Explore Brookhaven: Cultivating Community Through Art and Culture

Social Impact Framework: Community Representation & Engagement

What is the issue you were trying to address?

Explore Brookhaven wanted to bring art throughout our community and reach a broader demographic segment of the city. 

What were the stated objectives of this initiative?

To make art easily accessible to Brookhaven visitors and residents while celebrating the creativity in our community, Brookhaven Art Pop-Up + Shop began featuring Brookhaven artists in a gallery setting where patrons could meet and discuss the works they were viewing.

Additionally, seeking to reach a broader audience, Explore Brookhaven partnered with the City of Brookhaven to bring an outdoor exhibition along the Peachtree Creek Greenway during the Brookhaven International Festival, a two-day event celebrating the city's diverse makeup through food and entertainment while providing access to health and wellness opportunities.   

What were the specific metrics you used to measure the success of your efforts?

The primary measurements used are the number of artists participating and overall sales at the gallery.

The outdoor exhibition of Cielo Tejido at the Brookhaven International Festival was a new initiative. The festival attendance and media coverage are our success measurements. 

What were the specific outcomes and results of your efforts?

The Art Pop-Up + Shop continued to bridge the gap between art and the community. Access to a gallery like this previously was not available. The number of artists displaying their work in the gallery increased from 20 in 2023 to 42 in 2024. The artists were pleased to have this space to showcase their talents, and the patrons expressed repeatedly how impressive the exhibition was. We saw the attendance at the gallery and the sales increased year over year. Moving forward, we look to increase the amount of affordable art and artistic formats.

The Cielo Tejido exhibition at the International Festival saw over 5,000 attendees during the two-day event, who would not have had the opportunity to see and learn about this art otherwise. The exhibition received coverage on both TV and digital broadcasts by WAGA Fox 5 Atlanta, resulting in over 8 million impressions, further reaching the targeted objective. 

What other best practices or key lessons can you share?

The city of Brookhaven created an Arts and Culture Commission. Because of our work with the Art Pop-Up + Shop, Explore Brookhaven has a seat on the commission. This has created additional opportunities for us, such as Cielo Tejido, to showcase art to the community. Explore Brookhaven is the driving force behind the art presented at the new Brookhaven City Centre in the first-floor public spaces and the multiple event spaces throughout the Centre. Our role in increasing access to and appreciation of art is vital to the fabric of the community. We forged a partnership with the Oglethorpe Museum of Art to exhibit pieces at City Centre from their immense collection that the public previously hadn’t had access to, furthering the objective of broadening the reach of art within the city. Creative communities enhance the quality of life. Explore Brookhaven is creating a cultural landscape for those who live, work and visit.