“If you are trying to build a community, you need the arts at the community development table.”
-Jason Schupbach, Former Director of the National Endowment for the Arts

Removing Obstacles

Creature Comforts is headquartered in the offbeat oasis of Athens, Georgia: the launchpad of world-renowned acts like R.E.M. and Danger Mouse, the hometown of artists Art Rosenbaum and David Hale, and the stomping ground of countless burgeoning creatives nurtured by the University of Georgia.

Despite this rich history and reputation, Athens has struggled to sustain the infrastructure necessary to support the development of its creative professionals. Recognizing the need to close the gap between what is and what could be, we launched Get Artistic in June 2018.

• The Problem: Complex problems demand creative solutions. But creative professionals often don’t have the support they need to contribute to community-wide change.
• The Solution: Removing obstacles to empower creative people to be the change they want to see in their community.

The Get Artistic mission is, simply, to strengthen Athens, Georgia’s creative community. Of the many ways to spotlight and support local creatives, we believe we are best positioned to invest meaningfully in the development of individual artists. 

Get Artistic is a year-round program that leverages the following resources:

1. Our Time: Participating in arts advocacy forums: CREATE Athens; Athens Cultural Affairs Commission; Georgia Council for the Arts
2. Our Space: Curating onsite exhibitions, performances, and arts enrichment
3. Our Money: Funding a rotating Artist-in-Residence program and DIY Fund for emerging artists

Since the program’s 2017 launch, we’ve invested $223,959 in the creative economy, $63,766 having been disbursed through either direct patronage, residency support, or grantmaking.