Ryman Arts Joins with Cal State Fullerton to Expand Free Program for High School Students

A Los Angeles-based arts education program for artistic high school students is joining with Cal State Fullerton to expand its offerings in Orange County.

Ryman Arts decided to bring its free program here after noticing that about 10 percent of those who enroll in its classes at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles commute from Orange County.

High school students who prove to be serious about pursuing a future in art are accepted into the free, 12-week program that has them learning about drawing and painting from professional artists, according to Diane Brigham, Ryman Arts' executive director.

Courtesy of Ryman Arts

A Ryman instructor shows an art student the finer points.

"We know how powerful the creative learning environment has been for our teens at Otis College of Art and Design," says Brigham in a statement, "and we are delighted that we now can offer classes at both an independent college of art and design, and at a public university with a major art school."

The first classes begin in the Cal State Fullerton art studios in January. The enrollment deadline has passed, but visit www.rymanarts.org to learn about future opportunities.

By the way, the Fullerton campus is not Ryman Arts' only connection to Orange County. Namesake Herb Ryman drew the first overall illustration of Disneyland for Walt Disney, according to the program's president, Marty Sklar, the retired creative leader of Walt Disney Imagineering and one of six program founders.

Follow OC Weekly on Twitter @ocweekly or on Facebook!