A young boy smiles as he places his hand on a wall covered with colorful handprints, adding his touch to the vibrant, community-created architecture and spaces. Other children and adults' handprints and photos are visible in the background.

The Kauffman Center is proud to be the home of the PNC Grow Up Great Gallery. Created in 2018, the gallery is a collaboration between the Kauffman Center, PNC and and area early learning centers to inspire a love of the arts in children.

By exposing children to the arts, PNC and the Kauffman Center hope to encourage creativity that will last a lifetime. The PNC Grow Up Great Gallery showcases nearly 300 handprints created by local Pre-K students at four local child development centers: St. Mark Child and Family Development Center, Metro Early Learning Center, Growing Futures Early Education Center, and El Centro Academy for Children. The handprints also showcase the first name and age of their creator, making the gallery a very personal and heartfelt experience for many families.

A Colorful Impact

PNC Bank created the gallery in partnership with the Kauffman Center as part of an effort to inspire great futures for local children by providing them exposure to the performing arts to enhance their creative minds. The gallery is updated each year with additional children’s handprints. It exemplifies PNC Bank’s signature 15-year-old flagship philanthropic program, PNC Grow Up Great, a bilingual initiative to prepare children from birth to age five for success in school and life.

Located in the Plaza Lobby of the Kauffman Center on Level 2, the PNC Grow Up Great Gallery is open to the public during ticket office hours, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is also open for viewing by ticketholders 90 minutes prior to any performance.

Learn more about PNC Grow Up Great at PNC Grow Up Great (pnc.com).

A smiling child points to their orange handprint on a wall covered with colorful handprints and musical note graphics in the PNC Grow Up Great Gallery. The child is wearing a "Vacay Mode" shirt and a jacket.

Noble’s Story

Since 2004, PNC has been dedicated to helping children through PNC Grow Up Great, which helps prepare children from birth through age 5 for success in school and life. The PNC Grow Up Great Gallery leaves a lasting impression on students like Noble. Noble was one of the first to leave his handprint on the wall in 2019 and returned four years later to find his handprint.

“I do remember that day you guys took my handprint and put in on here,” said Noble. “We had a field trip coming to the Kauffman Center to see our handprints… I was just full of excitement!”

A child pressing a painted handprint on a mural adorned with colorful handprints. The wall, beautifully branded as the PNC Grow Up Great Gallery, features a circular photo of two people. The child wears a white shirt.

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Handprint Making for the PNC Grow Up Great Gallery

A child sits on a step in front of a colorful mural with handprints and musical notes at the PNC Grow Up Great Gallery. Two adults view the mural. The text includes "Helping Create Futures" and "Growing futures.

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PNC Grow Up Great Gallery Opening - November 19, 2018

Five people stand in front of a wall with colorful handprints and the text "PNC Grow Up Great Gallery.

A wall mural with colorful handprints and logos for various children's programs, including PNC Grow Up Great Gallery and St. Mark Center, emphasizing collaboration to aid children's growth.

Two children stand smiling in front of a wall decorated with colorful handprints and circular photos of people. One child is wearing a white PNC t-shirt and the other is in a light blue sweater.

A man, a woman, and two children stand in front of the PNC Grow Up Great Gallery wall, which is decorated with colorful handprints.

A young boy smiles and points to his handprint on a wall decorated with colorful handprints and musical notes. He wears a jacket and a T-shirt with a visible name tag.

A smiling family of four stands in front of a colorful handprint mural. The parents hold their two young children, with the older child in front and younger child being held by the father.

A young girl in a pink dress smiles and points to a purple handprint on a wall decorated with colorful handprints and musical notes at the PNC Grow Up Great Gallery. She stands on a wooden platform.

A child stands in front of a colorful wall with handprints and musical notes, touching the artwork. Brightly colored handprints and photos of children decorate the wall.

A smiling man lifts a child who is reaching to touch colorful handprints on a white wall.

Child pointing to colorful handprints on a wall mural with a photo of a smiling adult and child inside a red circle. Musical notes are part of the mural design.

A child points at colorful handprints and musical notes painted on a white wall.

A child touches a wall decorated with colorful handprints and musical notes.

A young girl in a white shirt points at colorful handprints on a wall mural. The mural also features circular photos of other people and more handprints in various colors.

Child points to a wall with multicolored handprints and musical notes. Two circular images featuring people are incorporated into the mural.

A child wearing a white shirt stands in front of a wall decorated with colorful handprints and circular cutouts of people, reaching up to touch one of the handprints.

A smiling child stands in front of a wall covered in colorful handprints, reaching up to add a yellow handprint. He is wearing a white shirt with a design on it.

A woman in a red shirt holds a young boy who is touching colorful handprints on a white wall.