FAME Artwork: Paintings and drawings by Northeast Indiana elementary students are on display in the Gallery July 12 through August 28. These paintings, collages, and drawings, by students from Fort Wayne and surrounding area elementary schools, are from the 2025-26 FAME program.
FAME, or the Foundation for Art and Music in Education, was founded in 1986 by Southwest Allen County music teacher Dorothy Kittaka and art teacher Mike Schmid. At the time, the importance of the arts in elementary and middle school education was being questioned on both the state and national levels, meaning that funds might be better spent elsewhere. Dorothy and Mike believed that not only should art and music remain as part of elementary and middle school curriculums, but, in addition, these programs could be enhanced by special creative activities culminating in an arts festival. Each year there would be a cultural theme, so that, over time, children would be exposed to the art and music of all the world’s major peoples.
The main components of the FAME program are a composition project, a painting contest (The Fusion of Concert Colors), visiting artists, a fine arts summer camp, and the FAME Festival. The March FAME Festival is held annually at the Grand Wayne Center in Fort Wayne.
The theme for the 2025-26 FAME program is “South Asia: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan & Maldives.”
An opening reception will be held on Sunday, July 12, from 12:15-1:00 pm in the Gallery.
