AOS Interior Environments hosts Design at HeART event to benefit KID smART

Written By Alicia Vial

Celebration of creativity, community and purpose all in support of a meaningful cause

NEW ORLEANS – KID smART, the local nonprofit focused on providing public school students with greater access to arts-rich education, will join AOS Interior Environments and MillerKnoll as a chosen partner and beneficiary of the Design at HeART event on Sept. 25. This event features 13 teams made up of an artist and a design firm who will come together to transform an Eames molded side chair, generously donated by Herman Miller, into a work of art for a silent auction to benefit KID smART’s new Center for Arts & Education.

“At AOS, we believe deeply in the power of design—not just to shape the spaces where we live and work, but to uplift the lives of the people who experience them,” said Shelby Russ, President and CEO of AOS Interior Environments. “Design at HeART is a celebration of that belief. It brings together some of our city’s most talented artists and designers in support of an organization that is truly enriching New Orleans. We’re proud to help bring this event to life and continue investing in the next generation of creative thinkers.”

Design at HeART will take place at 6PM CST on Thursday, Sept. 25 at Merchant Hall located at 1152 Magazine St. in New Orleans. Event attendees will enjoy libations provided by Patron Saint, bites from St. Pizza and Chef Benny Poppins and live entertainment by DJ 87.

Artist and designer teams include:

  • AOS + KID smART Bloomberg Arts Interns

  • EskewDumezRipple + Teresa Cole

  • Farouki Farouki + Jessica Strahan

  • Ferrand Design + Margie and the Moon

  • Flex Design Studio + Brent Houzenga

  • GOAT + Allison Stewart

  • Goss Designs + Bianca Walker

  • Holly & Smith Architects + Demond Matsuo

  • HUE an Architecture Studio + Mia Kaplan Studio

  • MZ. Architecture & Design + Trenity Thomas

  • NANO + Gretchen Weller Howard

  • Studio BKA + Raine Bedsole Art

  • Studio West + Mary Singleton

All proceeds from the event will directly benefit KID smART’s Center for Arts & Education. This center will allow KID smART to dramatically expand its programming, create new jobs, and reach more members of the community, ensuring the arts are more accessible to every child in New Orleans. Founded in 1999, KID smART has made an indelible mark on more than 80,000 students and educators by bringing the arts into core curricula, raising student achievement, improving student engagement, and creating joyful learning experiences. KID smART is currently expanding its impact with the construction of the KID smART Center for Arts & Education.

“We are beyond grateful to be the beneficiary of this year’s Design at HeART event,” said Elise Gallinot Goldman, Executive Director of KID smART. “AOS has been a long-time champion of our work. Through the generosity of AOS and these amazing artists and designers, KID smART will be able to increase our annual reach by 250%, ensuring that even more New Orleans children can access their full academic, creative, and personal potential through the arts.”

This year’s event is made possible through the generous support of community partners like Helm Paint and Merchant House. Helm Paint has donated funds to help each team bring their creative vision to life, while Merchant House has offered additional furnishings to elevate the final chair vignettes. Their contributions help ensure that Design at HeART is not only a celebration of creativity, but a true collaboration rooted in community support.

Those interested in bidding on the chairs can learn more here and to RSVP to the event at events@thinkaos.com. Reservations are required and availability is limited.

Finished art pieces will remain on display Friday, Sept. 26 through Sunday, Sept. 28 in vignettes that are free and open to the public.

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Editor’s Note: High-resolution images are available here.

About KID smART

Over the last two decades, KID smART has collaborated with more than 40 New Orleans public schools to blend the arts into academic lessons to make classrooms more effective and joyful places to learn. Through full-year artist residencies, students in KID smART Creative Schools prove to grow academically, artistically and emotionally. KID smART also partners with national thought leaders, including Harvard's Project Zero Classroom, to incorporate best practices in arts and education into its program model.

About AOS Interior Environments

AOS is a full-service provider of manufactured interior construction, contract furniture, storage solutions and installation and service. It is the largest FF&E (furniture, fixtures and equipment) contractor in Louisiana and Mississippi and has been partnering with its clients and the architectural community to create beautiful, functional and productive spaces for 50 years.

Alicia Vial

Alicia Vial is a New Orleans native with more than a decade of experience elevating client stories and leading crisis response. As the senior director of strategy, Alicia acts as a leader within the Gambel Communications team ensuring each agency team member is positioned to deliver strategic public relations services that meet the highest standards of the industry. In addition to supporting the agency’s long-term business growth and development, she coordinates day-to-day account services and oversees strategic direction while staying abreast of best practices and industry trends to provide innovative solutions to meet client’s needs.

Before joining Gambel Communications, Alicia served as the communications director for the Louisiana SPCA, the oldest and largest animal welfare organization in Louisiana that impacts more than 74,000 animals per year. During her nearly eight-year tenure, Alicia oversaw numerous crises, served on national communication taskforces, oversaw all aspects of internal and external relations and worked alongside the development department to raise critical funding. Prior to that, she worked in the fast-paced New Orleans hospitality industry focusing on digital public relations for multiple hotels.

Alicia is a member of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana (PRAL), Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF), a board member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) New Orleans Chapter and a member of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute. An accredited public relations practitioner (APR), Alicia is also certified in crisis communications, organizational leadership, content marketing and social media.

A well respected and trusted public relations practitioner, Alicia has been recognized by SPRF as a ‘Senior Practitioner of the Year’. Dubbed early on in her career as one to watch, she also received the ‘Rising Star’ award by PRAL and was profiled in St. Charles Avenue Magazine as part of their Young Bloods series. Most recently, she was recognized at PRSA’s annual Fleurish Awards and received four Awards of Excellence for her work along with the ‘Plate Spinner’ award for her efforts on the board of directors for the chapter.

An LSU graduate, Alicia received a bachelor's degree in mass communications with a concentration in public relations and minors in business administration and leadership development. She is a frequent speaker and presenter on public relations topics, most recently presenting at the Jefferson Economic Development Commission and SPRF annual conference.

When Alicia is not at work, you can find her at the ballpark with her three boys or cheering on the Tigers in Death Valley.

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