From December 2 to 8, 2018, help the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) celebrates Americans for the Arts’ inaugural National Shop Local Artists Week during our annual Holiday Show and Sale at Chastain Arts Center and Gallery.
Beginning as a local initiative created by the Northshore Cultural Economy Coalition in 2016, National Shop Local Artists Week encourages cultural supporters to join together to promote the purchase work created by local artists. The week-long celebration promotes art as a holiday gift —including tickets to events and organization memberships!
Outlets like Chastain Arts Center and Gallery’s annual Holiday Show and Sale allows some of Atlanta’s most talented artists to exhibit and sale their work. The Show and Sale also helps support the City’s booming arts and cultural economy, which accounts for more than 60,000 jobs across multiple creative sectors in metro Atlanta.
“Chastain Arts Center is a place for emerging artists to showcase their work in our gallery and for aspiring artists to learn how to create art for themselves, “ said Karen Lowe, Chastain Arts Center and Gallery’s manager and curator. “The annual Holiday Show and Sale allows us to showcase the art of our instructors and students on an annual basis.”
According to a 2015 report from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis, arts and cultural economic activities account for more than $700 billion of the United States’ gross domestic product. This demonstrates that the arts are a valuable business asset with significant financial benefits.
The value of the arts and cultural economy is particularly significant to metro Atlanta. As detailed in the Americans for the Arts’ 2017 Creative Industries report, the city of Atlanta has approximately two times the number of arts-related businesses and jobs than the national average.
During this holiday season, the OCA encourages all arts and cultural supporter to invest in the city’s budding arts and cultural economy by purchasing a unique, handmade gift or attending one of the amazing cultural experiences presented by the City’s many arts organizations. Your support will go a long way in growing Atlanta’s arts and cultural economy.
For more information about National Shop Local Artists Week, visit www.ShopLocalArtistsWeek.org.
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