Arts education
Through ASALA and creative learning experiences, young people explore the arts, science, leadership, and their own voices. Mentorship and meaningful relationships help make learning a place of belonging.
NIKKI ROMAINSPEAKER · ENTREPRENEUR · COMMUNITY LEADERART INC · PEORIA, ILLINOIS
A vision we
brought to life.
Some visions ask you to do more than imagine. They ask you to build.
In 2017, my husband, Jonathon, and I founded ART INC in Peoria, Illinois, with a belief that creativity, education, and community could open doors to possibility. We began with a shared vision and the willingness to take the next step.
I am Nikki Romain, CEO & Co-Founder. Jonathon Romain is our CIO & Co-Founder. Together with an extraordinary team, dedicated supporters, and the community we serve, we continue turning that vision into purposeful action.
OUR BEGINNING
We saw possibility.
Then we got to work.
Jonathon and I believed young people deserved access to the arts, meaningful experiences, and people who could help them see what was possible for their lives. We wanted to create a place where imagination was taken seriously and opportunity felt within reach.
We did not begin with every answer. We began by showing up, building relationships, learning, and doing the work. Jonathon’s artistry and imagination, my commitment to bringing people and resources together, and our shared belief in community became the foundation.
Long before I named The Riveting Way™, I was living it through this work: honoring a vision, moving before certainty, and building the capacity to keep going. ART INC has its own mission, team, and community. It is one of the places where I have learned what purposeful leadership requires.
What began with the two of us has always depended on many more: staff, teaching artists, our board, families, volunteers, donors, funders, and partners who bring their gifts to the work every day.
THE VISION IN ACTION
Creativity opens doors.
Community carries us forward.
ART INC’S MISSION
To INSPIRE and EMPOWER the community through arts education and culture.
Workforce development
Pathways connects young people with college and career preparation, job readiness, occupational training, and paid work experiences. The work helps turn an idea about the future into practical next steps.
Gun violence prevention
Through S.O.L.V.E., ART INC provides street outreach, case management, victim advocacy, and support for individuals and families affected by community violence. Creativity and opportunity belong alongside safety, healing, and care.
A YEAR OF PURPOSEFUL WORK · FY26
- 446
- Youth served through ASALA
- 131
- Pathways participants
- 86
- Victims and high-risk individuals served through S.O.L.V.E.
Source: ART INC FY26 Annual Report · July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026. Program counts are reported separately and are not a combined total.
AN INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE
There is room for you
in what comes next.
You do not have to start an organization to help build possibility. You can learn about the work, introduce a partner, share your expertise, or give in a way that is meaningful to you.
If something here speaks to you, I invite you to explore ART INC. Meet the people, discover the programs, and consider how your support could help this community continue to grow.
Donations go directly to ART INC through its own secure giving platform, Network for Good. Gifts are not collected through NikkiRomain.com.