Altadena Library Offers Kids a Hands-On Lesson in Black Art History

Children in Altadena can mark Black History Month today with paintbrushes in hand, at a free library workshop that pairs art-making with lessons on influential Black American artists.

The Altadena Library District’s “Celebrating Black Artists for Kids!” runs from 4 to 5 p.m. Thursday at its Loma Alta Park satellite location, 3330 N. Lincoln Ave. Children ages 6 to 12 will learn about Black American artists and create their own artwork inspired by those artists’ styles, according to the library district’s event calendar. Each child takes home what they make.

This year’s Black History Month marks the 100th anniversary of national Black history observances, which began in 1926 when Dr. Carter G. Woodson organized the first Negro History Week. The theme for 2026, set by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, is “A Century of Black History Commemorations.”

The workshop takes place in Altadena, an unincorporated community north of Pasadena with deep African American roots. Black families began settling in Altadena in significant numbers during the mid-20th century, drawn in part because neighboring areas enforced restrictive housing covenants that barred them from purchasing homes elsewhere. By 1980, Black residents made up 43 percent of Altadena’s population, according to census data.

The Loma Alta Park site, which the library district opened in May 2025, has taken on an expanded role since the Altadena Main Library at 600 E. Mariposa St. closed for renovation on February 1, 2026. The renovation, funded by Measure Z — approved by voters in November 2020 — is the first major overhaul of the mid-century modern building since architect Boyd Georgi designed it in 1967. During the closure, the Bob Lucas Memorial Library at 2659 Lincoln Ave. is also operating with expanded hours.

The children’s workshop is one of several Black History Month programs at the Altadena Library District this month. On February 28, the library will host “Rooted in Us: Celebrating Black Writers and the Legacy of S. Pearl Sharp,” a poetry event at Loma Alta Park from 2 to 4 p.m.

The workshop is free and open to children in kindergarten through fifth grade. For more information, contact the Altadena Library District at (626) 798-0833 or visit www.altadenalibrary.org.