Through Creatives Project In Atlanta, Artists Serve The Community

April 27th, 2015

Producer Gabbie Watts with Neda Abghari and Khurram Hassan

In the past decade, Atlanta has seen an explosion of arts organizations. BURNAWAY was founded in 2008. MINT Gallery and Whitespace Gallery were both founded in 2006. Dashboard Co-op, Flux Projects and WonderRoot were also founded to fill gaps in Atlanta’s art world.

One organization, the Creatives Project, was founded in 2011. It blends artist residencies with service. Artists receive subsidized housing or free studio space, and in return, they teach art in underserved communities.

In addition, the organization connects underused resources to people who would use them. Founder Neda Abghari says, “So many people want to give back, but they may not have dollars to give.” Instead, if a property owner has a space that an artist can rent or if a family has art supplies in their closet, the Creatives Project strategizes how to mobilize those resources.

Since 2011, the Creatives Project has engaged in a series of service projects. The CAPTURE project helps students document their own communities through photography and interviews. For another project, the artists went to Perkerson Elementary to design and create a mural with the students. The Do Good Project partnered the artists with local neighborhoods to beautify outdoor spaces.

“For our community to flourish, we need more of a connection between the arts and service,” says Khurram Hassan, the board president at the Creatives Project. Another objective for the Creatives Project is to make sure that art is accessible to every community.

The Creatives Project is in the midst of a new application cycle for artists. Along with housing for some artists in Adair Park and studio space at the Goat Farm, the artists are provided with tools and strategies to be effective art teachers.