Teachers who have no formal arts background and yet integrate the arts consistently may provide essential understanding on how to render to all students a well-rounded education that encompasses the arts. Education that embraces the arts helps students to develop essential thinking skills, expand their creativity and ways of expressing, and understand the diverse world in which they live. There is limited research, however, on how teachers do this despite having no formal education in the visual arts. Sixteen elementary school teachers in the Los Angeles area were interviewed about their experiences, beliefs, and professional development opportunities and how these factors led them to see the importance of visual arts in their teaching and to consistently apply the arts in their practice. The findings showed that the teachers were at schools where the arts were valued and visible, and where they were able to collectively engage in supportive collaborations with colleagues. The schools embraced inquiry-based pedagogy, where the arts played a significant role in deepening understanding and representing learning, as well as engaged teachers and students in continued learning and growth. Professional development in the arts that was experiential and involved the teachers in hands-on investigations similar to those of their students contributed to their knowledge base and confidence. Lastly, these educators recognized the power of mentor artists and used these artists to enhance their arts integration process. Through these teacher stories we learned that arts integration is a practice that can be learned and incorporated into one's teaching despite one having no formal arts background. In order for the learning to occur for teachers, all the described findings needed to be present and functioning in unison. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]