Meet Contemporary Art Alliance Of Georgia of Contemporary Art Alliance of Georgia

Today we’d like to introduce you to Contemporary Art Alliance Of Georgia.

Hi Contemporary Art Alliance, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
THE STORY OF CAAGA

In 2019, abstract expressionist artist Bettina Dickson Rusher moved to beautiful Saint Simons Island Georgia from the beautiful Lexington KY area. As she was getting to know the area better, she noticed that her style of art was hardly represented in Glynn County Georgia. Almost all of the local artists she noticed were creating coastal art about birds, turtles, marsh or beach scenes and most in a realistic or impressionistic style. Bettina was in search of other like minded artists and found a few abstract practicing artists within the first few years. In 2023, she began asking those artists if they were interested in being in a support group for modern art. Artists were interested at both the professional and hobby artist levels. Soon CAAGA was born. Initially we had two levels with Sustaining members and Associate members. CAAGA’s first website was up in spring of 2024 and our first launch exhibit was in the fall of 2024. We sold 14 pieces of art at our launch event! Soon it became clear we needed help with our growth and important decisions. We needed more of a formal business structure than what we had put in place. It was decided to form a simple 501c3 non-profit type since were we educating art enthusiasts on our abstract practice and we were collecting dues from members. We finished that process in the summer of 2025. Today we have five professional “creatives” and a governing Board of three wonderful people that bring expertise and resources to our organization. Our current members are passionate about creating art and are represented in major art hubs including Atlanta. They hold higher education degrees in the arts and / or are creative eutrapreneures, leaders in their previous careers and are visionary types, i.e. big thinkers. In April of 2026, we landed our first corporate donation of $25,000 and we were off and on fire! The goal was always to have a strong presence in our own backyard but also exhibit across Georgia and beyond. Here is our mission, vision and objectives :

OUR MISSION:

CAAGA’s mission is to foster, create and present abstract and contemporary art, particularly in our local communities where these forms are underrepresented. We are dedicated to artistic excellence and to supporting our professional artists working in non-traditional styles. We strive to support the art-loving public through exhibitions, educational programming, and shared dialogue. CAAGA is established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

OUR VISION :

To always continue to move forward and empower artist members to reach their full potential, celebrate differences, and embrace diversity. We aim to encourage a culture of uniting artists, art lovers and art collectors from diverse backgrounds.

OUR OBJECTIVES:

-To enhance and grow the contemporary art presence in our local community, regional area and beyond.

-To maintain our presence through live and virtual exhibitions, lectures, and gatherings.

-To organize and promote visits to art galleries, museums, and installations.

-To use our combined strength to encourage and support our art initiatives.

-To give back to our community through our talents, time and resources.

To partner with other non-profit organizations to help them reach their stewardship goals.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As a new organization, understandably we went through some growing pains in the first couple of years. In December 2025, several members chose to leave CAAGA. At the time, the transition was challenging, but with the benefit of hindsight, it became clear that it was the right path for everyone involved.

The separation mainly stemmed from differing visions for the organization’s future. Some members preferred a more informal, socially focused group with minimal organizational structure, where friendships naturally took precedence. Others envisioned CAAGA as a professionally governed arts organization, guided by a Board of Directors, clear standards, and a commitment to artistic excellence.

The members who remained were those who shared a common vision of building a professional organization dedicated to supporting professional contemporary artists. They believed that artistic quality, education, and professional development should be the organization’s primary focus. Strong friendships have naturally developed within CAAGA, but they have grown as a result of working together toward a shared mission. Looking back, the transition ultimately strengthened CAAGA by bringing together artists who were united by the same goals, values, and commitment to excellence.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Contemporary Art Alliance of Georgia?
I think the most important thing to know is that our brand is solid and we are here to stay. Also know we accept help! Please go to our website www.caaga.art and fill out the CONTACT form if you want to donate or volunteer. I am most proud of the people we surround ourselves with. We consciously keep company with positive thinking people who believe the world is our oyster. I am also proud of our community outreach. For example, we just gave a donation to New Roots Glynn, an organization that helps people recovering from addiction. Our donation is going towards art therapy for their clients in recovery. I want your readers to get to know us as individuals as well as a professional art alliance. For example one of our creatives, Dina Deason just launched a YouTube channel called Artful Living with Dina and another one of our creatives is working on his fashion accessory line which will be under the Gato and Grace Maison brand.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
For a long time I have had faith in God to direct my path. There have been many people over the years but these are the standouts: I asked artist Kevin Pullen early on if he would be our CAAGA Advisor and he accepted without hesitation. He now is on our Board. Also I would add my husband Jim, he has always been my cheerleader and I appreciate him so much and last but not least my mother always told me “you will prevail!” She gave me the confidence I needed especially during difficult times.

Pricing:

• In general $600 – $8,000 retail
• yes, you can mention pricing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.caaga.art
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• Facebook: Contemporary Art Alliance of Georgia