Yesterday morning hundreds of students holding handmade pinwheels lined up on the street in the middle of Skid Row for a parade to celebrate the expansion of Inner-City Arts. They were joined by the staff and board members of Inner-City Arts, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, community leaders, and many guests. Everyone gathered together to commemorate a huge milestone in the history of this amazing organization.

Inner-City Arts opened was founded in 1989 to offer much need arts education to the children of LA. Their program brings LAUSD students, most of who go to school within a 2.5 mile radius of Skid Row, to their art center during the regular school day. The campus now features a new state of the art theater and has more workshop, gallery, and classroom space. With beautiful native plants around the patios and walkways, Inner-City Arts is an urban oasis in the middle of the city.

After the parade, guests toured the campus. Students participated in workshops and performances. A reception was held in the new Rosenthal Theater. Everyone who shared in the beautiful day had giant smiles on their faces.

Students and community leaders parade around the newly expanded campus. (Julie Wolfson/ LAist)

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This video shows a glimpse into the impact that the program has had on their students.