At the Living Arts Center, fine arts were used as a tool to explore the human mind and character. The primary goal of Living Arts was not to train youth seeking a career in the arts, but to encourage 5th-through-12th graders to explore the fine rhythm and style of art, creative writing, dance, music and theater as individuals.

Housed in an old warehouse on Linden Avenue, the students participated in transforming the space into a creative environment. The best of the best teachers in Dayton, Ohio courageously left their secure positions in the public school system to embark on a uniquely adventurous experiment that would engage, develop, and inspire students from all socioeconomic standings. Participants happily opted to sacrifice their “free time” to attend this after school, Saturday, and summer program, to learn about themselves and others through their involvement in the arts. The importance of a program like this cannot be overstated: The impact was profound and far-reaching.

The Friends of The Living Arts Center was founded to celebrate this experience, to honor its influence, and to enthusiastically share the potential of a program like this with others, and to promote accessible after-school, public, arts education programs for students in communities throughout the U.S.