POVA IN THE NEWS: The Honest Consumer - Poverty and the Arts: Empowering the Homeless to Create

Behind the doors of this little blue house, lives are changed. Poverty & The Arts is a Nashville non-profit working with the homeless community to encourage creativity. Art and merchandise created by homeless individuals is sold, creating proceeds which go toward furthering the lives of these hardworking men and women.

After connecting with a homeless community back home in Kentucky, Nicole realized how creative the homeless community is. She noticed they use their resources in unique ways. Nicole brought her passion for connecting with the homeless to Nashville, when she started at Belmont in 2010. As a student worker, she planned community service events for the student body. She wanted to get Belmont students connected with the homeless population. After reaching out to Room In The Inn, they collaborated and planned an event. Belmont students came to Room In The Inn’s art studio to create art with people from the homeless community. The event was a success. By creating art this gave homeless individuals an outlet, allowing them to create something of their own.

As Nicole came closer to graduating, she wanted to turn her passion into a business. After a long journey, Poverty & The Arts became a 501(c)(3) in 2014. Poverty & The Arts is more than just an art studio. They are helping these artists learn entrepreneurial and business skills. For example, the artists at the studio are able to connect with customers, share their story, and increase sales. Artists receive 60% of the sale from original art and 25% from prints and merchandise. Poverty & The Arts offers installment plans, helps individuals open up checking accounts, and educates their artists on saving money.