What began in 1919 as a lesson in art appreciation for the high school’s graduating senior class matured into an exceptional permanent collection, an art association, and a cherished community tradition. The collection enriched the lives of an entire community over three decades, leaving a tangible legacy of the community’s ideals. From 1919 to 1956 each graduating class would purchase a work of a
rt as a parting gift to the Student Body. “The exercise in collecting and organizing an art exhibition exposed the students and the wider community to lessons in art appreciation, as well as in good citizenship, collaboration, and debate. The collection still ties generations of students and community members together in Gardena,” said Eiko Kamiya Moriyama, an alumna of the high school and a founding board member of the GHS Art Collection, a nonprofit organization created in 2010 to protect and preserve the collection. “However, since the mid-1950s, the collection has been in storage and unavailable for viewing by the public in its entirety, with many of the paintings and frames in need of restoration.”
Now all of that is about to change. And Gardena High School is hoping the community of Gardena, art lovers, and alumni will answer the call, ensuring the legacy of the Gardena High School Art Collection continues into the future.
