The National Endowment for the Arts 2006 annual report recently presented profiles of arts programs from each state that demonstrated artistic excellence, arts presentation and education, as well as democratic reach. Missouri was represented by the program Arts at reStart for Children and Youth, created and directed by Linda Blaha-Kemnitzer, a Kansas University lecturer in the design department.

Arts at reStart provides comprehensive arts programming to homeless children and youths residing at reStart, a shelter in downtown Kansas City. The program started in 2001 and involves integrated arts presentations, experiences and performances with various Kansas City arts organizations such as the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, AIA of Kansas City, Shakespeare Festival, Coterie Theatre, Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey, American Jazz Museum, Hallmark’s Kaleidoscope, Kansas City Public Library, Dan White, a Pulitzer Prize photographer and Paul Mesner Puppets. The National Endowment for the Arts has funded Arts at reStart since 2004.