Art for all

Julianne Gadoury grew up in Pittsfield, acutely aware that she and her schoolmates did not get the same educational opportunities that children in wealthy towns did — including in the arts.

She made her way to art school, and an MBA. Now, she has made it her life’s work to expand access to the arts to people who need it most — and to channel the power of the arts to make the New Hampshire community better for everyone.

She took the helm at the venerable Kimball Jenkins in Concord just as Covid shut the world down. Programming moved online. Camp and after-school programs were offered for free. KJ paid artists to work with kids in state custody, and offered the outdoor space on its three-acre campus to other arts organizations.

Julianne and the KJ team fundraised incessantly to make it all happen.

Since 2020, Kimball Jenkins has grown, expanded its programming and more than doubled its reach.

A paid summer internship program now has 15 kids from struggling communities working 20 hours a week to create murals that lend visibility to their lives and experience. Exhibitions and artists-in-residence programs center voices that have been historically excluded. Kids who face barriers to thriving attend summer camp at KJ for free.

“I believe every single sector, industry and person has a role to play in lifting up humanity,” Julianne said. “I believe in the power of the arts to address some of the most challenging problems that we face.”