By United Way of Greater Atlanta
United Way of Greater Atlanta recently unveiled a new partnership with the artist community amplifying the importance of equity to improve child well-being. At United Way of Greater Atlanta, our North Star is to improve the well-being of children and families in the community, and central to that vision is ensuring that everyone, regardless of race, identity or circumstances, has the opportunity achieve their potential and gain economic stability.
According to The Public Library of Science, 85% of the works in the collections of all major US museums belong to white men. African Americans have the lowest share – just 1%. And a report based on data from the US Census and the American Community Survey found that 78% of artists earning their primary income from their work are white.
That’s why United Way of Greater Atlanta partnered with ComfiArt, an Atlanta company founded by Dionna Collins that empowers Black artists and artists of colors to create art while monetizing their work. Despite artists of color garnering more attention from the industry, only a small percentage of them can sustainably earn income from their artwork.
Through this mutually beneficial partnership, both United Way of Greater Atlanta and ComfiArt are expanding their reach in the Greater Atlanta community. Both organizations share similar values, so teaming up to create something new and exciting was a natural next step. “[The partnership is] connected to our work around economic stability, which is focused on building wealth for children and families in the Greater Atlanta region,” said Kim Addie, United Way of Greater Atlanta’s Associate Vice President of Place-Based Initiatives.
One featured artist, Marryam Moma is a Tanzanian-Nigerian collage artist who is currently creating in Atlanta. With her craft blade and through layers of paper and other mediums, Marryam created a cityscape outlining the 13 counties of Greater Atlanta, sharing…
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