In the forthcoming PBS special “Art Happens Here with John Lithgow,” actor, author, humorist and renowned performer John Lithgow will share his passion for arts education by joining students and teachers at four organizations in the L.A. area. Lithgow and the participants will dive into four arts disciplines: dance, ceramics, silk-screen printing and vocal jazz ensemble. Celebrating how arts education nurtures and inspires the hearts and minds of students of all ages, the show follows Lithgow as he tries his hand at singing, dancing, printmaking and pottery, working alongside and learning from young people whose lives are being transformed by art. The one-hour special premieres at 10 a.m. on April 26 via PBS.org and the PBS app.
Growing up, Lithgow wanted to be an artist and was inspired and encouraged by his public-school art teachers. Today, he calls those teachers his heroes — heroes who instilled in him confidence, curiosity and a sense of self.
“Education involves much more than just the basic academic subjects and preparing kids for being tested and evaluated,” Lithgow says. “Arts education is an anchor that provides a child emotional and social development and a sense of who they are in the world.”
Lithgow visits four organizations Self Help Graphics & Art, a Chicano community organization at the intersection of arts and social justice; the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, a nonprofit dance school; the Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge, home of a nationally renowned ceramics studio, and the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, a specialized public school open to aspiring young artists throughout L.A. County.
To learn more about John Lithgow and his work, visit johnlithgow.com
