Armory Center for the Arts

About Armory Center for the Arts Nonprofit and community-based, Armory Center for the Arts is the Los Angeles region's leading independent institution for contemporary art exhibitions and community arts education. The Armory believes that an understanding and appreciation of the arts is essential for a well-rounded human experience and a healthy civic community. Armory exhibitions inspire dialogue around visual culture and contemporary life, contribute to global discourses in contemporary art, and introduce contemporary visual art to Pasadena, Southern California, and beyond. In addition to critically acclaimed exhibitions by contemporary artists, the Armory's exhibitions team produces a broad range of public programs, including artist residencies, forums, screenings, and performances. At the core of the Armory's mission is a deep commitment to social justice through arts education. Every day, Armory Teaching artists transform lives and communities through the power of art. This includes year-round studio art classes for all ages at the center's Old Pasadena facility, plus hundreds of no-cost art classes at schools, parks, libraries, community centers, and juvenile detention centers, both in Pasadena and throughout Southern California. In a 2015 White House ceremony, First Lady Michelle Obama honored the Armory as one of the best after school art programs for teens in America by awarding the organization the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award - an accolade the White House calls the highest honor for after school art programs in the Nation.