RUSD’s Visual and Performing Arts Programs are an integral part to a student’s well-rounded education.

RUSD encourages learning in all the arts and offers many student performance opportunities throughout the year to showcase their growth.

District-Wide Highlights:

• A comprehensive arts offering at all high schools including: Band Ensembles; Theater programs (including theatrical and musical theater productions), Men's, Women's, and Advanced Choirs; and Visual Arts (including Drawing and Painting, Art and Design, and Ceramics courses). See below for more information. Here are a few video examples.
• RUSD Honors Musical, an auditioned district-wide high level production that includes performances at the Riverside Fox Theater for audiences of 3,000+ community members
• RUSD Arts College and Career Fair: last year, this fair featured over 40 college arts programs and arts organizations
• RUSD Masterclass Series: In the 2019-20 school year, world-renowned artists included International photographer Chris Jordan, Broadway choreographer Douglas Graham, Broadway actress Janene Louvullo, and others
• District Festivals and Performances, including RUSD Band and Orchestra Festival, RUSD Band Extravaganza, RUSD Choral Masterwork Festival, RUSD High School Honor Band
• Live Tech Program, providing technical theater internship opportunities with Live Nation stage crew
• An array of partnership programs with organizations such as the Riverside Arts Academy, Riverside Art Museum, Riverside City College, Cal Baptist University, UC Riverside, Cal State San Bernardino, UCR Arts Museum, and others
• Innovative online learning experiences in the arts with professional artists, collaborative projects, and virtual productions

THEATER

RUSD’s elementary theater experience starts with plays, musicals, and talent shows at many schools. Middle school theater, offered at several schools, includes yearly musicals, play production, and theater classes. High school theater programs are thriving with beginning, intermediate and advanced acting classes as well as technical theater, production and show choir classes.

DANCE

Dance begins at several elementary schools with in-school dance curriculum and after-school clubs. At the middle and high school levels, many schools offer dance ensemble after-school opportunities for students, including competitive, traditional, and hip-hop dance. Dance is also interwoven into the musical theater programs at all five comprehensive high schools.

MEDIA ARTS

RUSD embraces technology and innovation, and offers an array of courses in Media Arts at the middle and high school levels. Course offerings include Music Technology, Graphic Design, Game Design, Video Production, Web Design, Digital Film Production, and Broadcast Journalism. Coordinated together with the RUSD Career and Technical Education Department, our courses use state of the art equipment and provide extensive career connections.

VISUAL ARTS

At RUSD the visual arts provide an incredible opportunity for students to draw, paint, design, sculpt and imagine new visual worlds. Our Visual Arts programs begin in elementary schools with the Riverside Art Museum’s Art-to-Go program for an introductory arts-integrated experience. Middle school arts students explore the basic elements of art while learning about art history, and master mediums such as acrylic paint, colored pencil, watercolor, and digital media. In high school students may take an array of in-depth arts offerings including Art and Design, Digital Art, Ceramics, Drawing and Painting, and AP Studio Art.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

RUSD’s extensive and prize-winning instrumental music programs begin in 5th grade district-wide with standards-based instruction on wind, brass and percussion instruments. The middle school music programs develop musical technique, and interconnect with the impressive high school offerings such as marching band, field band, jazz ensemble, concert band, chamber ensembles, orchestra, piano, guitar, and Mariachi. The instrumental music program also features a strings program at select schools beginning at the 4th grade. With a significant financial investment in recent years for musical instruments, a large number of students are able to borrow a school instrument at no cost.

CHORAL MUSIC

Students are introduced to choral music at several elementary schools with in-school group singing and after-school clubs. Vocal training is then offered at all middle and high schools with in-school and after-school programs that focus on technique, sound production, and vocal range. The choral program explores various genres that embrace diversity and invites students to follow their passion for music. As both a stand-alone vocal program and cross-disciplinary musical theater program, the choral tradition in Riverside continues to grow.