ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1 from 12:30 to 4 p.m., youth from diverse cultural backgrounds from throughout the Los Angeles area will converge at Barnsdall Park in Hollywood to present a showcase of inner-city student art projects.

At the center of Barnsdall Park's hilltop grounds, attendees will also enjoy a dynamic offering of hands-on art workshops in printmaking, artists' books, Mexican tin painting, African wrap dolls and photography. In addition, performances by CalArts Latin Jazz Ensemble and music and dance by Performing Tree's Is Abalaye will be featured.

Now in its second year, the I, Too, Am America Youth Arts Festival is presented by the Rush Arts Collaborative: CalArts Community Arts Partnership, Friends of the Junior Arts Center, Inner-City Arts, Barnsdall Art Park, Los Angeles Educational Partnership's Humanitas program, Los Angeles Unified School District and Performing Tree. The festival's theme, "I, Too, Am America" is taken from the Langston Hughes Poem "I, Too, Sing America."

The event is sponsored by the Rush Arts Foundation, established by urban music pioneer Russell Simmons, founder and president of Def Jam Music Group and his brother, visual artist Daniel Simmons. The Rush Arts Foundation is a non-profit organization that promotes the exhibition of art by inner-city students. Since 1990, the foundation has emphasized creativity, building self-esteem and empowerment in the art experience.

Artwork from Humanitas students from Cleveland, Manual Arts, Jefferson, Narbonne, Freemont, Carson, Grant, and Van Nuys high schools will be featured at the festival including visual art displays, animation screenings, and hand-made books..

Los Angeles Educational Partnership's, Humanitas program is an interdisciplinary humanities instruction program for urban students at 39 high schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District.