Stay Studio

We had the honor of participating in Los Angeles County’s Employee Wellness Through the Arts Week, welcoming over 100 County employees into our space for an afternoon of creativity, connection, and community.

Throughout the day, employees from departments across the County spent time unwinding together through our free drop-in button-making workshop using mixed media materials, pressed flowers, collage elements, and more. It was incredible to see coworkers stepping away from their usual routines to slow down, create, listen to music, explore our exhibition, and simply enjoy being together.

Our Executive Director, Gabriel Enamorado, also welcomed guests with a presentation sharing the history, growth, and evolving vision of Stay Arts and Stay Studio.

Thank you to the Los Angeles County Department of Arts & Culture and the Los Angeles County Department of Human Resources for including us in this meaningful countywide initiative and helping create space for wellness through creativity and the arts.

Over the past few weeks, students in our Tuesday Visual Art Studio class (ages 9–12) worked together on a collaborative mural project led by teaching artist Mike. Each student was assigned a section of the design to trace, paint, and make their own, learning about composition, color, and creating something bigger together.

Then, everything aligned in a really special way.

Just across the street from Stay Studio, artist COCO NELLA was beginning installation of a new public mural commissioned by Stay Arts in partnership with ASÍ REI and Shake Shack as part of the City of Downey’s Art in Public Places ordinance. The timing worked out perfectly for our students to visit the mural site during class, meet Coco, learn about her work and creative process, and even help paint a section of the mural themselves.

After painting with Coco, the class returned to the studio where they got to see their own collaborative mural fully assembled for the first time. It became this beautiful full-circle moment — students learning inside the studio, connecting directly with a working artist in the community, and experiencing how art can bring people together across generations and public spaces.

A moment that perfectly reflected what Stay is all about. 🤎

Yesterday we had the opportunity to welcome medical students and staff from Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine to Stay Studio for a special guided painting workshop centered around art, community, and healing.

During the visit, we shared the story behind Stay Arts, spoke about the role creative spaces can play in emotional expression and connection, and guided the group through a collaborative painting experience at the studio.

Thank you to the KPSOM team and students for spending the afternoon with us and engaging so thoughtfully in the conversation and workshop. We’re grateful to continue building connections between the arts, wellness, and community.

Interested in bringing a guided paint workshop or creative experience to your organization, school, or team? Reach out to learn more about our workshops and community programs.

A full week at Stay Studio ✨

Family Paint Day and Paint & Sip in action, Downey High School students installing The Digital Project, field trips led by our team and alumni, youth classes running throughout the week, and Poesía For The People bringing poetry into the space.

This is what it looks like when artists, students and community have access to space, artists are supported and real opportunities are created.