At CHF, we often say that artists transform our communities. What do we mean by that?
Artists bring beauty to our world, call our attention to the issues of the day, and use their creativity to inspire us and get us to think, but they do a heck of a lot more than that. Their work has enormous tangible impact.
Here’s a Story That Proves Our Point
As Hurricane Florence barreled into the southeastern United States last month, all of us at CHF were concerned about artist Donna Lee Nyzio, one of our Accelerator Fellows who lives on the North Carolina coast. Thankfully, Donna and her loved ones made it safely through the storm, and her paintings survived as well, stored on higher ground before Florence hit. A week after the hurricane had passed, we received this message from her:
“I hire out my framing and photography work to maximize my time and capitalize on the skills of others so that I have more time to paint. Today, I brought paintings to my framer to get them ready for an upcoming show in Atlanta. When they saw all the work they needed to do for me, they shed tears of joy. Because of the storm, I represent most of their income for September. My business means that they’ll earn their rent and some additional income right when they need it most. It’s really nice to know that my work as an artist can support others, as well as myself.”
Artists Mean Business
Artists hire others, like Donna’s framer, to provide services and goods. They draw art lovers to their neighborhoods, where these visitors spend money—at restaurants, bars, cafés, and other local establishments. All of that spending creates jobs, spurs new economic development, and attracts customers and businesses who want to be where the artists are. Rinse and repeat.
We ALL benefit when artists thrive, but for that to happen, artists need business expertise and training. The entrepreneurial education that CHF provides through our Digital Learning Portal and Art-Business Accelerator makes it possible for artists like Donna to grow their businesses and weather the challenges that might otherwise derail them. We arm them with essential knowledge and a skill set that keeps them on track—powering their communities forward to a brighter economic future.
Artists already work hard. You can help them work smart by supporting CHF below.
Finding This Valuable?
Bring more with a gift of any amount. Even small ones help.
- CHF Gets South Florida Talking Art Business - February 18, 2019
- Comrades in Art—Accelerator Fellows Stick Together - February 12, 2019
- Elaine Grogan Luttrull—Making Budgets Exciting - February 12, 2019
- Blake Conroy—Grow Your Art Business Through Collaboration - January 25, 2019
- Calling Artist-Entrepreneurs to Our Nation’s Capital - January 16, 2019
- Congratulations to our 2018 Accelerator Fellows! - December 20, 2018
- An Inspiring Weekend of Art-Business Learning in Florida - February 4, 2019
- Rickie Leiter—Connecting Florida’s Art Community - January 2, 2019
- CHF Selects the Newest Class of Accelerator Fellows - December 4, 2018
- Adapting To New Markets by Redefining Genres—CHF Interviews Mian Situ - November 20, 2018
Create environments for living our best life. Stimulating, peaceful, meditative or thoughtful, art has been shown to increase our health and intelligence.
What a great story! I love to hear how artists contribute to the economy, and as shown here, so often in a way that impacts other small businesses. I am so happy Donna got through the storm!