POVA IN THE NEWS: NewsChannel5 - Art studio gives opportunities to those living in poverty

Artists receive 60% of the money their work sells for.

AUTHOR Bo Evans

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- When you think of Nashville, you think bright lights and big music.

Poverty is not part of its image.

“There’s so many creative people that never get a chance to do anything with it. You’re too busy trying to survive, trying to eat, trying to stay alive,” said Chris Bandy, an artist.

But poverty does exist in Nashville, and the rest of the U.S. At a house on the east side of the city, some of those living on less are doing a little more.

“I’m doing what I was meant to be, you know, being a practicing, creative artist,” said Kateri Pomeroy, a Nashville artist.

She uses the studio space at Poverty for the Arts.

Pomeroy and her husband Sam are two of the first artists to join POVA, as it’s known. Sam was finishing up a wood sculpture he’s been working on.

POVA was started by Nicole Minyard as a way to help people who didn’t have access to art supplies and studio space.

“I really saw the breadth of talent so many people on the streets had, and I would get questions like, ‘how can I get my art in a coffee shop?’ or ‘people see me drawing on the street every day, how do I get it to them without a cop pulling up and stopping me?’” said Minyard.

Minyard provides the space, and the supplies for people who want to create art and she helps them sell it. POVA pays artists 60 percent of the selling price. They reinvest the other 40 percent into rent and supplies.

“In those five years since we’ve started, we’ve served over 75 different artists and we’ve paid out over $35,000 to artists on the street,” said Minyard.

The program gives exposure for artists who otherwise wouldn't have it.