Who We Are

KID smART, the vision of artists Allison Stewart and Campbell Hutchinson, was founded in 1999 as a Saturday program in the visual arts serving twenty children in one school. In the past 12 years KID smART has grown into an arts education initiative working in eleven schools through teacher training and instruction by teaching artists in both the visual and performing arts. KID smART has been, and remains, committed to sustainable growth, expanding services only as their quality can be supported by the organization’s resources.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Orleans Parish school “system” became 86 schools run by 36 different entities. At that time, KID smART joined with several of its cultural partners to develop the Arts Experiences in Schools (AXIS) program to provide arts-in-education opportunities to schools facing enormous challenges. Last year KID smART served 2,869 children and works currently in twelve schools in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes and at six community-based sites.