Today we’d like to introduce you to Bridget McCarthy.
Hi Bridget, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Atlanta Artist Relief Fund started as a grassroots meal train effort and became so much more. A group of artist friends got together on March 12, 2020 to start making meals for other artists who were going to be in a rough spot because of the COVID-19 shutdown. After just a couple of weeks, the Atlanta arts and culture community donated over $15,000 and nearly 400 people volunteered to drive food, make meals, and call community members for mental health check ins. It was beautiful to watch. Since then, we have become a full arts and culture support agency, focusing on three main areas.
Direct support services mean that any artist or creative economy worker in the area can come to us and get health care, mental health care, rent support, dental care, legal services, or anything else regardless of their ability to pay. Our workforce development ensures that we are equipping a resilient creative economy with the tools they need to thrive, from mental health first aid to homeownership for freelancers, we are working hard to dispel the myth of the “struggling artist”. Finally, we cultivate accessible and quality arts and culture experiences for the community by employing artists to do what they do best: make our community more beautiful.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Of course not! Like every other arts organization in the city, COVID has presented huge fundraising challenges for us. We have had to evolve our strategy from a grassroots, volunteer effort to make something much more sustainable and long term. In order to make sure that we are here for the next decade, we have had to slow down our services a little bit in order to make sure we are around for years to come. We now have five staff members, more programs, and lots of expenses as we grow! Lucky for us, we have never been disappointed by our community.
Though there have been challenges along the way, the arts and culture community of Atlanta has always had our back, just as we hope to have theirs for years to come.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
There are 100,00 arts and culture workers who contribute to the creative economy in Atlanta: that’s over 1,800 unique occupation codes that encompass anyone from the administrator of an arts organization, the graphic designer at the bank, or the person who makes reeds for saxophones out of their garage. We view these folks as the backbone of healthy democracy in the community are committed to cultivating a vibrant community where arts and culture workers thrive.
If you love the arts as much as we do, we would love your support! Please visit our website to find out how you can help make Atlanta the best place in America to be an artist.
How do you define success?
Success means that anyone with a story to contribute, through whatever medium, can afford to live and work in this city.
Contact Info:
- Email: admin@atlartsrelief.org
- Website: atlartsrelief.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atlartsrelief
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atlartsrelief
Image Credits
Robert Mitchell
Owenby Photography
