Save the Arts

Mission and Vision

The P.S. in P.S. ARTS stands for public schools. Dr. Paul Cummins founded P.S. ARTS in 1991 with seed funding from musician and philanthropist, Herb Alpert. They recognized that a steady decline in funding since the late 1970s had produced massive resource inequities in California public schools, and arts programs were virtually nonexistent in the schools serving the highest numbers of youth affected by poverty and systemic racism.

  • Our Values

    P.S. ARTS values COMMUNITY, serving as a public school partner and ally. We value the role of EQUITY in advancing social justice, and deliver programs that are responsive to the diverse histories, strengths, challenges, and needs of the youth and communities we serve. We value the role of ARTISTIC EXPRESSION and INNOVATION in children’s wellbeing and success in school, work, and life. Finally, we value EXCELLENCE, which we define by our ability to operate and deliver programs that reflect our core values. 

  • Diversity & Equity

    “As proponents of the human right to claim equity and quality of life, we strive, through our operations and arts education programs, to increase collective knowledge, means, and actions that recognize resources and levels of support must be tailored to the unique needs of individuals and communities in order for all people to have equal opportunities for success.” – P.S. ARTS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, 2020

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P.S. ARTS works within the public education system in our pursuit of social justice.