LAUSD Museum To Open Its Doors To The Public For First Time

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A vintage typewriter and several rare Roman coins will be among the mementos from the Los Angeles Unified School District's (LAUSD) art and artifacts collection that will be on public display for the first time Tuesday.

Located at the LAUSD's headquarters on South Beaudry Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, the Art and Artifact Museum offers visitors a self-guided exhibit tour that officials say provides a snapshot of public education in Los Angeles dating back to the late 19th century, as well as insights about the development of teaching and learning.

The museum includes a display featuring LAUSD historical artifacts and representations of Angelenos over the last century, along with a late 19th Century classroom with desks, a map, a blackboard and other furnishings and materials that date to the school district's early era, according to officials.

The doors of the original Heritage Schoolhouse will also be on display. The old Vernon Avenue Schoolhouse, built in 1884, functioned until the 1930s.

With more than 30,000 visual resources and historical artifacts, the Art and Artifact Collection contains instructional materials, such as ancient artifacts from Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. It also has California impressionist paintings and a broad collection of individual school publications, according to district officials.

"The artifacts exhibited reveal and reflect moral and religious beliefs and scientific innovations," said Dr. Steven McCarthy, coordinator for the Arts Education Branch. "The exhibit hopes to capture and elucidate the district's past and underscore its accomplishments since its humble beginnings in 1855."

The museum is making its public debut in honor of the LAUSD Arts Fest, which runs from March 1 through March 15 and culminates with a day-long celebration of student excellence at Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles.