POVA IN THE NEWS: The East Nashvillian - New Program Teams Poverty and the Arts with Urban Housing Solutions

By: Randy Fox

A new partnership between two East Side non-profits aims to share the benefits of art ownership while assisting artists affected by homelessness. The Shared Walls Art Program (SWAP) creates a sponsorship platform for companies and individuals to purchase art work from artists associated with the Nashville-based non-profit Poverty and the Arts (POVA) while also supplying original art for low-income individuals or families moving into affordable housing provided by Urban Housing Solutions, Nashville’s largest nonprofit provider of affordable housing.

According to a joint press release, the program is driven by POVA’s mission to make the arts accessible to everyone. POVA Founder and Executive Director Nicole Brandt Minyard says, “We believe that art is beneficial for everyone, whether you are a family moving into your new home, or you are heading into your office each day for work. We’re excited to offer SWAP as a way to break down barriers through ‘sharing walls’ with our neighbors in need!”

A $500 sponsorship allows a company or individual to personally purchase original art by a POVA artist (valued at $250) while also purchasing another $250 work of art (tax-deductible) for an individual or family with Urban Housing Solutions, with POVA artists receiving a 60-percent commission on the sale. SWAP sponsors will receive a Certificate of Authenticity for their original artwork, a hand-written card form the artist, a photo of the sponsored piece in its new home, and recognition on social media, the POVA website, and at POVA’s annual Shared Walls event. For more information, visit povertyandthearts.org.