Local Arts Organizations Launch Return of 'Atlanta Art Lives Here' Awareness Campaign

More than 25 metro Atlanta arts organizations have launched the return of "Atlanta Art Lives Here," a collaborative campaign raising awareness of the region's robust arts and culture offerings and their important role within the community.

The campaign unites arts organizations from a variety of disciplines in educating metro Atlantans about the breadth of opportunities to enjoy arts within the region. These organizations contributed more than $20,000 for the return of this campaign, increasing the number of media buys, amplifying its presence within the community, and more than doubling its reach for this second year.

"Atlanta Art Lives Here" launched in 2011 in response to unique challenges facing the industry, including weak public funding, decreased local media coverage and declines in audience attendance.  The successful campaign garnered region-wide support from the community at large, and 15 organizations are returning with a mix of new participants for 2012. The campaign is organized by AtlantaPlanIt.com, a service of Public Broadcasting Atlanta.

"Atlanta is home to an outstanding, resilient arts community," said Kimberly Harbrecht, Operations Manager for Atlanta PlanIt. "We want everyone to know that world-class performances, exhibits and programs are thriving right here in their own backyard."

Branding images and compelling, distinctive facts about the participating organizations communicate the campaign's message of "You Are Where the Art Is." Billboards and MARTA advertisements launch this month in addition to radio spots, print advertisements and a presence at community events. This expansion of advertisements would otherwise be unaffordable for many of the participating groups.

"Few individual theatres have the resources to compete against the staggering amount of entertainment options available today," said David Benedict of The Atlanta Radio Theatre Company, a small press audio publisher participating for the second year in the campaign. "We see how vital it is for organizations to pool individual resources to ensure the overall health of the whole."

The arts also have a significant impact on the overall well-being of Atlanta. In 2010, the arts generated approximately $300 million in direct economic impact and currently provide more than 62,000 jobs to people in arts-related business, according to 2012 reports by Americans for the Arts and the Atlanta Regional Commission. However, public funding remains one of its greatest challenges. State art agency legislative funding for Georgia has seen significant reductions in recent years, including a 25% cut from 2011 to 2012, and a forecast from the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies ranked Georgia as 49th in the nation for state arts agency funding per capita in 2013. 

This collaborative campaign seeks to remind Atlantans how vital the arts are to this community and encourage them to support their growth.

"We know how powerful collaboration can be," said Nancy Haber, Business Manager for Atlanta Chamber Players, a first-year participant. "Everyone benefits from this cooperative effort - arts organizations, audiences and the community alike."

For more information about the campaign, visit www.atlantaartliveshere.com.

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