstown Theatre Festival. As a school leader, Mr. Lawler saw both ArTES and LACHSA receive multiple prestigious honors, including designations as national-level “Exemplary Arts Schools” by the Arts Schools Network.
Tiffany Owens
Tiffany Owens is a cross-disciplinary arts and education leader with 25 years in program and learning experience design, direct instruction, professional performance, and event production. She is a veteran educator, trained actor, and arts advocate with extensive experience as a teacher and administrator in LA County – including as chair of the English Department at the nationally renowned Los Angeles County High School for the Arts – as a teaching artist in Drama/Theater and as an adjunct professor at Antioch University.
Tiffany is a graduate of the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, of California State University Northridge, and of Antioch University, with a CA Administrative Services Credential, a CA credential in English Language Arts, and a Master’s in Social Science.
