Our Story
The Foundation was established by Chris Kuenne and his sons, Peter, William and Matthew to memorialize his daughter and their sister and his late wife and their mother. In 1997, the Kuenne family experienced a great loss when Olivia was taken from this world in a tragic accident at the age of 5. Their grief was compounded in 2019 when Leslie lost her battle with ovarian cancer.
Through the work of their Foundation, the Kuenne family seeks to perpetuate the lesson Olivia and Leslie imparted to all fortunate enough to know them—the transformative power of art to inspire, educate, and awaken the deepest recesses of our shared humanity. Selected pieces of Olivia’s and Leslie’s artwork can be viewed here.
The core mission of the Foundation is to build and distribute early childhood arts educational programs and research their impact on the emotional and intellectual development of young students who complete our curriculum. This approach aims to spark the imaginations of young children, providing them with a safe place for artistic exploration and self-expression. We believe this exploration can be further enhanced when parents celebrate their children’s creations.
Meet the Foundation’s Inspiration
Olivia was a spirited little girl who loved to express her individuality in the way she dressed (lots of colors, shapes and textures all at the same time) and through her art. One of her greatest joys was to draw, paint and form clay to represent how she saw the world around her.
Olivia Kuenne
1991–1997
Leslie was a deeply sensitive and compassionate person who sought to connect with others by capturing what she saw through the lens of her camera, her pen and her paint brush.