In a shifting funding landscape, the Fulton Institute is doubling down on investment in the arts.
In conversations about economic development, the arts are often framed as an enhancement, something that makes a city more livable, more attractive, more vibrant. But in Atlanta, the arts are not optional. They are infrastructure.
At The Fulton Institute, we work directly with artists who operate as small businesses, LLCs, and sole proprietors, generating anywhere between $50,000 and $150,000 annually. These creatives are not just producing culture; they are driving local commerce, employing collaborators, contracting services, and reinvesting in their communities.
In the fine arts sector, we engage artists whose work sells for $45,000 or more per piece, yet many of those sales happen outside of Atlanta. That represents a missed opportunity. When local artists must leave their own city to access buyers and patrons, Atlanta loses both cultural and economic capital.
Our work is focused on changing that dynamic.
By creating platforms for artists to present, sell, and scale their work locally, from film premieres to performance series, we help ensure that creative revenue stays within the region. This strengthens not only individual artists but the broader economic ecosystem.
Under the leadership of CEO DuMarkus Davis, whose background is rooted in supporting small and midsize businesses, The Fulton Institute is intentionally aligning arts programming with economic outcomes. We are building a model where artists can thrive financially while contributing to Atlanta’s cultural identity.
The future of Atlanta depends on recognizing that artists are not peripheral to the economy; they are central to it.