Pasadena's Armory Center for the Arts is a leader for contemporary art exhibitions and community-based arts education. Our mission is to nurture our community and its young people by creating, learning, and presenting art to advance equity and social justice. The Armory believes that an understanding and appreciation of the arts is essential for a well-rounded human experience and a healthy community. At the core of our mission is a deep commitment to social justice through arts education. Our galleries are always free and we provide arts programming onsite and throughout the community at no cost to participants, along with our tuition-based Studio Art classes and workshops.
The Armory teaching artists are the foundation of our organization. They collaborate with systems-impacted teens to create murals inside LA County juvenile justice facilities and probation centers. They instruct graphic design workshops at continuation high schools in Boyle Heights. They help public school teachers integrate art with math to excite imaginations and inspire critical thinking. They deliver free art classes at Title 1 elementary schools, inner-city parks, and recreation centers—mentoring some our most vulnerable community members.
Armory exhibitions inspire dialogue around visual culture and contemporary life, contribute to global discourses in contemporary art, and introduce contemporary visual art to Pasadena, Southern California, and beyond. In addition to critically acclaimed exhibitions by contemporary artists, our exhibitions team also produces a broad range of public programs, including artist residencies, forums, screenings, and performances, many of which we now bring to you online.
