In a year marked by federal funding cuts and political reshuffling, many of Atlanta’s arts nonprofits are preparing for the ripple effects on staffing, programming, and community access. But amid the uncertainty, one local organization, Paint Love, is sustaining its mission thanks to timely philanthropic intervention.
Paint Love has been active in Atlanta’s creative ecosystem since 2014, delivering trauma-informed arts programming to more than 40,000 young people across the metro area. Its work centers on youth facing poverty, displacement, or grief, kids who often have the least access to creative outlets but the most to gain from them.
“Art is our vehicle,” says Robin Deutsch Edwards, Paint Love’s Director of Philanthropy and Communication. “But the soul of our work is showing children that their voice matters, their ideas are important, and their actions can make a difference in shaping the future.”
The NEA Pulls Back
This spring, Paint Love was among 80 organizations nationwide impacted by the suspension of the National Endowment for the Arts’ (NEA) Challenge America grants. These $10,000 awards are typically earmarked for small and mid-sized organizations serving underserved communities. For Paint Love, the grant was set to fund one-third of the budget for its Emerging Artist Cohort. This professional development program that trains Atlanta-based artists to lead trauma-informed arts programming for youth.
The NEA’s decision to cancel previously awarded grants follows two other major blows to public arts funding: Fulton County slashing its arts budget in half and the loss of COVID-19 relief funds, which have provided roughly 60 percent of Georgia’s available public funds for arts organizations for the past three years.
As Paint Love continues to navigate the challenges of fluctuating funding, the organization remains committed to its mission. “We rely on our community – from financial support to volunteer time – to expand our reach and sustain our mission,” said Shaw. “In uncertain times, art connects us, fostering healing and hope. Together, we can continue making the arts accessible across Metro Atlanta.”
Philanthropy Steps Up
Just as the Emerging Artist Cohort program faced an uncertain future, the Andy Warhol Foundation and the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation stepped in with emergency funding. Together, they committed $800,000 to support the 80 organizations affected by the NEA cuts.
For Paint Love, this lifeline arrived just in time. “Without this support, emerging artists in our cohort might struggle to develop and implement their projects, and our nonprofit partners could lose access to the creative programming that helps young people process emotions, build confidence, and envision new possibilities,” Edwards explains.
Building a Pipeline of Creative Leaders
Launched in 2022, the Emerging Artist Cohort is more than a training program. It’s a field-building effort equipping artists with the skills to lead in trauma-informed spaces. Over 18 months, cohort members receive training in Paint Love’s trauma-informed model, learn new skills, and receive expert guidance from Atlanta professionals on effectively engaging and creating deeper, more meaningful experiences for young people.
In 2024, cohort members served nearly 1,000 kids through partnerships with organizations like Camp PEACE, Catholic Charities at Indian Creek Elementary, Los Niños Primero, New American Pathways, Global Village Project, Kate’s Club, Trellis Horticultural Therapy Alliance, Wellspring Living, and Wilderness Works.
The 2025 cohort, which began in January, includes six new artists leading programs and mentoring high school students at Duluth High School on a STEAM project to design and paint murals on six stormwater drains.
A Call for Sustained Support
While emergency grants have provided a temporary reprieve, Paint Love’s leadership emphasizes the need for more sustainable funding models. “Many grants are project-based, and most funding is short-term,” said Paint Love Executive Director Laura Shaw. “Some local foundations have recognized the need for multi-year funding and give multi-year grants, which is so helpful for organizations like us who have extremely limited staff capacity.”
Shaw also highlighted the importance of general operating support, which allows organizations to invest in internal capacity and staff well-being. “Funding support in large amounts or multi-year funding have been the most impactful,” she says. “These larger gifts supported general operating rather than restricted funding, which allowed us to invest in our team and internal capacity.”
The Road Ahead
Paint Love is expanding its reach this summer by providing arts programming for Atlanta-area nonprofit organizations, including Los Niños Primero and the Women’s Resource Center to End Domestic Violence.