A quick left turn into an unassuming building on Technology Drive may find you with one of the most beautiful scenes of the city. Not in a park or a set of buildings, but instead behind a canvas.
Across the month of April, walking down the halls of the district office building might greet you with walls and walls of beautiful drawings, paintings and sculptures, among other forms of art.
This is because from April 1 to April 30, 2026, the District Art Show was on full display for the city to see. From 8:00 AM to 4:30pm every weekday, people were allowed to walk through the gallery to look at student artworks. The various pieces were contributed by art teachers across the district, student artworks coming from elementary schools like Grimmer, Bringhurst and Leitch, middle schools like Hopkins and Horner, high schools like Irvington, Mission, Kennedy, and Washington, as well as from the district’s Adult School, Native American School and Pre-school among others.
On April 17, the District Art Show also held an Artists’ Reception event, inviting various performing arts groups to attend and entertain any guests and artists visiting to see their own artwork. While the brownies, cookies and refreshments were a treat, the star of the reception were the various performers who attended the event. Starting with Mission San Jose High’s Mission Singers in the front lobby at the beginning of the reception, visitors were also able to make their way to the back of the building to watch Washington High’s jazz band performance, their musical dramas, and Hopkins Junior High’s short films.
Along the way, you would be greeted by an array of art mediums. From painting to printmaking, to photography and even sculptures, virtually every form of art under the sun was featured in the District Art Show.
Setting up the show was also an exhibition of the cooperation between schools across the district. “Each teacher was responsible for hanging their own students’ artwork,” said Ms. Parker, the coordinator of the District Art Show, “So I mainly made sure there were no empty boards. It was a great group effort, too. One teacher fell ill, and her principal came in and put up all the artwork for her, so there was definitely a lot of teamwork involved.”
The performers were also extremely passionate about attending the show. The MSJ Choir, who attended last year as well, performed once again in the District lobby. ”To be honest, part of the motivation is publicity, getting my students out there and letting them be seen,” explained MSJ choir director Mr. Belles, “It’s a relatively new choir, and the program is growing, so it’s an opportunity to connect with the community, and a chance to give back by sharing music.” He also remarked that the performing at the serves as a crucial round of practice for an event that the choir aims to attend the following Saturday.
Artists who had the opportunity to display their work on the district walls shared a similar sentiment. “It feels cool that everyone can come see my work,” said junior from Washington High Sahar Naqvi, “I hope people value art more than they do now, and that it inspires more people to get into art and see it as something important rather than just an extra hobby.” The head sculpture she made sits at one of the turns in the district office, among the other diverse mediums used across artworks.
Overall, the District Art Show continues to be held year after year since its inception in the year 2000 because of the role it plays in the community. Not only are district-wide events important for city culture, but art itself is also an extremely important pursuit. “It inspires us to be better people,” said Ms. Parker, “And that influence carries over into everything we do.”
