See Beautiful Grant Applicant: Art in the Paint

The feature below is brought to you by Art in the Paint, an organization that is in the running to receive a See Beautiful Grant. For more information about our giving initiatives, please click here.
 
To learn more about the featured organization, please visit their website here.

Art can speak to you

Art in the Paint is a nonprofit organization that meshes art, basketball, and community support. Created by AR Cooper, a former basketball player and coach from Southwest Atlanta. Because of basketball, he has been able to see the world and experience beauty in all of the places he played and traveled. One thing that always stuck out to him in each location was the artwork and how that artwork united communities, celebrated cultures and encouraged positivity. Sports and art are both entities that bring communities together, which sparked the idea for Art in the Paint.

Art in the Paint works together to find basketball courts in communities that need a little love and attention. We then find artists that are ready to create and work with those communities to determine need and focus. The artist and a diverse team of volunteers from all over Metro Atlanta, of all races and cultures, work to install a unique mural designed specifically for the community at hand. We’ve had kids as young as 4 year olds and Grammy nominated producers show up and paint on our courts. These murals have images that are focused on inspiring positivity and change, images that are amazingly beautiful, and images that are designed to promote discussions of peace and improvement within that community and the world at large.

The basketball court then becomes the access point for Art in the Paint to promote physical activity and provide access to resources for the community. Courts are much more accessible, within walking distance for many of the neighbors. Our hope is that by bringing the resources and programs to the court, transportation and scheduling will become less of a barrier for the neighborhood youth and families to enjoy. The accessible central location allows our organization and partners to not only show people amazing art, but to also provide consistent hot meals, produce boxes for pick up, flu shots and COVID testing, voter registration, mentoring services, and many other necessities. Along with those amenities we work with the community to create and structure a basketball program for the youth that includes hot meals at practices and games, coaching mentors, and teams that encourage education and careers as well as strong characters and making positive choices. 

Messaging in art is very powerful and can close gaps in communities without any conversation. No matter what language you speak or understand, art can speak to you. Through our first three courts in East Point and College Park we have encouraged “Power and Peace”, “Changing Our Image,” and reminded neighbors to “Vote.” No matter where you are from originally, what race, culture, political belief, or religious ideas one has, they can find connection to the art and a smile just naturally follows.

The beauty of the artwork is just the beginning, the interwoven partnerships and programs that follow the installation allow us and the wide array of all within the community to see beautiful for years to come. We work to decrease the impact of food deserts and lack of transportation resources and really provide the neighborhood with what is needed to ensure their basic human needs are being met and surpassed. When finished with an installation we not only leave an amazing piece of art, we ensure that the people of that community know Art in the Paint is with them, and working to support them, forever. 

Submitted by A.R. Cooper

Executive Director, Art in thePaint