In 1883, Mr. J. Pitcher deeded the first parcel of what would become the 2.8-acre Pacific View property to the Encinitas School District. This coastal blufftop property has belonged to the public since then. Encinitas' original schoolhouse was built and operated there until 1927 (it was relocated back to the parcel in 1983). Pacific View School at 608 Third Street in Encinitas was constructed and dedicated in 1953 and closed half a century later in 2003 due to declining enrollment and aging facilities. The architectural style is Mid-Century Modern and characterized by a broad horizontal roof with stucco eaves supported by steel poles that branched off an exterior central hallway. California schools used this style to link rows of school classrooms, a cafeteria, auditorium and administrative offices. Variants of this style exist all over San Diego County.

The City of Encinitas purchased the property from the Encinitas Union School District in 2014. Pacific View Arts Center at 380 West F Street in Encinitas's Old Encinitas district opened on August 6, 2024, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony that marked the completion of a nearly decade-long effort to transform the historic 2.8-acre former elementary school campus into a city-operated arts and culture hub.

The arts center now operates through the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts department, offering visual arts, performing arts, music, dance, drawing, fiber arts, multimedia, and literary classes for all ages. Studios and classrooms are housed in the rehabilitated school buildings on the bluff side campus between 3rd and 4th Streets in historic downtown Encinitas, two blocks from Moonlight Beach.

The Pacific View Arts Center employs a small team of part-time arts instructors to teach classes in all arts disciplines. Check out their biographies below and join them for a class!

Nicole Argamosa

Nicole is a multi-media fiber artist with experience in costuming, knitting, cross stitching, weaving, and plushie creation! She lives and breathes all things fiber and needlecrafts. 

Amanda Banks

Amanda Banks (CMA-SP, RSME) is a movement and dance educator with 30 years’ professional practice. Originally a European contemporary dancer-choreographer, she teaches in schools, universities, training programs and community settings, and has a deep appreciation for the physical, cognitive and social-emotional benefits of dance for people of all ages.

Danielle Deery

Danielle Deery is an independent curator and former Director of Exhibitions at Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA). She has curated 33 exhibitions at OMA including Legacy: 25 Years of Art and Community (2022), James Hubbell: In Search of Shadows (2013), and Intersections: Charles Arnoldi (2013). Additional exhibitions include Order/Disorder: Belonging in Nature (2023) at La Jolla Historical Society and Endangered: Exploring California’s Changing Ecosystems (2020) at Escondido Center for the Arts.

Deery also has experience in the academic setting as Adjunct Assistant Art History Professor (2008-2014) at Fullerton College and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Museum Studies at Irvine Valley College (2013). She lives in North County San Diego, teaches a variety of art classes at Pacific View Art Center in Encinitas, serves as a board member for the La Jolla Historical Society and writes a Blog for the San Diego Museum Council called Museum Fun with my Kids. Deery received her BA from Hobart and William Smith College (New York), and her MFA from California State University, Fullerton.

Ben Powell

Ben Powell is a versatile musician known for his unique blend of old-style blues and original tunes. A master of the slide guitar, Ben began performing solo in 1998 after honing his skills in various bands across the country. Having called north county San Diego home since 1991, Ben continues to inspire musicians and music lovers alike. Now, he's excited to share his expertise by offering guitar classes for students eager to learn blues, slide guitar techniques, and songwriting. A true local talent with years of experience and a deep passion for music.

Luigi Savino

TBD

Grace Spath

An artist and educator with more than 2 decades of experience in fiber arts, sewing, and creative education. I hold degrees in Fashion and Studio Art as well as a two-year Waldorf Handwork Teacher certification.

Her personal artistic practice is rooted in traditional craft, natural materials, and interpersonal story telling design. She has shown at Fashion Week San Diego and Sothebys New York, been published in multiple magazines, in addition to creating a variety of fashion lines.

As a teacher her goal is to give students a foundational experience in technique while encouraging independence, curiosity, and confidence in their own creative process.

Amin Tafreshi

TBD