Please reach out to us if you cannot find an answer below to your question.

What is the mission of Nisk Art Friends?

Our mission is to promote excellence in the Arts, invest in future artists, encourage creativity and connect across communities. We hope this will foster a vibrant and diverse Arts community in our region by making a meaningful difference in the lives of Niskayuna students and our artistic landscape.

What does a Nisk Art Friends membership entail?

We invite Niskayuna parents, neighbors and those passionate about the Arts to become a member and join our cause. Become a member today and proceeds from your annual membership fee ($30 for the 2025-2026 academic year) will support key initiatives, like:

• awarding art scholarships

• hosting an annual trivia night fundraiser

• offering an annual event to recycle art supplies

• creating an annual school calendar

• participating at community events

• And much, much more!

Together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of Niskayuna students and our community's artistic landscape.

Why should I support Nisk Art Friends?

Students with access to art education:

✓ score higher on standardized tests
✓ are five times less likely to drop out of school
✓ demonstrate higher literacy, writing and English proficiency skills

Nisk Art Friends is eager to make significant impact and would be honored to have you join us as a valued partner in our journey, either as a member or sponsor.

Similar to Niskayuna Friends of Music, we are a parent/guardian organization passionate about supporting the students of the Niskayuna Central School District—in this case in their pursuit of the Visual Fine Arts (across 2D, 3D, media and film) rather than music. 

How do you raise funds for the Nisk Art Friends?

During each school year, Nisk Art Friends executes multiple fundraising strategies to generate support for the year's activity including:

• selling an annual school calendar 

• collecting annual membership fees

• hosting an annual spring trivia night fundraiser

• collecting donations to award art sponsorships

What do you spend money on?

Funds raised by Nisk Art Friends support a collection of new Niskayuna traditions:

• Art Teacher Appreciation
  We start each year extending gratitude to the more than one dozen art professionals, across eight schools, who teach our Niskayuna Central School District artists of all ages.

• Annual school calendar
  Each fall, we deliver value to families wanting to enjoy the ease of federal holidays, NCSD school closures and 100+ pieces of student artwork all in one place.

• Annual NAF Trivia Night Fundraiser
  Every spring, invite your friends and family to join us for an entertaining night of trivia, conversation and laughter — all in the name of funding scholarships to support the next generation of Nisky artists.

• Youth Art Enrichment Courses
  Throughout the year, the parents of our elementary and middle school student artists ask for opportunities where our kiddos can get creative and hone their art skills—which we are glad to coordinate

• Annual Arts Scholarships and Awards
  We end each school year distributing art scholarships and awards to deserving students in recognition of excellence in 2D, 3D, and other art mediums. Awards are funded by Nisk Art Friends and selected by school administrators.