ATLANTA MAYOR ANDRE DICKENS

PROGRESS

ARTS & CULTURE

MY VISION

I truly believe that the arts are an integral part of a thriving and diverse community. As Mayor of Atlanta, it's my goal to develop and support the artists of our city. I think that our children deserve the benefits that arts bring, like safety, a whole education, appreciation, empathy, and a future full of opportunities. The COVID pandemic had a devastating impact on the arts community, and I want to reinvigorate the creative economy. As Mayor, I’m using the resources of the City to advocate for the arts on behalf of the citizens, visitors, and artists of Atlanta.


My goals include making the arts accessible to everyone, supporting individual artists, ensuring equity in art funding and support, reinvigorating the creative economy after COVID, and cultivating the Atlanta arts community for future generations. I believe that we can achieve these goals through a plan that includes establishing an Atlanta Arts, Culture & Creative Economy Advisory Committee to the Mayor, establishing an Arts District Exploratory Commission, providing greater support for artists, increasing the annual grant-making capacity within the city's budget, and providing additional dedicated revenue streams for the arts.


I am passionate about the arts, and I believe that they are vital to our humanity, culture, health, and community. I want to ensure that the arts continue to thrive in Atlanta, and that artists have the support they need to create and flourish. I look forward to working with the Atlanta arts community to make our city a vibrant hub of creativity and expression.

MY PROGRESS

As Mayor of Atlanta, I am proud to say that our city boasts a thriving and diverse arts and culture scene that is supported by the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA). In 2022, OCA's efforts led to a fantastic year for the arts in Atlanta. We hosted the ELEVATE public arts festival, inaugurated the Hank Aaron mural and bust at Adams Park, created the Freedom Park Sculpture Program, launched the Night of Ideas, completed a $5 million public arts project to enhance the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Corridor, and much more. We also provided support to local artists through American Rescue Fund grants and Municipal Support for the Arts.