City Grants Supports Takoma ARTery

The City’s Arts and Humanities Division has partnered with the Takoma ARTery to promote the work of local artists through a new online artist directory at takomaartery.com. The volunteer-led artist collective was organized during the COVID-19 pandemic to connect local artists and help them share their work with the public.

Artwork displays have filled storefront windows in downtown Takoma Park and at the Historic Takoma building at the Takoma Junction. The City’s Arts and Humanities Coordinator Brendan Smith also helped organize a previous grant to support the group’s start-up costs and its first art fair last summer outside the Takoma Park Community Center.

Takoma ARTery artists have reported not only sales but also a broadened sense of connection and support from other artists and residents, according to ARTery co-founder Eleanor Landstreet. “The financial and staff support from the City have helped transform the ARTery from an innovative pandemic-related arts project into a vibrant artist community, which is boosting the creative economy and small businesses run by artists,” Landstreet said.

The $1,100 grant will help pay for the creation of the artist directory that will feature artwork images, artist bios, and contact information. Artists will pay an annual fee to support the ARTery’s work and offset future expenses. Artists don’t have to be Takoma Park residents to be included in the directory and can email takomaartery@gmail.com for more information.

This article was featured in the May 2022 Newsletter. Visit the Takoma Park Newsletter webpage to see full list of past newsletters.