InsideOut

Lucinda Otto is a performer, director and teaching artist with many years of experience living and working in lovely San Francisco. Working with a wide range of ages and in school and community serttings, Ms. Otto has developed a method for teahing physically-based drama and creative play-making techniques that are much loved by her studends and audiences. Much of her work in schools involves working with classroom teachers to infuse the arts and creating original, integrated projects that bring theatre and performance across the curriculum.

After making her stage debut at the tender age of five in "The Wizard of Oz," Ms. Otto has gone on to a varied career in theatre. In addition to teaching and curriculum development she is as a performer, director and playwright working with Fools Fury Theatre, the San Francisco Arts Education Project, Young Performers Theatre, Stanford University, the East Harlem Tutorial Project, Santa Cruz County Community Schools and others.

 Ms. Otto also has an extensive background in arts education advocacy and arts administration. She worked for several years for the Bay Area Discovery Museum, was Board President of the San Francisco Children's Art Museum, on the Steering Committee of the Arts Education Funders Collaborative and founded Parents for the Arts in San Francisco Schools. Ms. Otto has a BFA in Drama for New York University and an MA in Arts Education fro Stanford University. 

Art in Action fosters the educational development and creativity of children across America through innovative visual arts programs and communities. We believe that a quality art education is critical for every student's preparation for success in the 21st Century, and we actively assist schools in implementing a comprehensive, standards based quality visual art program tailored to each student's development. Art in Action was founded in 1982 and is a nonprofit organization.

The Art in Action Program combines a sequential K-8 curriculum based on the Great Masters with convenient lesson-specific art supplies for a classroom, hands-on training of teachers and parent volunteers, and continuous school support via the school's designated Art in Action contact person. The curriculum is available both online and in book form. It provides detailed, recipe-style directions for guiding successful discussions and projects, and it integrates with language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. The curriculum is aligned with California and National Academic Content Standards for Visual Arts and received a 99.5% user satisfaction rating in a recent user survey.

Kala Art Institute provides a communal meeting place forartists from around the world who are offered the gift of time and space tofurther develop their unique visions in our West Berkeley studios. These talented artists form the creative corps of Kala’s Artists-In-Schools program,through which they share their expertise with K-12 students in Alameda County.

During the Doing & Viewing Art program, children visit a different museum gallery every week for ten weeks, and then participate in related studio art activities under the guidance of professional artists. The de Young also offers Saturday workshops for families in subjects such as paper art, drawing and painting.

The San Francisco Children's Art Center is a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower children and foster their sense of self through artistic exploration. Our focus is on a process-oriented art experience. While providing instruction in the use of art materials and techniques, our teachers guide students through the creative process in an effort to support each child's individual style of expression. We offer a full range of classes in our Fort Mason studio, for children ages 22 months to 12 years of age, as well as Family Workshops and Birthday Parties on Sundays. Big Kid Weekly Workshops during the summer allow kids to explore more complex topics and materials. Visit www.childrensartcenter.org for more information.