HISTORY OF THE CREATIVES PROJECT:
Neda Abghari is a photographer, an educator, a historian, and an Atlanta native. After living in New York City, Abghari witnessed some of Atlanta’s most talented artists moving to other cities in search of more supportive markets, and often losing a bit of their Southern identity in the process. Watching this migration, she realized Atlanta’s need for a dialogue, to create a platform, to plant a seed that would help her own city's arts market to grow. In August 2007, Abghari returned to give back to the city that raised her, nurtured her, and gave her voice.
The Creatives Project started as a photo-documentary in Atlanta (the Atlanta Creatives Project). It was born out of a desire to show the rest of the world what Atlanta’s creative community has to offer. At the same time, the Project was developed to bring Atlanta's creative community together. "This city is full of artistic life, passion, movement, and yet there is a gap – a disconnect – between artists working in different media, neighborhoods, venues, and markets. Atlanta’s sprawling landscape and exploding population have created a gap between the artists and artistic communities that reside within our city. We live and breathe in pockets. We've heard each other's names and yet we do not know the work. Once we do, we may discover that we are each other's inspirations. For years, Atlanta has been home to many inspired individuals who enrich our experiences and everyday lives within the city. The project aims to put faces with the many names. All facets of the city's creative underground will be explored through this documentary. I aim to shed light on the talents Atlanta has to offer and in hopes of fostering the growth of a supportive arts market while strengthening the creative community as a whole. The beauty you are looking to find is already in your back yard. Ultimately, The Atlanta Creatives Project strives to be a never-ending visual history of our great city."
The Creatives Project has grown not only beyond the city’s boundaries to connect artists and communities across the country, but also to encompass Arts Education Programming and Artist in Residency Programs.
