Alumni Community

We are excited to share our 2021–2025 Impact Report. Five years. Thousands of students. One commitment: to ensure students accepted to CSSSA aren’t turned away because of financial need. Explore the full report at the link in our bio!
We are excited to share our 2021–2025 Impact Report. Five years. Thousands of students. One commitment: to ensure students accepted to CSSSA aren’t turned away because of financial need. Explore the full report at the link in our bio! #CSSSA #CSSSAAlumni #CaliforniaStateSummerSchoolForTheArts #California #Arts #SummerProgram #Summer
Alumni spotlight! ✨ An art installation by 2003 CSSSA alum @martinesyms is currently on display at @walkerartcenter in Minneapolis. From their website: "The Borrowed Lady (2016) examines how decontextualized gestures circulate online. Against a
Alumni spotlight! ✨ An art installation by 2003 CSSSA alum @martinesyms is currently on display at @walkerartcenter in Minneapolis. From their website: "The Borrowed Lady (2016) examines how decontextualized gestures circulate online. Against an all-purple backdrop, four video monitors stand in a circle, facing inward. The artist Diamond Stingily appears in patterned blips across each screen—snapping, calling out, shifting her body. Evoking the public sphere of the internet, the installation replicates the web’s dense network of posts, reposts, and clapbacks." If you're in the Minneapolis area, visit Walker Art Center between now and May 2027 to see this installation for yourself. Congratulations, Martine! #CSSSA #CSSSAAlumni #CaliforniaStateSummerSchoolForTheArts #California #Arts #SummerProgram #Summer
Thank you to everyone at @calpolypomona for making CSSSA 2026 such an incredible experience! Your state-of-the-art facilities and expansive campus helped our students to learn, create, and connect. We deeply appreciate all you did to make this year's CSSSA successful! #CSSSA #CaliforniaStateSummerSchoolForTheArts #California #Arts #CalPolyPomona
During CSSSA 2026, Emmy Award-winning composer @snuffywalden held a masterclass for our students! Snuffy Walden is known for his TV and film soundtracks, including theme music for The West Wing, The Wonder Years, Roseanne, Ellen, and My So-Called Lif
During CSSSA 2026, Emmy Award-winning composer @snuffywalden held a masterclass for our students! Snuffy Walden is known for his TV and film soundtracks, including theme music for The West Wing, The Wonder Years, Roseanne, Ellen, and My So-Called Life. We’re so grateful he could join us! #CSSSA #snuffywalden #california #summer #arts
@rymanarts offers free college-level classes in drawing and painting for high school students. There is still space available at their Cal State San Bernardino campus for classes this fall, with classes on Saturday afternoons beginning on August 29.
@rymanarts offers free college-level classes in drawing and painting for high school students. There is still space available at their Cal State San Bernardino campus for classes this fall, with classes on Saturday afternoons beginning on August 29. CSSSA alumni are especially welcomed to apply! If interested, contact Rebecca Tuynman at rtuynman@ryman.org today. For the Cal State Fullerton and Otis College of Art & Design campuses, the next deadline is December 2nd for the spring 2027 semester. Learn more at rymanarts.org. #CSSSA #CSSSAAlumni #CaliforniaStateSummerSchoolForTheArts #California #Arts #ArtsEducation
We had a blast at Animation Alumni Day! We reconnected with CSSSA Animation alumni and got to celebrate the remarkable work of this year’s students. Our CSSSA 2026 Animation students are truly a talented group! 🫶
Congratulations to this year’s CSSSA graduates! 🥳 We’re thrilled to see everything you’ve achieved in your time at CSSSA. This summer, you’ve grown as artists, built lifelong friendships, and created inspiring works of art&md
Congratulations to this year’s CSSSA graduates! 🥳 We’re thrilled to see everything you’ve achieved in your time at CSSSA. This summer, you’ve grown as artists, built lifelong friendships, and created inspiring works of art—and we can’t wait to see what you do next! You’ve officially joined the CSSSA family, a vibrant community of artists, arts advocates, educators, and creatives. As you move on to college, find careers in the arts, or continue creating in your own way, we’d love to keep cheering you on and telling the story of your success. Stay in touch and be sure to tag us! #csssa #csssa2026 #california #summer #arts

Notable Alumni

Notable Alumni Gallery (draft)
Katharine McPhee
Katharine McPhee

Katharine McPhee is a celebrated film and television actress and recording artist. She starred in the CBS hit drama, Scorpion, and the NBC series, Smash. Her 2007 hit "Over It" is a certified Gold Record. In 2016, the CSSSA Foundation recognized her with its first CSSSA Alumni Inspiration Award at the 30th Anniversary CSSSA Gala. Katharine attended CSSSA in 1999 and 2000.

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