Village Arts was founded in 2011 on the campus of Colfax Charter Elementary School. What began as a fall after-school theatre program grew into a year-round arts education nonprofit offering programs in both the performing and visual arts.

In 2018, Village Arts established its own arts space across the street from Colfax Charter. Despite this expansion, its strong ties to Colfax remain at the heart of the organization. A central goal of Village Arts is to collaborate with Colfax Charter to help address the longstanding gap in arts education that many Los Angeles schools have experienced for years.

Village Arts was founded by John Moser and Pam Shafer Moser, whose children attended Colfax Charter. The family shares a deep love for the school and the community it serves. Their daughter, Ella Moser, a Colfax Charter alumna, is one of Village Arts’ musical directors, and many Colfax students study voice with her. Many of the Village Arts teachers also have children who currently attend Colfax or attended the school during their elementary years.

Village Arts offers a variety of classes at Colfax Charter, including Art Extravaganza, taught by Colfax’s longtime art teacher, Shelley Klace. An after-school choir program is also offered. In addition, for the past several years Pam and John have taught a special theatre program during the school day for all Colfax students.

This in-school theatre program recently received a grant from the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs to create a “Page to Stage” program for the 2026 and 2027 academic years. Through this program, students will write and perform their own short plays, which will be presented to the public at the end of each school year.

Each afternoon at the end of the school day, many Colfax students participate in Village Arts programs. Some attend classes held on the Colfax campus, while others are escorted across the street to the Village Arts Community Arts Space on the campus of Faith Presbyterian Church of Valley Village. There, students in grades K–5 can join our beloved Homework Club to complete their homework and receive support from our teachers before heading to a musical rehearsal or one of our enrichment classes. Sometimes they simply enjoy spending time with friends, playing games, and being part of a creative and welcoming community.

Village Arts would not exist without the caring community that grows organically from the families of Colfax Charter each year. Many parents who actively support Colfax Charter also support Village Arts. In turn, Village Arts looks for ways to support the school, such as offering the arts space for the fifth-grade graduation party and for various school fundraisers.

The collaboration that has developed over the years has allowed the community to grow in many ways and truly reflects the spirit of the simple African proverb: “It takes a village.”