They call me the Fairy Art Mother.
It’s a nickname I’ve earned over the past four years as the founder of ArtPop, an organization that turns average, ordinary streets into galleries lined with stunning, thought-provoking and inspirational works of art.
I started this because I have a huge love for artists and I want to be their voice. I also want to inspire our communities and cover our streets with art — because we need it, now more than ever.
Our cities and schools are starved for art despite everything we know to be true — that art is good for your brain, your children, your community and our economy. That makes supporting art and the artists who make it one of the most important things we can do.
So I created ArtPop in 2014 to ensure communities have never-ending access to public art, and that artists have the canvases on which to create it. Now, our 501c3 organization is active in 14 cities across the country, and we have provided more than 200 artists with an opportunity to showcase their work on a grand scale.
How grand? We’re talking billboards, buses, news racks and airports, which can cost advertisers anywhere from $30,000 to $70,000 annually. ArtPop works with outdoor advertising companies (a collection of profoundly generous businesses we love very much) to secure that space for free, giving artists a one-of-a-kind opportunity to showcase their work.
We are quite literally a street gallery: We turn roads, highways and thoroughfares into opportunities for artistic appreciation and discovery.
It takes a village to do what we do, and we would be nothing without our incredible board of directors: Lindsay McCleary, Shira Sagal, Caroline Rust Ward, Leonor D. Neisler, Laurie Garner and Marcia Mullins.
Or our dedicated volunteers: Too many to name, you know who you are and we adore you!
To Charlie Elberson & the Reemprise fund for investing in ArtPop and believing so strongly in our mission. There are no words for the gratitude we have for you. Thank You.
To Knight Foundation and The Columbus Foundation, Thank You!
Or you, our donors. We can’t thank you enough for helping ArtPop get where it is today, and we hope you will continue to support us as we work toward our ultimate goal: taking ArtPop deeper into more communities.
Enjoy your commute,
Wendy Hickey, a.k.a. The Fairy Art Mother