Growing up, Ashley Gail Harris attended schools that could not offer visual arts programs. In 2015, at the age of 26, she founded Wide Rainbow to support other creative low-income kids. The mission was simple: to provide quality arts education through direct engagement with artists at zero cost to the community. She went door-to-door offering free arts programming, and enlisted a trusted network of artists, curators, gallerists, and museum directors to volunteer. She had one simple rule: the program should champion underrepresented women in the arts.

Over the years, we’ve had the honor of working with hundreds of career women artists, curators, authors, art professionals and leading institutions to help form direct connections with thousands of kids each school year. Our quality after school programs extend a creative lifeline in a safe, nurturing environment.

After an 18-month battle with cancer, Ashley passed away in 2025. Yet through her legacy of radical disruption, these extraordinary women continue to inspire our youth through their creative expression and unique ability to nurture creativity. Wide Rainbow is the organization it is today because of their unwavering support.