Our Story
Cole Arts was founded on principles built by family bonding. Before there were classes there was a living room filled with rhythm, movement, and imagination. Doug and Zezé encouraged André’s innate desire to dance, drum, and perform before he could even walk or speak. What started as playful moments became a daily ritual and a way of connecting, expressing, and growing together as a family. That spirit continues to drive Cole Arts.
Doug Cole has spent decades as a 4th grade teacher, telling stories to his students just as he did to André at home. He founded the talent show at St. Paul’s Elementary, creating a space where students could step into the spotlight and discover their voice. André grew up inside that tradition, performing each year drumming, dancing, and exploring what it meant to express himself through art.
Long before after-school programs became what they are today, Doug was already building them. Through his drama camp, he guided students in producing full theatrical works — memorizing lines, developing characters, building sets, and performing complete productions. For over 30 years, he has led with the belief that creativity is not separate from learning, but essential to it — not just STEM, but STEAM — shaping confidence, communication, and lifelong skills.
Zezé Cole brought that same depth of care to early childhood. As the founder and director of Narnia Playhouse, she created a nurturing environment for young children rooted in creativity, curiosity, and emotional connection. Her programs blended arts and crafts with music, movement, and her Brazilian cultural roots, often bringing in guest teachers to expand what children could experience — from capoeira to live music.
Cole Arts is the continuation of that life — an expansion of a family-rooted approach to education where creativity, play, and expression are deeply intertwined. Our team is not just a group of instructors. We are a family of educators and artists with over a century of combined experience, bonded by a shared belief in the power of the arts to shape who we become.
This is not something we built overnight. It is built from lived experience, from tradition, and from a lifelong commitment to helping young people discover themselves through creativity.
After-School Enrichment Programs: We partner with Bay Area schools to provide creative movement, storytelling and visual arts classes that integrate social-emotional learning and cultural history.
Community Events: Free weekend events for families showcasing stage performance, storytelling, and intergenerational creativity. Original student and faculty-led acts that merge dance, music, and storytelling, highlighting diverse cultural influences.