Student Name: Grace Yang Title:  Rebirth Work type: Oil on canvas Category: Fine Art/Illustration Size: 16x16   Art can often explore the theme of death and rebirth through visually impactful imagery through cinema, sculpture, paintings and so on. Artists often play with symbols or metaphors instead of a direct depiction due to the sometimes-darker theme and or subject matter and have share a message. Influences can range from various cultures and eras as these can relate bac

Unicorns are a recurring subject in children’s artwork.   As legendary mystical creatures, unicorns are often depicted as slender white horses with a single spiral horn on their foreheads.     In modern pop culture, they frequently appear in animations, picture books, toys, and clothing. These adorable, charming images have permeated children’s lives through visual media, becoming a fashionable symbol.     Children’s preference for drawing unicorns stems partly from their app

The artwork is a view and result of how lack of protecting our planet can have consequences. The idea of displacement in the time when our world is struggling environmentally due to neglect and global warming from our bad decisions greatly impacts all species and life in our planet. Even though it is a surreal depiction, this work is a call to action to support life.

Claudia’s intention for this work is to design the main protagonist of her story, who is a girl that is stuck in her nightmare, which portrays a huge broken down carnival amusement park that she once loved going to. Throughout her working process she learned how to start off a design by using the technique of illustrating silhouettes and focusing on character shape languages.

“My inner emotions and thoughts remain perpetually covered by layers of masks, cycling endlessly through every passing day. They line up automatically to repeatedly take over my face, like obsessions taking turns forcing me to play the roles etched upon them. I have no idea when I might step out of this cycle, but repeat this endless loop ad infinitum until that moment arrives.”

This work was created as a personal exploration of cultural identity. Elyse wanted to capture the feeling of taking in parts of her culture that don't naturally come to her. By painting herself attempting to swallow a frog, she used the action as a metaphor for how culture can feel difficult to take in but still deeply personal and worth embracing.

The work represents the appearance anxiety that women experience due to the words spoken by others. The mouth symbolizes speech and also eating - and the woman burying her head in the mouth full of stones represents being trapped by these words and also an attempt to escape. Through this work, Lillian hopes viewers can reflect on the fact that the harm of language can sometimes be as deep as that of actions.

The art of ballet may seem beautiful at first glance, but that perception depends on your perspective. The longer you are exposed to ballet and the more experienced you become, the more you see past its elegant appearance. Like the ribbons in Pointe of View, your perception of ballet eventually becomes tainted.

Jerry explores childhood social anxiety through hyperbolic elements. With the excessive amount of periods, he aimed to capture a sense of urgency and the restless frustrations of being inarticulate.

Once, all living beings shared the same habitat. But over time, people overtook the land building cities and expanding territory. The animals retreated into the forests, only to find their homes destroyed and burned. When nowhere to go, they disappeared. But people fail to see that the fate of animals today could be humans tomorrow.

Yi Cai paints self-portraits not out of vanity, but to engage in an intimate dialogue with her subconscious. Each stroke confronts memories, anxieties, and the journey of growing up—exploring solitude, self-doubt, and hope. By altering hairstyles, styles, and poses, she unveil aspects of herself that words can never fully express.

Lately, one of the most beloved companions for kids has been Labubu—almost every child seems to have one, carrying it with them everywhere.     WCAAD young students have started to  create their very own limited-edition Labubu!     They create stories for Labubu and design various fun scenarios. More than merely drawing a cute doll, they are integrating a beloved cultural symbol with their own emotions and creativity, using their paintbrushes to construct a dazzling fairy-tal

More than a hundred WCAAD students have participated in the 46th annual LA county library bookmark contest. 3rd-5th Every year children from kindergarten through 12th grade are invited to celebrate books, reading, and art by participating in the LA county library bookmark contest. We encourage our students to take active part in this contest and they win top awards every year. 6th-8th Participants compete in the Kindergarten – Grade 2, Grades 3 – 5, Grades 6 – 8, Grades 9 – 1

Student Name: Steve Yu Title: untitled Work type: Design Category: Architecture Size: 4x4x12 The initial concept for Steve Yu’s architecture ideations in the buildings have roots in a quote from the La methode graphique dans les sciences experimtales by Etienne-Jules Marey seminal works. La méthode graphique dans les sciences expérimentales et principalement en physiologie et en médecine, was originally published in Paris by G. Masson in 1878. Marey’s book captured his

The West California Academy of Art and Design (WCAAD) Senior Art Show: " Feast & Friends " was successfully held on Nov.9, 2025, witnessing an artistic feast woven together by youth and talent.   San Gabriel Mayor Denise Menchaka presented the certificates of recognition to the students and highly praised the significant influence of this art show.   This exhibition showcases selected works by 10 young artists on the verge of entering college. Using "food" as their medium, th

On November 3, 2025, The Legion Theater in Hollywood hosted the global premiere of the film "The Gift." Amidst the glamour of the red carpet, a group of elegantly dressed young faces stood out – they were the student team from the West California Academy of Art and Design (WCAAD), the creators of the film's monumental 40-foot art scroll.     Standing alongside renowned directors and actors, these young artists received a profound and direct affirmation of their artistic pract

Happy Halloween! For children who love art, this holiday is about so much more than just "trick-or-treating." Through fun-filled art lessons, they are creating Halloween-themed works, turning the festival into a vibrant and creative experience. Tiny wizard hats, jack-o'-lanterns, haunted castles—every brushstroke is filled with imagination, every color tells a story. Here, kids don’t just enjoy dressing up and playing games—they also create one-of-a-kind artworks of their ver

We will have our third senior show themed "Feast&Friends" that our students have organized before applications. Come celebrate them as they would love your presence.  We will have work for sale to help with their college and future endeavors.   Time: Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, 2:00pm-5:00pm Venue: West California Academy of Art and Design, 420 S Pine Street, San Gabriel, CA91776. Tel: 626-292-1783， 626-558-7777     Artists have historically used food in still life paintings to rep

Student Name: Zimo “Isaac” Bian Title: Passage to the Peak Work type: Oil on Canvas Category: Fine Art Size: 16x20 When he created this piece, the interest was in the dynamics between massive, man-made structures and the power of the natural world. According to Isaac; “I wanted to capture a space that felt ancient and out of place, abandoned yet full of life. In the foreground, I used thick, broad strokes and harsh lighting that caught the edges of the steps and weathered

Student Name: Beixi Zhang Title: untitled Work type: works on paper (soft pastel on toned paper) Category: Illustration Size: 19x22 This portrait was created to emphasize another reality within us. Surrealism is known as an art movement which was started in the 1920s. A "face melt" portrait is a type of surrealist artwork that depicts a person's face, dripping. While literally meaning a physical transformation, the underlying artistic meaning is a powerful metaphor for variou