City Hearts: Kids Say Yes to the Arts

06/23/2026

City Hearts is thrilled to share our 3rd Annual Library Sessions Concert in its entirety!

This intimate showcase featured Dexter Middle School students and their Teaching Artist, Calvin Banks, alongside Guest Musician, Zeinah. Together, they performed the students’ collaboratively written original song, “Sandbar Saturday Night,” as well as Zeinah’s original piece, “Easy,” in front of an audience of peers, school staff, and community members.

Throughout the event, we also gathered direct feedback from school staff and participants on the impact of our Guitar & Songwriting program and its culminating performance experience. The reflections reinforced the importance of connecting students not only to high quality arts instruction, but also to accomplished Teaching Artists and Guest Artists, and ensuring they have access to meaningful, real world creative experiences such as this.

06/11/2026

A huge thank you to Dexter Middle School for another incredible year of partnership. Over the years, we've been honored to bring a variety of arts initiatives to campus, including our Photography program led by Ayda Gragossian .

This year, students explored the many facets of photography and image-making, culminating in an on-campus gallery that celebrated their creativity and showcased their stellar work. We can't wait to share more examples of their incredible pieces with you soon, but in the meantime, enjoy these moments from the event.

We're so grateful for partnerships that make meaningful arts access, creative career exposure, and community possible. And a special thank you to the Herb Ritts Foundation for its unwavering support of our photography initiatives over the years. Their generosity has helped make these transformative creative experiences possible for so many young people.

06/10/2026

Wrapping up another great year at McKinley K-8 Integrated Arts School in Compton! Not only were we able to provide 2 incredible Masterclass workshops this school year led by and , we were also able to provide a Mixed Media Arts program led by Teaching Artist .

On May 28, 2026, the program concluded with an on-campus art gallery showcasing the work of not just our talented middle schoolers but our incredible 4th grade special education students as well! Thank you Anna, thank you to McKinley, thank you , and of course, thank you to all our brilliant young Mixed Media artists! 🎨🖼️💜

06/08/2026

City Hearts was incredibly fortunate to have Zeinah perform as our Guest Artist at our 3rd Annual Library Sessions Concert, including a special performance of "Easy" from her upcoming EP, dropping this summer.

Our students and families were among the first to hear this beautiful song, delivered by such a phenomenal emerging musician. We can't wait to share more from this unforgettable event.

06/05/2026

Our 3rd Annual Wilson 'n William Theatre Program Showcase - and our 2nd year in partnership with Women's Inclusion Network (WIN) - was an incredible success!

A heartfelt thank you WIN for your continued partnership in creating an unforgettable experience for our talented students. A very special thanks to WIN Co-Leader and City Hearts Board Vice President, Genneia James, whose leadership and support helped bring this opportunity to life once again.

Our students experienced a one-of-a-kind career exploration day at NBCUniversal, including participating in an executive roundtable with leading entertainment professionals, and having dinner on the lot. The day culminated in an exclusive showcase where students received live feedback from some of Hollywood’s top leaders and talent. It was a powerful day of exposure and meaningful access to careers in the entertainment industry.

A major thank you to:

- Louie Siongco (SVP, Human Resources, Universal Filmed Entertainment)

- Josh Laolagi (VP, Production, UCP)

- Janae Desire (Director, Development, UCP)

Thank you for sharing your wisdom and insights during our executive roundtable discussion.

Endless thanks to our live feedback panel:

- Adriyan Rae (Actress: Forever, Chicago Fire)

- Naketha Mattocks (Senior Vice President, Drama Development, UTV)

- Jessie Murray (Senior Vice President, Talent & Casting, UTV)

Your encouragement, expertise, and thoughtful feedback made a lasting impact on our young artists.

Big love and appreciation to our host for the evening:

- Ron G. (Emmy Award-Winning Comedian)

Thank you for bringing your energy and heart to this special celebration.

And of course, endless gratitude to our phenomenal Teaching Artists for consistently leading the way:

- Roy Williams, Jr.

- Caitlin Arndt

- Nate B. Smith (Junior Teaching Artist)

To our students, thank you for your hard work and creativity: your talent and commitment were on full display and speak to the bright futures ahead of you

Lastly, we extend our sincere gratitude to the Los Angeles County Justice, Care and Opportunities Department (JCOD) Care First Community Investment Grant for generously funding this program!

05/04/2026

Take 2 minutes to learn about The Wilson 'n William Theatre Program and all the incredible access, people and youth involved.

This school year, we served students from , , , among other high schools and cities.

So much more to come! 😉💜🎭🎥

04/21/2026

Last Thursday, our City Hearts Guitar & Songwriting students from Dexter Middle School visited the Grammy Museum () for an unforgettable day of music, history, and hands-on creativity.

Students explored four floors of exhibits, including the immersive Sonic Playground, an interactive experience that transforms music-making into a dynamic, tech-driven adventure. They also stepped into Selena: From Texas to the World, a special pop-up celebrating the legacy of Selena, and explored The Sounds of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, where they engaged with the music and stories of iconic artists like Taylor Swift, Natalie Cole, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bonnie Raitt.

To cap off the day, students participated in an exclusive, intimate 60-minute songwriting workshop, just in time for the 3rd Annual Library Sessions Concert next month, where they’ll perform an original piece alongside a special musical guest!

Thanks to our Teaching Artist, , for leading the way! 💜🎸

04/21/2026

We are still on Cloud 9 from last week's Wilson 'n William Showcase @ NBCUniversal.

Our students were STELLAR. Check out this quick snapshot of the day but lookout for the highlight reel and entire showcase soon. 😉 💜

04/12/2026

City Hearts is beyond grateful that a LEGEND in the Casting world took the time to share sage advice with our Wilson n’ William Theatre Program students (who will be performing at NBCUniversal next week).

Mark Teschner has been the Casting Director for ABC Daytime's "General Hospital" since 1989. Mark has won eleven Emmy Awards for "Outstanding Achievement in Casting" and eight additional nominations.

He is also a seven-time recipient of the prestigious Artios Award from the Casting Society of America, with sixteen additional nominations. Teschner has served as vice president of the Casting Society of America and as a Governor of the Television Academy.

Thank you Mark for your heart and time! 💜

04/11/2026