smARTIST in Residence: Playing with Paint with Allison Stewart
Explore the joy of painting with New Orleans artist Allison Stewart. In this four-week residency, participants will explore how line, form, color, and emotion can be used to express thoughts and feelings without words. Through hands-on exercises and experimentation, you’ll build confidence, discover your own creative voice, and reconnect with the simple joy of making—without judgment or expectation. No prior experience is necessary, and all materials are provided.
September 8: Line
Experiment with vine and compressed charcoal to explore how line can express emotion and movement.
September 15: Form
Turn lines into shapes and explore value through black, white, and gray-scale painting.
September 22: Color
Experiment with a simple palette of primary colors to create secondary and tertiary colors.
September 29: Emotion
Bring line, form, and color together to create an abstract or representational painting, followed by a relaxed show-and-tell about the experience.
5-6:45PM
ages 18+ | $30 a class
Drop in for one class or join us for all four!
Cyanotype: The Art of Sun Printing
Explore the magic of cyanotype in this four-week visual arts series with Séan. Learn the history and process of this unique photographic printing technique while experimenting with found objects, personal images, digital negatives, and color. Through hands-on making, students will explore composition, exposure, contrast, and toning while creating one-of-a-kind cyanotype prints.
October 8: Introduction to Cyanotype
Learn the history and fundamentals of cyanotype, from coating paper and arranging objects to UV exposure, washing, and developing. Create your first photograms using found objects and experiment with exposure times and composition.
October 15: Cyanotype & Personal Stories
Use personal objects and natural materials to create cyanotypes that communicate a memory, narrative, or idea. Explore composition, layering, and how everyday materials can become part of an artwork.
October 22: From Photograph to Cyanotype
Discover how photographs, drawings, and digital artwork can become handmade cyanotype prints. Learn about digital negatives, contrast, scale, and exposure while transforming a personal image into a physical work of art.
October 29: Transforming the Image – Cyanotype Toning
Experiment with cyanotype toning to shift color, mood, and visual impact. Explore different techniques and make intentional choices about how chemical transformations can change the feeling and meaning of your work.
Thursdays, 5-6:30PM
ages 18+ | $100 for 4 week course
The Actor’s Sandbox: Play, Presence & Performance
Explore the playful side of theatre in this four-week acting series with Blanca Del Loco. Through ensemble work, movement, improvisation, clown, and creative prompts, students will build confidence, take risks, and learn to trust their instincts. Each week offers new tools for creating original theatre while embracing mistakes, unexpected moments, and the joy of making something together.
October 8: Ensemble & Presence
Get out of your head and into the room through movement, ensemble exercises, mirror work, and improvisation. Explore how presence, listening, physical choices, and relationships can communicate without words while building trust and connection with the group.
October 15: The Art of the Prompt
Use everyday objects and creative prompts as starting points for movement, imagination, and storytelling. Experiment with how a single object, image, or movement can spark an idea and become the beginning of something new.
October 22: The Beautiful Flop
Explore clown theatre, play, and the art of embracing mistakes. Practice staying present when things go wrong, connecting with an audience, and turning unexpected moments into something funny, honest, or exciting.
October 29: Make Something Out of Nothing
Bring it all together by creating a short piece of original theatre. Working in groups, students will use prompts, movement, status, improvisation, ensemble work, and clown to build, share, and respond to new ideas—without worrying about making it perfect.
Thursdays, 5-6:30PM
ages 18+ | $100 for 4 week course
R&B / Commercial: Groove, Musicality & Performance
Build confidence, musicality, body control, and performance quality in this four-week dance series with Ms. Mady. Explore the foundations of R&B and Commercial dance while developing groove, musical timing, movement quality, and personal style. Dancers will learn choreography, experiment with different textures and energy levels, and build confidence in their ability to connect movement to music.
October 8: Finding the Groove
Get introduced to R&B/Commercial dance through full-body warm-ups, isolations, grooves, step-touch variations, and foundational movement. Learn a short combination focused on groove, weight changes, and musical timing while exploring different levels of energy.
October 15: Building Musicality
Continue developing groove and musicality while exploring how movement connects to rhythm, sound, and the music. Build on foundational skills through choreography and guided practice.
October 22: Movement & Performance
Develop body control, confidence, and performance quality through choreography and movement exercises. Explore how changes in energy, texture, and intention can transform the way movement feels and looks.
October 29: Putting It Together
Bring the month’s skills together through choreography that explores smooth, sharp, slow, controlled, and relaxed movement. Dancers will identify specific beats, lyrics, and sounds to hit while developing their own performance style.
Thursdays, 5-6:30PM
ages 18+ | $100 for 4 week course
Creative Classrooms
Bring creativity into your classroom. Join KID smART Teaching Artists for hands-on professional learning that equips educators with practical arts integration strategies to engage students and enrich everyday learning.
Select Wednesdays
September 23 – Making Wind Visible
October 14 – Art for All: Arts Accessibility
October 28 – Creating with Electricity
November 4 – Layers with Levees
November 11 – TBD
December 2 – Playing with Light
December 16 – TBD
5-6:30PM (Dinner and networking provided at 4:30PM)
for educators | $20
Creative Clubhouse
It’s back! Create, explore, and make art—free every Saturday! Creative Clubhouse is a welcoming, hands-on studio experience where artists of all ages can experiment, connect, and create without judgment.
Saturdays beginning September
Visual Art, Drama, Dance!
9AM, 10AM, 11AM
all ages | FREE
Creativity x Community
brings people together through free, hands-on art experiences led by KID smART's incredible community partners. Join us on Saturday afternoons to create, connect, and discover local organizations offering inspiring programs for families across New Orleans. Open to all ages—children must be accompanied by an adult.
Saturdays - check our calendar for who we are collaborating with!
1PM
all ages | FREE
smARTIST in Residence: Stencil, Spray & Street Art with Brent Houzenga
Explore stencil making, painting, and spray art with New Orleans artist Brent Houzenga. In this four-week residency, participants will experiment with cutting stencils, abstract painting, wearable art, and spray painting while exploring the artist’s influences in street art, abstraction, portraiture, and experimentation. No prior experience is necessary; come ready to make, experiment, and get a little messy.
October 6: Introduction to Stencil Making
Learn the basics of stencil making using an X-Acto knife while exploring abstract designs, portraiture, and lettering. Participants attending all four sessions can develop more complex layered stencils throughout the series.
October 13: Indoor Abstract Painting with Stencils
Use handmade stencils, tape, and intuitive mark-making to experiment with abstract shapes, intersections, color combinations, and geometric forms.
October 20: Put It on a T-Shirt
Transform stencils into wearable art by creating designs on T-shirts using spray dye on white shirts and bleach on black shirts.
October 27: Outdoor Spray Painting
Bring your stencils and masking tape outdoors to create spray-paint masterpieces on canvas, combining the techniques explored throughout the residency.
5-6:45PM
ages 18+ | $30 a class
Drop in for one class or join us for all four!