Visual and Performing Arts

Louisa Castrodale, Arts Coordinator

lcastrodale@psusd.us

Brenda Hyde, Assistant to Arts Coordinator

bhyde@psusd.us

Office Phone: (760) 202-6488

Bio

Louisa Castrodale is an educator, published poet and award winning artist.  After fifteen years as a classroom teacher for PSUSD, she was named the Teacher on Special Assignment for the Visual and Performing Arts.  After seven years of establishing and building programs, Louisa was promoted to Arts Coordinator.  In her current position she oversees all supplemental arts programming in art, music, dance, theater and fashion.  She is the Chairperson of the Galen Allocation Fund at Rancho Mirage High School. Her mission is to create access to high quality arts experiences for students in Palm Springs Unified School District.

Awards/Presentations

During her tenure, Louisa has been the recipient of the Arts School Network Emerging Leader Award, the Association of California School Administrators Administrator of the Year, the Riverside County Model of Academic Excellence and the Steinway Society Excellence in Music Award.  She has been a featured presenter at the National Dropout Prevention Council in Palm Springs, the Model Schools Conference in Nashville, the Arts School Network Conference in Dallas, the National Art Educators Association in New Orleans, the CA Title One Conference in Burlingame, the California Association for Bilingual Educators in Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco, and at Cal State Fullerton Arts At The Center Conference.

Programs Created and Managed

4 2 N O – Art curriculum for 4th grade students – created in conjunction with Art Patron magazine

Art With Heart – Weekly art classes for Alternative Education students

Boys Arts Mentoring (BAM) – Monthly middle school art program, just for boys

Cabot’s Indian Pueblo Museum - 2nd grade program/field trip in social studies/art

Children’s Discovery Museum - 1st grade program/field trip in science/art

CVREP - Annual anti bullying play presented for PSUSD middle schools

Desert Art Center - Series of free art classes for middle schools offered twice annually

Elementary arts programming in Harp, Hand Chime and 2nd Grade Art Classes Lady Lead – Monthly middle school art program, just for girls

McCallum Theatre - “5th Grade Project” - all PSUSD fifth grades

Palm Springs Art Museum - “Art Within Reach” - all PSUSD third grades

Palm Springs Community Concerts - 3 All District concerts for students at the Richards Center for the Arts

Palm Springs Opera Guild - 3 week Opera tour into all PSUSD schools

PSUSD Mural Program - over 100 murals created in schools to date

Red Hot Ballroom - Dance instruction for 3rd-6th grades in 5 ballroom dances

Steinway Society - Classical music concerts all PSUSD Kindergarten through 2nd grades – 6 Piano and 6 Ukulele labs – Music education docents

Summer Programming - Club Broadway, Project Broadway, Symphony Camp, DJ Camp, Fashion Camp, Visual Fusion Camp, Red Hot Ballroom Camp, Hip Hop Camp, Art Classes

The Living Desert – Kindergarten program/fieldtrip in science/art

Special Events and Shows

Dia De Los Muertos Art Contest - partnering with Well in the Desert, Palm Springs Funeral District and Cathedral City Public Arts Commissions

District Songfest – All secondary choir programs

Film Catalog and Student Screening Days - AmDocs Film Festival

Holiday Banner Contest - partnering with Palm Springs Merchant’s Association and City of Palm Springs

International Classical Concerts – Free tickets available to all PSUSD students

Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez and Susan B. Anthony PSUSD Art Contests Met Opera Live – Free tickets available to all PSUSD students

Opera Arts – Student Outreach Concerts

One Act Play Festival – All district high schools

Palm Springs Dance Festival – high school student scholarships

PSUSD Student Art Exhibition - College of the Desert

PSUSD Student Art Exhibition - UCR/Palm Desert

Stardust Festival – All secondary performing arts programs

Student Screening Day - Palm Springs International Film Festival

Student Field Trip/Tour - Desert X

Student Volunteers/Photographers and Videographers - El Paseo Fashion Week

Student Volunteers/Photographers and Videographers - Indian Wells Arts Festival

Virginia Waring International Piano Competition – Student Outreach Concerts

Young Playwrights Festival – partnering with Coyote Stage Works

Musical Theatre University

This district program for gifted and talented musical theatre students is operated out of Rancho Mirage High School.  The after school conservatory was founded by David Green, who is the Artistic Director.  The audition only program features after school classes Monday-Thursday afternoons. There is also a traveling performance group that is available through separate audition. MTU presents three fully staged musicals per year, performs at Rancho Mirage Amphitheater and produces a holiday TV special for KMIR.  The program also takes a yearly trip to New York City to participate in Master Classes, and attend Broadway show and special events.  As the administrator of the program, Louisa oversees the staff, budget and facilities of the program.  Interested parents or students should contact the office for more information about auditions.​