The Children’s Art Carnival opened its doors on March 17, 1969 in the historic Hamilton Heights neighborhood of Harlem under the inspired leadership of artist, activist, and educator Betty Blayton-Taylor. Originally conceived as an outreach program of the Museum of Modern Art, Blayton-Taylor later established CAC as an independent not-for-profit organization in 1972 and began operating from its current base at 62 Hamilton Terrace.

From its inception, CAC fulfilled a critical need within the Harlem community, fusing novel educational approaches with creative art disciplines, including sculpture, painting, photography, comics, figure drawing, and filmmaking. Throughout the decades, CAC fostered a positive environment for underserved youth, provided countless young people with a strong foundation rooted in the visual arts, and became a source of innovation for vanguard ideas in the field of education. The organization has also been home to emerging and established artists, educators, museum personnel, and representatives from local, national, and international cultural institutions.

After the death of Blayton-Taylor in 2016, CAC began a period of transition. The organization is currently re-establishing its programming through workshops, art exhibitions, open houses, and partnerships with community-based organizations. CAC is also developing a new track of arts services that place the individual artist at the center of its work, and will support and nurture the development of emerging artists as key to the development of its educational, outreach and workshop offerings in the future.