Calendar
Join us in supporting the United Teachers of Pasadena at their Rally at Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101.
Expressing Feelings Through Art (EFTA) is an arts and literacy program delivered to public high school students of L.A. County. Students in 9th through 12th grade are challenged to create art pieces that tell stories that hold personal meanings for them. Topics run the gamut of subject matter and emotional tone and are often as moving as they are original. The students must also engage in an exercise of mind mapping & writing that sheds light on their visual imagery, provoking a thoughtful articulation of the stories they were artistically driven to tell and emotions they explored.
APPLICATION OPENS
January 5th 2026
APPLICATION CLOSES
March 27th 2026
WINNERS ANNOUNCED
April 3rd 2025
LIVE ART EXHIBITION
April 26th 2026
How do books shift our viewpoints? Powerful literature has reimagined what has already been established, reframed narratives that we thought we understood, and introduced new ideas that challenge the status quo.
Think of The Silent Spring and its role in sparking the environmental movement; The Jungle, which exposed labor conditions in the meatpacking industry; The New Jim Crow, which examined systemic mass incarceration; On the Road, which celebrated nonconformity and new mores; Grapes of Wrath, which foretold a day of reckoning against injustice; The Second Sex, which deconstructed gender roles – all part of a trove of revered books that became part of our national conversation.
LitFest 2026 celebrates the force of literature in turning around how we see the world and our place in it.
Every summer, we put together this event so that hundreds of skilled artists can create large colorful chalk murals in a wide variety of styles and subject matter. They range in both style and subject matter, including funny or whimsical illustrations, portraits of people, recreations of masterpieces, incredible original designs, adorable characters, moving tributes, powerful statements, and just plain jaw-dropping art.
All funds raised through merchandise and our unique Silent Auction support the arts education programs of Light Bringer Project throughout the year. We thank you for showing us your support so that we can continue to offer these programs to local youth.
Artist’s Applications will be posted come spring 2026.
We encourage you to follow us for up-to-date information @pasadenachalkfestival
Sunday, January 18, 2026 - a City-Wide Celebration of Neighbors and our Community.
Here’s the details on the main event at Wild Parrot Brewing Co:
BANDS: The Nextdoors | The Licata Brothers | Nina Lares | Jason Heath and the Greedy Souls
NON-PROFIT PARTNERS and BENEFICIARIES: Pasadena Educational Foundation | Lightbringer Project | Pasadena Firemen’s Relief Association
RAFFLE PRIZES: Rose Bowl Parade 2027 tickets (thank you Gene Masuda) | Santa Anita Race tickets (thank you Chelsea Jones) | MORE COMING SOON!
Affected community artists and students will gather to benefit from the Eaton Fire Fund, share stories, and provide support for the Eaton Fire survivors at this combination art show, live performance, and auction benefit to commemorate the first anniversary of the Eaton Fire.
ArtNight is Pasadena’s signature cultural event. Produced by the Cultural Affairs Division in partnership with Pasadena cultural organizations, it is a dynamic arts and cultural open house--showcasing visual arts, literary arts, dance, music, and theater--that takes place on a Friday in March and October from 6:00-10:00pm at sites all around Pasadena. Participating Partner organizations vary from event to event and include many of the 30 cultural venues listed below; all provide free entry during ArtNight. Smaller organizations and ensembles are invited to apply for MiniGrants to perform at Partner venues.
On October 10th, 2025, Light Bringer Project will partner with Day One for the city’s Fall ArtNight event for our interactive art installation: Lucid: Real or Unreal?
These days, life feels more surreal than dreams. From nightmarish adversity, disaster, and hardship to visions of reimagining a possible future, now more than ever we must fall back on our subconscious instincts to discern a path forward. When the powers that be attempt to distort and deny reality, when “the facts” are up for debate, our dreams allow us to access the emotional truth of living through this moment in history.
Lucid dreaming is a state of self-awareness–even control–inside a dream. While we may not have the power to wake up from the parts of life that feel like nightmares, “Lucid” asserts that we can reclaim control over the narrative. To become aware of authority’s manipulation of normalcy is to begin to unravel it, to restore the people’s power over what we know to be true.
In contrast with realism, which purports to represent life objectively, surrealism embraces feelings and personal perspective over one dominant version of the truth. In this interactive exhibition, we honor imagination, emotion, and intuition, the subconscious substance of our dreams. This art displays real feelings, even as authorities claim that this living nightmare is unreal and dreams of rebuilding a better future are impossible.
We invite you to enter the dreamscape, to navigate a vision of dreams and nightmares. As you explore the work of local artists, professionals and students alike, ask yourself: is this real or unreal?
