Artist Collective Program
Our Artist Collective program equips people impacted by homelessness with the artistic resources, training, and marketplace to gain financial independence and overcome barriers to employment by leveraging their creative talent to earn meaningful and legal income.
Daybreak artists earn 70% commission on original artwork sales and 25% on reproductions (merchandise) with their designs. Daybreak artists also earn income through teaching artist stipends, live painting, and intellectual property licenses. Daybreak Arts reinvests its portion of earned income back into the organization to continue to provide the space and resources at no-cost to our artists, establishing a sustainable social enterprise model.
Studio & Gallery
Our multifunctional East Nashville location along bus route #23 operates as a professional art studio and gallery space.
Our studio space offers artists impacted by homelessness a safe place to create and store their artwork, as well as peacefully explore the healing nature of art making. Our gallery allows us to participate in neighborhood art crawls, schedule art consultations with prospective customers, and host events throughout the year.
Artistic Supplies
We provide high-quality art supplies at no-cost to our artists. Access to high-quality art supplies increases the likelihood that an art piece will sell and allows artists to charge more for the piece.
Daybreak Arts currently provides supplies for the following art forms: drawing, painting, photography, jewelry, fiber arts, mixed media, sewing, and printmaking.
To organize an Art Supply Drive or make an in-kind donation, please email emily@daybreakarts.org
Training & Learning
Workshops provide our artists access to artistic and entrepreneurial training so they can gain new skills, discover new artistic mediums and passions, and meet local artists in the community.
Our program is further enriched by offsite field trips to museums, galleries, and artists’ studios, as well as sponsored independent learning opportunities like ABC’s Periscope.
Exhibitions & Marketplace
Our artists develop working portfolios, showcase works in the Daybreak Arts Gallery, and exhibit in local galleries and businesses in Nashville, TN.
In addition to consistent in-person exhibitions, artists can access our online marketplace, marketing platforms, and additional creative income opportunities like commissions, murals, and teaching so they can gain greater financial independence.
Artist Collective Impact
Through engagement in our Artist Collective program, Daybreak artists increase their artistic and entrepreneurial skills, produce marketable art, publicly display their work, and gain exposure to various career opportunities in the arts in order to earn creative income and increase their independence.
Our Artist Collective program strives to increase accessibility to artistic and non-traditional forms of employment in order to address barriers to income and stable housing. While we saw a slight decrease in art revenue and payments during our main pandemic year (2020-2021), with the help of our supporters last fiscal year (2021-2022), our artists cumulatively earned 64% more income than the previous year, while also earning more income than any other year prior.
Help us make an even bigger impact this year!
Artist Testimonials
Watch our Artist Testimonials video featuring Daybreak artists Bandy, Kateri, Edwin Lockridge, and Tré “Deuce” Ronin!
Video by Lisa Carrott @lisacarrot
Program Partners
Thank you to our partners who help us elevate our services and artistic programming!
