For more than 25 years, the Paso Robles Youth Arts Center has filled its classrooms with music, movement, and paint-stained hands. On Feb. 24, the city gave that space room to grow.
The Paso Robles Planning Commission unanimously approved a multi-phase renovation and expansion of the center, allowing the nonprofit to better serve its more than 600 students. The expansion will add roughly 4,800 square feet on an adjacent parcel already owned by the organization, creating new classrooms, outdoor activity areas, and upgraded safety features.
“What we see every day is that the arts do more than just teaching skills,” Youth Center Executive Director Barby Wunsch told commissioners during the meeting. “They build confidence. They create connection. They help young people find their voice and their sense of purpose. Students who walk in shy and uncertain leave with the courage to perform on stage, share their artwork, or take on leadership roles.”
The center serves children and teens ages 5 to 18 through programs in visual arts, music, dance, theater, media arts, and culinary arts. But Wunsch emphasized that the organization functions as much as a youth development resource as an arts education center.
“Every afternoon, our building becomes a safe, structured place where young people can go after school,” Wunsch said. “A place where they are mentored by caring adults, surrounded by peers, and encouraged to explore who they are through their creativity.”
City Associate Planner Darcy Delgado explained that the expansion will allow the center to add classrooms for dance, music, digital media, and visual arts, as well as outdoor spaces for ceramics, gardening, and performance. Safety and accessibility improvements will include updated exterior lighting, a fully fenced perimeter, paved walkways connecting buildings, and expanded parking to accommodate staff, families, and community events.
Crystal Langan, a parent and board member, told commissioners that program demand has long exceeded the available space.
“I feel that the demand for this space is undeniable,” Langan said. “Just this weekend, a class was filled in six minutes upon open registration. So, we’re just bursting at the seams over there. The project is thoughtfully expanding something that’s already deeply woven into the community.”
The expansion follows the center’s 2018 acquisition of the property adjacent to its 10,000-square-foot building, with the goal of serving more local youth.
According to the center’s website, a steering committee of volunteers helped clear the lot, and the design team at Gabriel Architects created a conceptual plan to engage young artists and invite community participation in the space. The new structures will feature large windows to bring in natural light, flexible classroom layouts, and open-air courtyards designed to host both classes and community gatherings.
So far, $1.5 million has been raised from 144 donors, and an additional $2 million is needed to complete the project, according to the center’s fundraiser. A $250,000 matching gift is currently helping to amplify contributions through April 30, 2026.
“The cutting-edge new wing will add another 5,000 square feet, making the Paso Robles Youth Arts Center one of the largest community-supported arts campuses in the state,” the center says on its website.
The first phase of the expansion was completed in 2025 with the addition of a culinary arts teaching kitchen, providing hands-on instruction in cooking, nutrition, and food preparation. Phase 2 is expected to break ground in May 2026. ∆
This article appears in Weddings 2026.
Great job. Keep building it. Investing in our youth is always better than not. As a parent. I want my boys to bigger, faster, stronger and more creative than me. Let’s keep giving the opportunity to be.