Foundation – ALGIERS MUSIC & ARTISTS STUDIO

AMAS Foundation
Music, Art, Education & Culture

Our Plan for 2025

First, we want to thank everyone for the love and support they showed AMAS in 2024. With your help, we did some remarkable things for the West Bank community, on a shoestring budget!

We held twenty-eight jazz concerts featuring some of New Orleans’ finest musicians;
We hosted eighteen music and dance appreciation classes in conjunction with our partners at Little Stompers;
We hosted Old Algiers Main Street Corporation’s Annual Meeting Event;
We held one Community Environment Awareness Event;
We held two Art Exhibitions;
We held two Kid’s Art Classes;
We held three Book Signing Events; and
We held an all-day Back-to-School Celebration for the kids and parents to enjoy.

We plan on doing a lot more of the same in 2025, starting off with the community-empowering Vibe Check classes in February.

Don’t forget to check our Calendar regularly, because there is a lot in store for you in 2025.

Peace,

Kala

Our Mission

The AMAS Foundation is a Louisiana 501c3, non-profit corporation. It is a labor of love born out of a heartfelt desire to preserve and celebrate the rich history and culture of New Orleans.

AMAS empowers the underserved communities of the West Bank by fostering a vibrant and inclusive hub for music, arts, education, and personal development. By offering a welcoming space for artistic expression, skill development, and community engagement, AMAS helps bridge the gap between the rich cultural heritage of New Orleans and its future. With your support, we will ensure that every individual, regardless of background, has the tools to thrive.

We work to operate a thriving community center that fosters music, arts, education, and personal development. Our goal is to provide a safe, inclusive, and diverse space where artistic adults, people of color, musicians and artists can develop their skills, access resources, and engage with the community.

We will actively involve participants in community service projects and events, collaborating with local businesses, schools, and organizations to broaden opportunities and instill a sense of social responsibility.

The AMAS Foundation aims to achieve measurable outcomes that benefit the community, including:

Increased access to educational and artistic resources;
Enhanced community engagement and social responsibility;
Improved mental and physical health through wellness initiatives; and
Greater opportunities for skill development and personal growth.

Leadership

Executive Director

Karl “Kala” Roy

Kala has a 25-year history of success in the construction, real estate development and entertainment industries. He has worked across much of the Western United States, building and renovating homes in Maui, Hawaii; Los Angeles and Phoenix. He also operated one of the most popular nightclubs in Kihei, Maui for a number of years during the early 2000’s.

After spending significant time in New Orleans in 2012, he returned often, enamored by the area’s people and culture. In 2021, he donated his time and resources to contribute to rebuilding the community, post-Hurricane Ida. It was love at first sight for him when he visited the Old Algiers community, and he then decided to make it his home. Seeing an opportunity to establish strong community roots, he bought and began renovation on the historic building at 935-941 Teche Street. which is now home to AMAS.

Board of Directors and Advisory Committee

Director
Chairman of the Finance Committee

Director

Advisor – Regulatory Affairs

Steve Crane

Dr. Lisa Wineburg

Erica Falls

Sunni Patterson

Dr. Cherie Goins