Fame High: Artistic Students Get a Great Education at This Public School

The Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) is one of the premier public arts high schools in the United States. Serving 600 culturally and socioeconomically diverse teens from more than 80 school districts in the county, LACHSA is routinely identified as one of "America's Best High Schools" by Newsweek Magazine and one of LA's best high schools by Los Angeles Magazine, LACHSA offers a specialized program combining college-preparatory academic instruction and training by industry professionals in the visual and performing arts. Founded in 1985, the school is tuition-free and run by the Los Angeles County Office of Education in partnership with and on the campus of California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA).

Just last year, the school debuted its own shining and beautiful building on the CSULA campus. Recently, it was also named a third home for Youth Orchestra LA (YOLA), Gustavo Dudamel’s signature program that is inspired by El Sistema, the Venezuelan music education system that provides a quarter-million children with free musical instruments and music instruction. The school even inspired a documentary movie, Fame High.

My daughter is a visual arts student at LACHSA. While always a good artist, she is being put through the paces by the LACHSA art teachers to improve upon her craft. The results are obvious. Recently, the school had its art show at the historic Pico House at the El Pueblo De Los Angeles.


My photos of the exhibited artwork are poor reproductions of the students' work, but will have to serve to demonstrate the artistry exhibited by these wonderfully talented young people from LACHSA.