Nonprofit Art Studio Changes Lives
“We believe that art saves lives… because it saved mine,” says Backstreet Community Arts Executive Director Kim Ramey. Her personal journey of coping with depression and grief by practicing the arts led to the founding of Backstreet, a nonprofit providing free art therapy in Newnan.
All adults who would benefit from the healing power of art and community are welcome at the studio, but Kim specifically looks to reach those struggling with substance use issues and addiction.
While volunteering at a local food pantry, Kim shares information about her studio’s program with those in need. Many of these adults who have experienced trauma, illness, or grief are either veterans or homeless. Without a knowledge of or access to the proven healing power of art, they live unaware of the peace that can be found in the art community.
Lack of experience in the arts can feel intimidating to new participants. Kim’s hope is that people immediately feel safe and welcome when they enter the studio. Backstreet prides itself in its ability to create a comfortable, non-intimidating, and inclusive atmosphere.
From painting, leather working, jewelry making, knitting and crocheting, to learning to play the ukulele, participants can try an abundance of different art mediums. At Backstreet, students are free to find the artform that best suits them regardless of their experience or ability to pay.
These new artists learn that they can set a goal of learning new skills and accomplish it at any age. Successfully creating a new piece of artwork immediately boosts self-esteem and validates a renewed confidence in their abilities.
Expression of difficult and complex feelings of pain are at times beyond language. Thoughts of mental and spiritual stress can get stuck internally circulating without a method of escape. Seeing these nonverbal thoughts displayed as a physical object outside of the ‘self’ allows artists to see their own emotions from a new point of view.
People from all walks of life sharing in this creative process without judgement becomes a community, helping to reduce the feelings of isolation and disconnection that often accompanies mental illness.
Kim likes to say, “When our hands are busy, our stories come out. When we share our stories and feel heard by our peers, it builds real understanding between people.”
As a charity, Backstreet is powered by the generosity of the community. A $5,000 annual grant from Clothes Less Traveled Thrift Shop has provided the funds for operational necessities, allowing the art studio to provide support to even more participants. The studio can now serve 55 participants per week on average and has introduced nearly 200 unique participants to their program since receiving the grant from CLT.
CLT proudly supports Backstreet Community Art’s efforts to make the arts more accessible and improve the mental health of our local community.
Visit their website to learn more about Backstreet Community Arts.
If you lead a nonprofit in Fayette or Coweta County, you can find information on qualifying for a CLT grant on our eligibility page.