Groundbreaking for the KID smART Center for Arts & Education

Executive Director Elise Gallinot Goldman receiving a proclamation from the New Orleans City Council with Councilman Morrell, Councilman Green, and R. Campbell Hutchinson

KID smART Programming team breaking ground

KID smART Fund Development breaking ground

Our Story

To engage children and educators in dynamic, creative, and relevant learning through the arts

Mission

Our vision is an educational landscape where the arts empower all children to access their full academic, creative, and personal potential

Vision

What began as a Saturday program in the visual arts serving just twenty children has transformed into a holistic and evidence-based suite of arts-education programming

Daily arts integration through our Creative Schools program
Year round professional development for educators
Community and family engagement events
Curriculum and literacy initiatives

Investing in Our Youth Since 1999

For the last 25 years, KID smART has made an indelible mark on more than 80,000 students and educators by bringing the arts into core curricula, raising student achievement, improving student engagement, and creating JOYFUL learning experiences.

25 Years

Campaign Team

Elise Gallinot Goldman
Executive Director

Krystal Allen Hardy
Board Chair

Charlotte Kane
Managing Director of Individual Giving

Bridget Nolan
Managing Director of Institutional Fundraising

“I have fun making art. It calms you down.”

- KID smART Student

Painting a Picture of Our Future

Picture a classroom where creativity brings learning to life, where students not only learn academic subjects but also express their understanding through art.

With every creative project completed, students both grasp their academic subjects more deeply and develop confidence and a passion for exploration.

The Need

The transformative power of arts education is evident in the remarkable 5x reduction in student dropout rates.
Our data illuminates increased comprehension, retention, and deeper engagement in learning.
Despite these demonstrated benefits, 1 in 4 students in New Orleans lack access to high-quality arts instruction—a gap that KID smART is firmly committed to closing.

Arts Integration Works

“The most interesting thing I've learned with KID smART was how to discover or tell a story through a picture. We learned how to tell stories through our art . . . with colors and shapes.”

-KID smART Student

Arts integration is an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate an understanding of other subjects through an art form.

We’re Ahead of the Curve

According to The Forum for Youth Investment and The Center for Youth Program Quality, KID smART outperformed in every category when compared to national benchmarks - including a rare 5 out of 5 in Supportive Environment!

KID smART

Youth PQA Multi-Year Sample

of teachers saw an improvement in students' abilities to express their ideas, thoughts and emotions.

This is critical in New Orleans, where children screen positive for PTSD at 3x the national average.

Stats

of educators saw an improvement in students' abilities to comprehend and retain curriculum.

The KID smART Center for Arts & Education

Transforming Arts Education’s Future in New Orleans

“I learned how to do a podcast, make flyers and also speak out loud about my opinion. All the teaching artists were good teachers. They taught us new stuff we didn't know, even the hidden gems.”

-KID smART Student

A Hub for Arts Education in New Orleans

In the heart of the Bayou Road/7th Ward, we are thrilled to establish our Center in such a historic arts community and to bring new jobs and positive economic impact to this treasured part of our city.

Right now, we are facing an uncertain future for Arts Education in New Orleans. With our building, we are cementing a hub for Arts Education for generations to come and growing our annual impact by 250%.

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