Veronica Alvarez's journey from the daughter of undocumented immigrants to executive director of one of California's leading arts education advocacy organizations embodies the transformative power of education and the arts. Now 52, Alvarez leads Create CA, a Los Angeles-based organization fighting to ensure equitable access to arts education across the state. Her personal story of overcoming poverty through education drives her passionate belief that "access to the arts is a social justice issue."
Alvarez was just 4 years old when her family emigrated from Cotija, a small town in Michoacán, Mexico, famous for its cheese. Her father worked picking avocados under the scorching heat of the San Fernando Valley, while her mother cleaned houses to make ends meet. As one of nine children in an impoverished household, Alvarez quickly learned the values of frugality, hard work, and big dreams. "We were so poor, I knew not to ask for much," she recalls. "Looking back on those years now, I don't know how my parents did it. I have a white-collar job and two sons, and I can barely afford it."
The challenges of being an undocumented immigrant during the era of Governor Pete Wilson left lasting impressions on young Alvarez. She remembers the shame some felt about speaking Spanish in public and the sting of discrimination. These experiences fuel her current mission in arts education advocacy. "Unfortunately, students that have the most need do not get equal access and opportunities," she explains, bringing what colleagues describe as a steely resolve beneath her sunny disposition.
Education became Alvarez's lifeline out of poverty, though the path wasn't easy. She didn't become fluent in English until about fourth grade, but her love of learning was evident early on. "Education was my path out of poverty. That was always my thing. I loved school," she says. While her siblings didn't complete their education, she became the only one in her family to graduate from high school, viewing school as a matter of "sink or swim" and choosing to dive deep.
Her passion for learning extended beyond the classroom to the local library, which served as an oasis of calm amid her chaotic household. "I'd come home with bags of books and sit in a corner to read and immerse myself in the world created by the author," she remembers fondly. This love of reading has remained a constant throughout her life, shaping her into what she calls a "self-professed nerd" drawn to the world of books and ideas.
Alvarez's artistic aspirations were initially crushed by a discouraging fourth-grade teacher who told her she lacked talent. "I loved making art as a child," she recalls. "But I had always been taught to respect your elders. I didn't think it was my place to question it." This experience led her to stop creating art and channel her drive into academics instead, taking every Advanced Placement class available in high school and finding her passion in art history.
Determined to graduate early and pursue higher education, Alvarez worked her way through college with a job at Chuck E. Cheese, where she honed her skills in engaging children. Her academic pursuits eventually led her to earn both a master's degree in ancient history and a doctorate in education. She became captivated by great artists throughout history, from Caravaggio and Bernini to Frida Kahlo and Graciela Iturbide. "I loved Bernini's David because of his teeth biting his lip; he looked vulnerable and intense – along with the fact that he was mid-motion as he threw the rock at Goliath," she reflects with characteristic enthusiasm.
This expertise in art history opened doors to prestigious institutions like the Getty Museum, where she helped launch the Getty Villa. However, Alvarez was always conscious of the barriers that had kept her own family from accessing such cultural institutions. "My parents would've never dreamed of taking us to museums; that was not a place for us," she explains. "My passion has always been about access and equity, making a place for everyone."
At the Getty, Alvarez developed innovative programs that demonstrated the power of visual arts in education. Working with English learners and migrant workers who often started work at 4 a.m., she discovered that traditional language instruction methods weren't sufficient. Her breakthrough came when she began incorporating masterworks into language lessons. "When you learn a new language, you learn manzana means apple, and then you see a picture of an apple," she explains. "I thought, why don't we use Cézanne's Still Life with Apples? And the conversations suddenly got so much more interesting. We got the students to really engage, centered around the artwork."
This success led to her role as director of school and teacher programs at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, further cementing her reputation as an innovative educator who could bridge the gap between high art and accessible learning. Her colleagues praise her unique combination of scholarly expertise and grassroots advocacy skills. "Veronica is an inspiring and dedicated arts education advocate and leader," says Merryl Goldberg, a veteran music and arts professor at Cal State San Marcos who serves on the Create CA board. "Her commitment to equity and lifting student voices is front and center."
Now at Create CA, Alvarez faces new challenges in ensuring the effective implementation of Proposition 28, California's arts education mandate. The organization has been instrumental in helping schools navigate the complex rules surrounding this dedicated funding for arts education. However, Alvarez is quick to point out that the battle for equitable arts access is far from over. "With the passage of Prop. 28 and dedicated funds for arts education, people may think we have solved arts education," she explains. "However, while a billion dollars may sound like a lot of money, we have 6 million students in California. When we parcel out what that means to individual school districts, especially in rural areas, sometimes the funds aren't sufficient to hire one art teacher."
Colleagues consistently praise Alvarez's diplomatic skills and ability to build consensus among diverse stakeholders in the arts education community. "I've been struck by her powerfully calm demeanor and her openness to advocacy as a ground-up endeavor versus a top-down activity," notes Goldberg. "Being an arts leader can be challenging in so much as there are many voices in the mix and they don't all agree." Letty Kraus, director of the California County Superintendents Statewide Arts Initiative, echoes this sentiment: "She brings a worldly and positive energy to the discussions, and she strikes me as very much always in the problem-solving and equity-centered mode."
For Alvarez, the arts represent something fundamental to human nature and learning. "Human beings are unique," she reflects. "Out of all the animals, we have the ability to create art, to connect across time and culture. That's why I love the arts so much. The craftsmanship of the human hand, the human eye, is so important to me." As an educator, she's fascinated by the mysteries of cognition and how the mind retains information, believing that emotional connection is key to lasting learning.
"To me, what you have to teach is the love of learning," she emphasizes. "How does the mind retain information? It's all about making connections. You learn something in history, and then you apply it in English. It's about providing the full context; that's how you retain information." This philosophy drives her belief that arts education is essential for all students, particularly those who struggle with traditional academic approaches.
Alvarez's vision extends beyond simply providing arts classes to students. She sees the arts as essential tools for self-expression, storytelling, and well-being. "The arts are essential to students' creativity," she concludes. "When students can't access the traditional curriculum, the arts allow them to express themselves, their feelings, and tell their stories. The arts are essential to our well-being." Her journey from a young girl who was told she had no artistic talent to a leader fighting for every child's right to arts education continues to inspire those working toward a more equitable future in California's schools.
