OUR MISSION
More than an art nonprofit
The Kindness Art Education delivers programs designed to create active connections between people that empower children to create compassionate and fulfilling lives. Art is the medium we use to ignite love of self and love of learning in students, excite children and families to come to school, and empower children to expand their ideas about their future.
Activating Portrait Pals is our primary focus—an innovative program designed to engage children through experiential lessons in math, science, visual narrative, and social/emotional wellness.
Portrait Pals and Tonya allow students to connect through their artistic expression. Without even meeting each other, the Pals struggle together, express themselves together, and connect all while being miles apart and complete strangers. It has been a blessing to have the program at our school.
— LEAH BERNS, ART TEACHER, SOPRIS ELEMENTARY
WHY IT MATTERS
Dismantling the status quo
Today, many children do not receive a full, well-rounded education. We need to embrace empowering and creative solutions to make big changes.
The Kindness Art Education is more than an art nonprofit—we provide an opportunity to supplement students' education. We are dedicated to sparking positive social change through the arts and connection. Portrait Pals connects children in rural and urban communities, police with children in their district, and senior citizens with children.
Absenteeism at American schools is at a staggeringly high 31%. Simply put, ⅓ of our children don’t regularly attend school. Portrait Pals offers a tangible, immediate reason for children to be at school. According to several Harvard* studies, parent/family engagement in education is vital to a child's success. Our programs attracts families and caregivers to see their children's portraits, thus encouraging them to see their children with a new perspective.
ENGAGED
HANDS-ON
Programs are activated in the communities we wish to impact. Rather than asking those we serve to come to us, we go directly to our participants. Teachers are supported with the Portrait Pals curriculum, ongoing training, connecting with a community of peers, plus all art materials, and a stipend to support their extra work. Children are connected to communities beyond their immediate school environment to expand their points of view and ways of thinking.
Even in schools where there is an art program, Portrait Pals is welcomed by educators because our supplementary programming gives students valuable lessons in math, science, visual narrative, social & emotional wellness, and resilience. Exhibitions at school we partner with gives children exposure to the arts and helps make art institutions welcoming and relevant.
COMPREHENSIVE
All art materials, brushes, canvases, photographers, curriculum, and training are supplied by The Kindness Art Education so children have the opportunity to learn and engage with the highest-quality art supplies, just like the professionals do, in order to elevate their self-esteem and skills.
PREMIUM SUPPLIES
A ONE-OF-A-KIND PROGRAM
Portrait Pals
Activated by The Kindness Art Education, a Colorado-based, 501(c)3, nonprofit organization.
By participating in Portrait Pals, children open their hearts and minds to new possibilities. The paintings they create serve as lasting reminders of their importance and worth. Additionally, Portrait Pals equips children with sophisticated skills and fosters connections beyond their immediate community, empowering them to explore broader horizons.
In the sessions, Pals learn the basics and intricacies of composition and painting portraits. Along the way, children learn about perspective, creativity, visual communication, overcoming challenges, and compassion for self and others.
HOW PORTRAIT PALS WORKS
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All participating students at two schools, or in some programs community partners such as police or senior citizens, have their picture taken by a professional photographer. Children are encouraged to be themselves—authenticity is key to Portrait Pals potency.
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Each participant fills in a brief questionnaire to share with their Pal. Children and adults answer questions such as, “What is your best advice for someone moving to your community?” and “What do you wish people knew about you?”
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We use the questionnaires to pair children from different schools and communities with their Portrait Pals!
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Meeting our partners where they are is at the foundation of all we do. In some cases, for our most rural community, Cedaredge Elementary, for example, we activate Portrait Pals on site. This request, for us to come to their community, came directly from Cedaredge Elementary and we deliver based on our partners' needs.
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The Kindness Art Education supports teachers on site to activate the Portrait Pals curriculum. Throughout the school year, teachers are supported with curriculum, training, and a stipend to support their work. Portrait Pals is taught in school during the school day so that every child can participate. For community partners, such as the police and senior living centers, we teach Portrait Pals on site to participants. Meeting our participants where they are is vital to our Pals ability to truly engage with the Portrait Pals program.
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All art materials, brushes, canvases, photographers, and Portrait Pals curriculum are supplied by The Kindness Art Education. The paint palette is intentionally limited so that children are challenged to learn to mix their own colors, including their Pal’s unique skin tone. Children are taught to consider how to capture the spirit of their Pal and make it visible on the canvas.
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Every child is interviewed for their personal artist statements, which are part of the culminating exhibitions.
Seeing Portrait Pals in action with all the social connections is so heartwarming. All students were successful. Students got to see themselves through another person’s eyes, they knew they were special just because they participated in Portrait Pals. They learned a lot about art, perspective, taking risks, and color-making. If you’re considering Portrait Pals for your community, you should go for it!
— JULIE ADAMS, THIRD GRADE TEACHER, HALLETT ACADEMY
WHY GIVE?
Elevate children to thrive
You can be assured that your donation is dedicated to supporting children and schools. We are nimble and focus our resources on delivering value to our communities. We activate programs directly in communities, thus there is no overhead for buildings. We meet our stakeholders where they are.
$6,000 brings a Portrait Pals program to 2 schools and, through the artistic process, gives children valuable lessons in math, science, visual narrative, perspective, resilience, and art. 71% of The Kindness Art Education budget is dedicated to programming. 29% is allocated to operations.
BE PART OF EMPOWERING CHILDREN TO CREATE A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR THEMSELVES:
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$6,000 activates a Portrait Pals program to 2 schools
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$3,000 activates Portrait Pals at 1 school.
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$1000 pays for 2 teachers to activate Portrait Pals in their communities
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$500 helps covers costs for a professional photographer to photograph every Pal
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$250 pays for community exhibition so the Pals and their families can see their work
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$70 Gives one Portrait Pal quality art supplies
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Every donation matters and is tax-deductible!
Checks can be made to:
The Kindness Art Education
2260 Locust Street, Denver, CO 80207
To donate to our Rutabaga program, led by author and educational consultant, Samantha Bennett, please add "Rutabaga" to your last name on your credit card donation or in the memo of your check. Rutabaga donations will provide scholarships for educators to attend this nurturing retreat.
Make a difference, today.
As a public charity, we need your support so we can continue to bring our programs to children and schools. All donations of any size are gratefully accepted and tax-deductible!
PORTRAIT PALS SPOTLIGHT
Harmoni & Ann
Harmoni and Ann were matched through a Portrait Pals program bringing together children and seniors to create meaningful connections through art. After the program concluded, Ann expressed her fondness for Harmoni by knitting her a hat, a heartfelt gesture through another form of creative expression.
Even though Harmoni has since moved on from Hallett Academy, Ann continues to knit hats for the children there, extending her kindness and ensuring that the spirit of the program lives on through her ongoing contributions.
I hope Ann sees stuff that I tried to do and that I think she’ll appreciate my hard work, love, and care. I hope Ann sees that I have intelligence, kindness, hard-working, loving, and caring in me. When I’m old, kids will come to learn about how to build an arch because I want to be a designer/architect. Kids will ask me how and show me a lot of respect.
— HARMONI, HALETT ACADEMY
Green is my favorite color because it’s the color of life. Today, in a dream world, I would be on a cruise. My advice for my 9-year-old self is ‘Learn something new every day that makes you excited.'
— ANN, ST. ANDREWS SENIOR LIVING CENTER
My advice for my 9-year-old self is ‘Keep up your art. A hobby is so valuable in life. Always do what you want to do, be where you want to be.'
— PHILLYS, ST. ANDREWS SENIOR LIVING CENTER
NEWS & UPDATES
Follow your impact
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JOIN US ON NOVEMBER 19, 2026
Do You See What I See?
Each year, we host our annual gala fundraiser, Do You See What I See?, where all proceeds go directly towards supporting the Portrait Pals program.
Join us this fall on Thursday, November 19th at the Governor's Mansion from 5:30-7:30pm for an evening of art, community, and compassion. The purchase of a ticket to the gala will help bring arts education to rural and urban schools, including: Arapahoe Ridge, Belmar School of Integrated Arts, Cedaredge, Hallett Academy, Highline Academy, Riverview Elementary, Stukey Elementary, Sopris Elementary, and Northglenn Police Department.
— DEB SIMS FARD, SECOND GRADE TEACHER, STEDMAN ELEMENTARY
Teaching art to children authentically is to teach freedom of thought, speech, time, and place. Art through the vehicle of kindness is transformation.
