KID smART, a local nonprofit dedicated to integrating arts into education, held a groundbreaking ceremony September 10 for its new KID smART Center for Arts & Education.

The facility, located at 2533 Columbus St. in the historic Bayou Road neighborhood, aims to expand the organization’s programming, create jobs, and provide broader access to arts education for children across the city.

The center will house multiple visual arts studios, a dance and movement studio, a podcasting studio, a performing arts studio, and dedicated training spaces. KID smART said the facility will allow it to increase its annual impact by more than 250% and introduce new programs to the community. The center is scheduled to open in spring 2026.

Over the past 26 years, KID smART has reached more than 80,000 students and educators, said Elise Gallinot Goldman, executive director of KID smART. She said the new center ensures a lasting hub for arts education and allows us to continue enhancing student achievement and engagement through the arts.The project is supported by KID smART’s $5.5 million “Creativity at the Center” campaign, launched in 2024 to fund the purchase, renovation, and programming of the center. As of now, the nonprofit has raised 25% of its fundraising goal.

Ryan Gootee General Contractors are the builders of the new arts education center, while Eskew Dumez Ripple served as the architect.

The new center is expected to strengthen KID smART’s role in the local arts and education community, providing resources and opportunities that could influence arts integration initiatives throughout the city.

For more information visit www.kidsmart.org/capital-campaign.