Custom Corporate Programs
Custom Programs for International Audiences
Collaborative Partnerships
K-12 Programs
In-school Workshops and Residency Programs
Professional Development for Educators
Creativity and innovation are key components of success in today’s dynamic environment of continuous change.
As L.A.’s first independent professional school of art and design founded in 1918, Otis has trained artists and designers who are in the vanguard of Southern California’s cultural and entrepreneurial life. Otis Extension leverages the creative talents of our artistic community to develop and deliver customized innovative programs to match and surpass your needs.
Through External Programs, Extension offers a wide range of creative solutions that serve businesses, educational institutions, and the community. Adult and youth programming includes Workforce Development, Career Technical Education, Corporate Partnerships, Custom Programs, Professional Development, Collaborative Partnerships, and more. Programs are taught by highly qualified instructors that are art and/or design professionals, experts in their fields, as well as skilled art educators.
Custom Corporate Programs
Looking for ways to spark creative ideas, build a culture of collaboration and camaraderie within your organization, or just have some fun with your employees and colleagues?
We have programs and workshop series focused on creativity, imagination, and innovation that are designed to empower one’s creative thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, while encouraging self-expression and inspiration. Whether one is a creative or analytical thinker, creative thinking enhances one’s ability to brainstorm, work better in teams, and come up with more and better solutions to everyday life and work challenges.
Custom Programs for International Audiences
Extension offers customized programs for the international community – whether attending as guests on campus here in the United States or at locations abroad. Based on the objectives of the client, we develop customized programming to meet your imaginative, artistic, and skill-based needs. Using Los Angeles as a lab for creativity and ideation or bringing that creativity to your location, our programs are developed to suit each client’s unique needs.
Watch Exploring Creativity, a snapshot of an international program in action.
Collaborative Partnerships
Do you have a program or an idea you'd like to collaborate on? Extension has formed numerous partnerships and alliances with organizations across various sectors, including non-profits, education, business, international, and government entities. For example, Extension provides short courses to youth in underserved communities through local non-profits, collaborates on course offerings with other educational institutions, and offers programs to international audiences through liaisons representing international organizations.
Teacher and Student Programs
K-12 Programs
Otis Extension partners with K-12 schools to provide custom workshops and courses. Whether as a part of Career Technical Education (CTE) programs or other areas of study in art and design, our expert instructors provide high-quality art education in a variety of subjects, including (but not limited to!) Architecture, Game Design, Fashion Design and Costume Design, Painting, Art History and Drawing.
From short workshops to longer residency programs, we can customize courses for every art and design need. If you've got an idea, let's work together to shape that idea into a program that meets and surpasses the original vision.
In-school Workshops and Residency Programs
Immerse your students in a world where creativity knows no bounds with our dynamic in-school workshops and residency programs designed to meet Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) standards. From the stroke of a brush to the molding of clay, our interdisciplinary approach seamlessly integrates painting, drawing, ceramics, the intersection of science and nature, and more! Our tailored workshops engage students from kindergarten through 12th grade, fostering a deep appreciation for the arts while nurturing their curiosity. Programming can be combined with existing curriculum (History, Science, English, Math, etc.) or can stand alone as an arts-based workshop.
Through hands-on experiences, students not only refine their artistic skills but also develop a deeper understanding of the natural world, sparking creativity and critical thinking. Whether it’s discovering the intricacies of ecosystems through painting or delving into the chemistry of glazes in ceramics, our programs ignite a passion for learning that extends far beyond the classroom walls. Elevate your school’s VAPA curriculum and inspire the next generation of artists and scholars with our enriching workshops and residencies.
For more information, please contact Alicia Green.
Professional Development for Educators
Extension has deep experience in educating educators. Through programs such as the Otis Creativity Program for Teachers, we demonstrate creative approaches that are intended to enhance learning to teacher groups from school districts and/or schools. This creative team-building experience focuses on brainstorming, making a habit of creativity, collaboration, improvisation, and more. Custom designed programs are available in numerous areas such as integrating the arts into curriculum, design thinking approaches to problem solving and ideation, and specific artistic skills to name a few.
