NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Art comes in many different forms, like painting, music, and theater.
“The arts are an incredible medium in which students can emote, process the world around them, see themselves,” Nick Leopoulous said.
Leopoulous is the executive director of the Thea Foundation, which is located in the Argenta District in North Little Rock. The foundation strives to support art education.
“It gives them an incredible platform to be themselves,” Leopoulous said.
The Thea Foundation was named after Thea Kay Leopoulous. Her family started the nonprofit two decades ago after Thea passed away in a car crash.
“She was an incredibly creative individual that needed the arts to be able to find confidence and her place in education,” Leopoulous said.
Over the years, The Thea Foundation has awarded $2.7 million in scholarships to Arkansas high school seniors. The foundation also has what it calls an arts closet, which provides teachers with money so they can buy supplies for their students. These are just two reasons why the nonprofit is being recognized by Rainwater, Holt & Sexton as this month’s Difference Maker.
“To have community support like this is irreplaceable,” Leopoulous said. “It is something that you never expect, but when you receive this kind of support, it is a difference maker.”
Leopoulous said the $1,000 donation will go a long way in helping teachers and the thousands of their students they serve each year.
