Mess Arts

MessArts is a community minded visual arts education program for all ages. Mission:

MessArts is a community minded visual arts education program for all ages.

We facilitate a collaborative studio environment which balances rigor and play. MessArts teaching makes fine arts and craft approachable in order to enrich and challenge our understanding of art. MessArts is a arts organization founded by of Mahala Miller (she/her) and Ness Kent (they/them). The collaborative pair met at Rhode Island School of Design and graduated in 2019. Mahala is a painter wit

h a BFA in painting and a MA in teaching and learning. Ness is a potter with a BFA in Sculpture. They both are active artists as well as educators and have a passion for sharing their arts knowledge. Mahala Miller
Programs Coordinator, Co-founder, Teaching Artist

Ness Kent
Executive Director, Co-founder, Teaching Artist

In 2022 we decided to put on a Spring Break camp for kids we knew through teaching with other organizations. The young artists had a blast exploring pottery, paper marbling, and making puppets! We realized this could be something we could continue to grow into a community arts program that expands outside of our living room, kitchen, and backyard. Putting on our first “Bywater Backyard Arts camp” gave us the opportunity to teach in ways we think are creatively beneficial, compelling to kids, and facilitate self-expression. What started as day camps during school vacations quickly progressed into recurring monthly youth classes as well as adult workshops and private lessons. During our first costume class, Zeke (5 yrs) asked us, “but why can’t we come to your house during the week too for class?” This idea had been echoed by other kids and parents. With growing community support and interest, we have had the ability to expand into MessArts. We now have a designated teaching studio as well as year-round class offerings and events for all ages! Join us at our studio and contribute to the MESS! https://messarts.org

09/06/2026

MESS ARTS IS BACK — AND BETTER THAN EVER! 🎨🌈✨

All our friends are here! 🥰

Mess Arts is officially back for the 2026–2027 season with a renewed vision, expanded programming, and even more opportunities for young people to create, move, explore, make friends, and make a beautiful mess!

We’re kicking things off with joyful days filled with art, dance, music, theater, STEM, yoga, gymnastics, movement, games, and creative exploration.

🎨 UPCOMING MESS ARTS CAMPS

🌟 September 7 — Labor Day Create & Play Camp
👻 October 12–16 — Monster Mash Fall Break Camp
🍁 November 23–27 — Grateful Hearts & Messy Arts Camp
🎄 December 21–23 — Merry Mess-Mas Camp
🎉 December 28–31 — Countdown to Creativity Camp
💜💚💛 February 5–12, 2027 — Mardi Gras Magic Camp
🌸 March 26–30 — Spring Break Camp
🎨 March 31–April 2 — Spring Create & Play Camp

Mess Arts is a community-led nonprofit dedicated to empowering young people through accessible, high-quality arts education, creative exploration, youth leadership, and safe spaces for self-expression.

Our programming includes visual arts, dance, music, theater, STEM, yoga, gymnastics, guest artists, field trips, scholarships, tuition assistance, transportation opportunities, and more.

Register • Donate • Volunteer • Learn More

🌐 MessArts.org
📸 Instagram:
💙 Facebook: MessArts
❤️ GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/570a802f4

Mess Arts is back. Come make a beautiful mess with us! 🌈🎨

NOLAKids TeachingArtists

09/06/2026

🎨✨ MESS ARTS TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM RECIPIENT: BUNNI EDWARDS! ✨🎨
We’re excited to introduce Bunni Edwards (she/they) as a recipient of the Mess Arts Teacher Training Program!
Bunni is a talented, hardworking, naturally gifted visual artist with a special strength in realism, creative drawing, observation, and detailed art-making. They are also a performer at Oz New Orleans, bringing an additional background in performance, expression, and creativity to the Mess Arts community.
Through the Mess Arts Teacher Training Program, Bunni will continue developing as both an artist and educator while gaining hands-on experience in arts education, mentorship, classroom leadership, and working with young creatives.
We’re proud to invest in emerging artists and help develop the next generation of teaching artists, mentors, performers, and creative leaders. 🌈✨
Please help us celebrate Bunni Edwards and welcome them to the Mess Arts family! 💕🎨
MESSARTS.org 

09/04/2026

🚨Mess Arts “BIG NIGHT”! Coming soon!

THANK YOU, MESS ARTS FAMILY! 🌈🎨
A huge THANK YOU to all of our incredible sponsors, supporters, families, artists, volunteers, and community partners who continue to believe in and support Mess Arts! 💛 Your generosity helps us keep creating joyful, accessible spaces where young people can make art, move, explore, connect, and make a beautiful mess!

✨ AND NOW… SOMETHING BIG IS COMING! ✨

🪩🎶 MESS ARTS BIG NIGHT 🎶🪩
A fun hangout session + dance social bringing our community together for music, movement, good vibes, creativity, and FUN!

📅 MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Saturday, September 26, 2026
More details coming soon… 👀🌈💃🏽🕺🏽

Thank you for continuing to help Mess Arts grow, create, and give back!

🌐 MessArts.org

📲

09/04/2026

🎨🔬✨ MEET OUR MESS ARTS TEACHING ARTIST: LAZY LEVIN! ✨🔬🎭
We’re so excited to welcome Lazy Levin to the Mess Arts family!
Lazy is an artist turned aspiring scientist and a recent graduate of the University of New Orleans, where they earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology.
Their creative journey has taken many forms — student, teacher, research assistant, community organizer, multimedia artist, puppeteer, day laborer, doggie doula, and more! Each experience has shaped the way they think about learning, creativity, curiosity, and community.
At the heart of Lazy’s work is a passion for teaching science through the embodiment, imagination, experimentation, and curiosity that are already at the center of making art. 🌈🧪🎨
We love that philosophy at Mess Arts, where young people are encouraged to ask questions, get messy, explore big ideas, experiment, move, create, and discover new ways of seeing the world.
Lazy says they are thrilled to join the program, and we are just as thrilled to have them! We can’t wait to see what our young artists and scientists dream up together. 💫
Please help us give a BIG Mess Arts welcome to Lazy Levin! ❤️🎨🔬
🌈 MESS ARTS 2026–2027
📍 Waldorf School of New Orleans
🎨 Ages 3–11
✨ Art • Science • STEM • Dance • Music • Theater • Movement • Creative Play
🌐 MESSARTS.org
📲

09/03/2026

🎨✨ MEET OUR MESS ARTS TEACHING ASSISTANTS: LILLIE & NOLA BROWN! ✨🩰💕 Delta Festival Ballet
Double the talent, double the joy, and double the helping hands! We’re so excited to have twin sisters Lillie & Nola Brown, both 13 years old and in the 8th grade, joining the Mess Arts family as Teaching Assistants!
Lillie and Nola currently attend Cabrini and are dedicated ballet students at Giacobbe Academy of Dance. They also perform with Della Festival Ballet and recently had the incredible opportunity to travel to Paris! 🇫🇷🩰✨
Beyond being talented young dancers, Lillie and Nola are kind, enthusiastic, dependable, and always happy to help. At Mess Arts, we believe young people should have opportunities not only to learn, but also to lead, mentor, serve, and inspire the next generation of artists.
We absolutely LOVE that these two young artists are taking time out of their own busy schedules to give back, assist our teaching artists, encourage our campers, and help make Mess Arts an even more joyful place to create. 🌈🎨💗
Please help us give a BIG Mess Arts welcome to Lillie & Nola Brown! 👏🏽👏🏽
🌈 Young Artists Helping Young Artists! 🎨 MESSARTS.org 📲

09/03/2026

🎨✨ MEET OUR MESS ARTS TEACHING ARTIST:
SOFIA OLEXIA-DAIGLE! ✨🐊🌿Sofia Olexia-Daigle
We’re excited to welcome Sofia Olexia-Daigle to the Mess Arts family!
Sofia is a Louisiana-based multimedia visual artist whose work is deeply inspired by the wetlands surrounding New Orleans. Through imagery of wetlands, alligators, and the natural world, she explores womanhood, Cajun identity, environmental connection, resilience, transformation, and belonging.
We can’t wait for our young artists to create, explore, and learn alongside Sofia as she shares her unique artistic voice and love for Louisiana’s culture and environment. 💚🎨

🎨 MESS ARTS 2026–2027 CAMP SCHEDULE
✨ September 7, 2026 Labor Day Create & Play Camp
👻 October 12–16, 2026 Monster Mash Fall Break Camp
🍁 November 23–27, 2026 Grateful Hearts & Messy Arts Camp
🎄 December 21–23, 2026 Merry Mess-Mas Camp
🎉 December 28–31, 2026 Countdown to Creativity Camp
💜💚💛 February 5–12, 2027 Mardi Gras Magic Camp
🌸 March 26–30, 2027 Spring Break Camp
🎨 March 31–April 2, 2027 Spring Create & Play Camp
🌈 Ages 3–11 🎨 Art • Dance • Music • Theater • STEM • Movement • Games • Creative Play 💛 Scholarships & tuition assistance available 🚐 Transportation available by request ✨ Space is limited!
📍 Waldorf School of New Orleans 🌐 Register now at MESSARTS.org 📲 Instagram:

09/03/2026

Totally Outrageous! Our kids showed up and showed out! 🎨🌈 MESS ARTS IS BACK — AND BETTER THAN EVER! 🌈🎨
A big THANKS to FOX 8 News and Rob Krieger for welcoming Mess Arts onto the show and helping us share our story with the New Orleans community! 💙

And yes… we’re BACK! 🥳

Mess Arts is officially kicking off our 2026–2027 season with a renewed vision, expanded programming, and MORE opportunities for kids to create, move, explore, make friends, and make a beautiful mess! 🎨✨

From art, dance, music, theater and STEM to yoga, gymnastics, games and creative exploration, there’s something for every young artist and curious mind.

🎨 UPCOMING CAMPS:
🌟 Sept. 7 — Labor Day Create & Play
👻 Oct. 12–16 — Monster Mash Fall Break
🍁 Nov. 23–27 — Grateful Hearts & Messy Arts
🎄 Dec. 21–23 — Merry Mess-Mas
🎉 Dec. 28–31 — Countdown to Creativity
💜💚💛 Feb. 5–12 — Mardi Gras Magic
🌸 March 26–30 — Spring Break
🎨 March 31–April 2 — Spring Create & Play

Mess Arts is a community-led nonprofit creating accessible, high-quality arts experiences where young people can express themselves, build confidence, discover new talents, and feel like they belong. 💙

We offer visual arts, dance, music, theater, STEM, movement, guest artists, field trips, scholarships, tuition assistance, transportation opportunities & MORE!

✨ REGISTER • DONATE • VOLUNTEER • GET INVOLVED ✨

🌐 MessArts.org
📸
💙 Facebook: MessArts
❤️ Support us: GoFundMe — link in bio

Mess Arts is back. Come make a beautiful mess with us! 🌈🎨✨

kid

09/02/2026

🎨🌈 MESS ARTS IS BACK — AND BETTER THAN EVER! 🌈🎨
A HUGE thank you to FOX 8 News and Rob Krieger for welcoming Mess Arts onto the show and helping us share our story with the New Orleans community! 💙 We’re so grateful for your support of arts education and the young people we serve.

And yes… we’re BACK! 🥳

Mess Arts is officially kicking off our 2026–2027 season with a renewed vision, expanded programming, and MORE opportunities for kids to create, move, explore, make friends, and make a beautiful mess! 🎨✨

From art, dance, music, theater and STEM to yoga, gymnastics, games and creative exploration, there’s something for every young artist and curious mind.

🎨 UPCOMING CAMPS:
🌟 Sept. 7 — Labor Day Create & Play
👻 Oct. 12–16 — Monster Mash Fall Break
🍁 Nov. 23–27 — Grateful Hearts & Messy Arts
🎄 Dec. 21–23 — Merry Mess-Mas
🎉 Dec. 28–31 — Countdown to Creativity
💜💚💛 Feb. 5–12 — Mardi Gras Magic
🌸 March 26–30 — Spring Break
🎨 March 31–April 2 — Spring Create & Play

Mess Arts is a community-led nonprofit creating accessible, high-quality arts experiences where young people can express themselves, build confidence, discover new talents, and feel like they belong. 💙

We offer visual arts, dance, music, theater, STEM, movement, guest artists, field trips, scholarships, tuition assistance, transportation opportunities & MORE!

✨ REGISTER • DONATE • VOLUNTEER • GET INVOLVED ✨

🌐 MessArts.org
📸
💙 Facebook: MessArts
❤️ Support us: GoFundMe — link in bio

Mess Arts is back. Come make a beautiful mess with us! 🌈🎨✨

TeachingArtists CreativeKids NewOrleansKids ArtsForAll MakeABeautifulMess

09/01/2026

05/22/2026

We had such a great spring of open studios! Per usual, we will be taking our open summer break and return in the fall with new dates and youth leadership program opportunities! See y’all soon💖

Address

2539 Columbus Street
New Orleans, LA
70117

Telephone

+15043588036

Website

https://messarts.org/pages/mission

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