Faculty

SARIT SWANBORN
Elementary Visual Art
sswanborn@spusd.net
www.spusdvisualarts.com/
I am an artist native to Los Angeles, and a resident of South Pasadena with two children.  I received my BARCH degree from The School of Architecture at the University of Southern California in 1992, followed by interning for world-renowned architects Enrique Norten of Ten Arquitectos in Mexico City and Thom Mayne of Morphosis in Los Angeles.  My transition from architecture firms to the classroom setting began while working as a graphic artist for The Galef Institute, a non-profit organization that produced K-12 arts-integrated curriculum for charter schools titled, Different Ways of Knowing. In 2009, I received my Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, followed by my Single Subject Credential in Art from California State University Los Angeles. Seeking meaningful artistic partnerships within my own community, I began collaborating with SPACE--the South Pasadena Arts Center--through their Artist-In-Residence Program to develop and bring high-quality visual arts instruction to SPUSD's three elementary schools.  In the fall of 2013, I proudly became the Elementary School Visual Arts Teacher for SPUSD, and with the support and collaboration of valued school board members, teachers, staff, and parent volunteers from Arroyo Vista, Marengo, and Monterey Hills, the Visual Arts Program has thrived. Each year, I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to develop thematic visual art courses that are engaging, deeply relevant to a child's life, connect with grade-level curriculum, and spark imagination, critical thinking and self-expression. As an Arts educator, my joy, creativity, and dedication remain focused on nurturing each child's sense of self as capable, gifted, and wonderfully individual in ways of knowing.  
DENISE TANAKA
SPMS Visual Art
dtanaka@spusd.net
https://sites.google.com/spusd.net/ms-tanakas-art-class/home
Denise Tanaka began her teaching career at SPMS in 2008. She received her BA and Single Subject Credential in Arts Education from Cal State Long Beach and was the recipient of the Dave Kubela Teacher of the Year Award in 2018. Over the years, her students have received the Ryman Arts Scholarship, Water is Life DWP Art Award, and the PTA Reflections Program Visual Arts Award. ​
ROUZANNA BERBERIAN
SPHS Visual Art/Photo
rberberian@spusd.net
Rouzanna Berberian is an accomplished artist and an educator. She was born in Yerevan, Armenia. When her family immigrated to the United States in 1990, Rouzanna continued her education at Pasadena City College. She changed her major from engineering to fine arts as soon as she took her first art class with influential artist and educator Jim Morphesis. Later, she continued her studies which led her into teaching art and inspiring generations of students. Primarily known for her circuit board paintings, Rouzanna also works with variety of media that best suit her creative expression. She delved into photography when she was offered a teaching position in digital photography at South Pasadena High School. With mentorship and inspiration from fellow photographers, she photographed and exhibited with Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Nick Ut. Her proudest moment was when she was nominated for Music Center’s BRAVO awards for excellence in art education in 2012 and when her photographs were selected by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center portraying “A Day in the Life of Asian Pacific America” in 2014. Rouzanna received her Master of Fine Arts from the California State University and has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in the Greater Los Angeles area and in Armenia. Currently she is an art educator at South Pasadena High School and has been a board member with the Monrovia Association of Fine Arts for over a decade as an outreach coordinator, developing and working with after school art program. Her work is in numerous public and private collections
AIMEE LEVIE-HULTMAN 
SPHS Visual Art
alevie@spusd.net
Aimee Levie-Hultman has been teaching art at SPHS since 2004. She received a BA in Art from UC Santa Cruz and was the Otis College of Art & Design Teacher of the Year in 2006. Her students have won top awards from the Congressional Art Competition, Scholastic Art Awards (regional and national), Light Bringer Project's "Expressing Feelings Through Art", The Music Center's Spotlight Awards (including two finalists in Visual Arts), and from the South Pasadena Arts Council. Notable college art and design programs her students have recently been accepted to are UCLA, UC Berkeley, Stanford, MIT, Cooper Union, RISD, SAIC, Art Center, Otis, CCA, LCAD, PNCA, Pratt, Parsons, and Cal Arts.

ART COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES
Academy of Art University
Art Center College of Design
Art Institute of California- Hollywood
Biola University School of the Art Institute of Chicago
California College of the Arts
California Institute of Arts
Expression College for Digital Arts
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
Laguna College of Art and Design
North Carolina School of the Arts
Otis College of Art and Design
Rhode Island School of Design
San Francisco Art Institute
Savannah College of Art and Design
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Stanford
UC Berkley
UCLA
If you are an alumni of SPUSD that has gone into a career in the visual or performing arts, we want to hear from you! Please consider clicking the link below to update us on your accomplishments and join our thriving SPUSD Arts alumni community. ​​​​​
SPUSD VISUAL ARTS ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT 
If you are an alumni of SPUSD that has gone into a career in the visual or performing arts, we want to hear from you! Please consider clicking the link above to update us on your accomplishments and join our thriving SPUSD Arts alumni community. ​​​

COURSES OFFERED
​ELEMENTARY
Introductory Art TK-5

MIDDLE
Art
This course is filled with projects and activities that will boost your critical thinking habits, improve your collaborative participation, grow your creativity and develop your communication skills through making, writing and talking about art and art history. Classes are designed as an introduction to all forms of visual communication including drawing, painting, ceramics, printmaking, 3D sculpture, and digital art/technology.

HIGH
Painting and Drawing 1
This one-year course introduces students to the Elements of Art and Principles of Design while developing their drawing skills and painting techniques. Studio experiences in the classroom will give students opportunities to experience a variety of media (pencil, pen, ink, pastel, watercolor, and tempera paint) while developing students’ individual style, creative problem solving skills, and self expression. Students will demonstrate their ability to respond, analyze and interpret their own artwork and the work of others through discussions, critiques, and reflective writing. Topics covered are contour drawing, shading 3-dimensional forms, color theory, observation drawing, perspective, and portraiture. UC/CSU Approved for “F” Visual & Performing Arts (VPA). 

Intermediate Art
This one-year intermediate course reviews and expands on the concepts taught in Paint/Draw 1, such as basic 2-D design skills and drawing and painting techniques, with an emphasis on quality craftsmanship, concept, composition, presentation, and involvement in the greater art community. Students will draw from observation and be introduced to figure drawing, while also working on creative projects including a series of artworks on a personally selected concentration theme. Students will experiment with charcoal, pastel, watercolor, tempera, acrylic paint, and mixed media. Students will maintain a sketchbook, participate in verbal critique, and write an Artist Statement. Students will also participate and volunteer in art/design activities in the community; their choices will include visiting art museum/galleries, entering artwork in public art exhibitions, participating in art contests and internships, and volunteering their artistic services to others. Intermediate Art prepares students for AP Drawing by presenting a challenging breadth of assignments that require conceptual thinking, idea development, and complex problem solving, while honing the student’s skills, individual voice, style, and narrative as an artist. UC/CSU Approved for “F” Visual & Performing Arts (VPA). 

Advancement Placement Art Drawing
In AP Drawing, a one-year course, experienced students select an individual theme or concept to focus on in depth to create fifteen artworks, a “Sustained Investigation”, that further explores their individual voice and personal narrative as an artist. Students document their exploratory process through both images and writing guided by their own questions. Additionally, students respond to “Real World” assignments including college admissions requirements, contest prompts, and an interdisciplinary project designing theatre poster artwork for the fall play. Students participate in art college presentations and portfolio reviews and are inspired by SPHS Alumni presentations on their careers in art and design. Students participate in “Art & Community” projects such as internships, art contests, exhibitions, and extracurricular art classes. Students may submit their work to the AP exam. UC/CSU Approved for “F” Visual & Performing Arts (VPA). 

UC Animation (CTE)
In this year-long course, students explore the basic fundamentals of Animation. They will complete a variety of tasks using traditional, and digital techniques, as well as 2D and 3D software to develop characters, write scripts, storyboard, build sets and backgrounds. They will also film and edit their projects. UC/CSU Approved for “F” Visual & Performing Arts (VPA).

UC Graphic Design (CTE)
This course provides students with the opportunity to develop the creative skills with computers to design artwork for commercial purposes. Topics will include basic design, graphic design history, terminology, typography, layouts, marketing, printing techniques, creative processes, portfolio preparation, and job acquisition skills. Projects will include business cards, promotional materials (i.e. brochures, posters, programs). UC/CSU Approved for “F” Visual & Performing Arts. 

UC Web Design (CTE)
In this section, students will learn the essential skills necessary to produce commercial websites and their various components. This would include but is not limited to HTML, web building software, file formatting, video, animation, advertising techniques, SEO Boosting, and website integration to various social media outlets. This is a UC approved Visual and Performing Arts course. UC/CSU Approved for “G” College Prep Elective.

Graphic Design Skills USA 5/6 CTE
This class will focus on Graphic Design projects and incorporate curriculum elements from SkillsUSA. Students will work on leadership, chapter management and promotion as well as design competition projects.​

UC Screen Printing (CTE)
This section will operate the schools print shop “Paw Prints”. Students will experience the entire product development cycle from concept to finished project. They will create designs for clients, which may include large format printed products, newsletters, pad and screen-printing. Open to students who have already taken one of the lower level graphics courses. UC/CSU Approved for “F” Visual & Performing Arts (VPA).

Intro to Engineering Design
This first-year Project Lead the Way course is designed to provide students with an introduction to engineering design, as well as to careers in the field. Engineering students are introduced to the history of design and the design process. Students work through units on sketching and visualization, geographic relationships, physical and mathematical modeling, 3-D computer modeling, model analysis, and documentation. Students complete authentic engineering design projects. This course includes supplemental units of instruction that address the California state Visual and Performing Arts content standards. UC/CSU Approved for “F” Visual & Performing Arts (VPA).

Photo 1/2 
Photography 1/2 is an introductory black/white and digital photography. This course will provide students with opportunities to extend their knowledge and skills in the field of photography. This course will familiarize the student with photographic equipment, materials methods, and processes. The students will also be introduced to computer technology and digital photography as a technical, creative, and expressive medium. Each student is expected to possess or be able to obtain a 35 mm camera for use in the course. Loaner cameras may be available for a limited amount of time (overnight use only). To be able to remain in second semester photography (Photography 2), students will be expected to demonstrate proficiency with the equipment and concepts introduced in Photography 1. UC/CSU Approved for “F” Visual & Performing Arts (VPA). 

Commercial Photography (CTE)
The first semester, of this one-year course, is an introduction to film photography. Students will study photographic principles and equipment, materials and methods, traditional wet darkroom processes, and the history of photography. The second semester uses digital photography as students work with studio lighting and backdrops, commercial and macro photography, photo editing, and careers in photography. Basic equipment and supplies that students will need to complete the class will be provided. The class requires students to maintain a portfolio of their work. UC/CSU Approved for “F” Visual & Performing Arts (VPA).

Advanced Placement Art 2D Photo 
This course is a yearlong college level exploration of the principles of design as expressed through digital photography. Students will finish this course with strong skills in photography, photo editing and variety of manipulations, the theoretical and practical applications of the principles of design. They will ultimately demonstrate these skills through a portfolio of photographs that show the sustained investigation of their individual work as well as an idea of deep personal interest to them. It is the expectation of the class that these portfolios will be submitted to the College Board for AP credit in May. UC/CSU Approved for “F” Visual & Performing Arts (VPA).