If you’ve been on social media at all, you’re likely already aware that today is North Texas Giving Day, the day that all the nonprofits in the area make a concerted effort to raise funds together.
At Easyside, we took this as an opportunity to dig deeper into our mission by interviewing artist and co-founder Adrianna Touch in her studio. In the video, she talks about her inspirations and reasons for making art, as well as the challenges she faces. Adrianna puts words to the financial struggles faced by emerging artists across the field.
We see a lack of resources for artists manifesting in many ways – a shortage of affordable studios, a lack of compensation for participation in shows and programming, and the realities of the gig economy, including adjunct work, which demands lots of time for little pay. Easyside is working towards a local art ecosystem that provides for artists and the communities they live in by bridging some of these gaps between need and creative output. The resounding feedback is that this could not come soon enough.
Our grand opening earlier this month was a HUGE success. We had over 100 visitors, and raised over $700 through donations and a silent auction (which was provided by several generous local businesses and artists). Long-time supporters came out to see our space for the first time, as well as many new faces from the neighborhood. We were super encouraged to make these connections and felt grateful for the level of support our community is expressing for Easyside.
Please consider donating today through North Texas Giving Day. We’ve received a lot of grass-roots support through the start-up phase of building out and opening our space. As we look ahead to the fall and our Artist Collective Residency at Arts Fort Worth, we’re looking to build up our sustained, recurring donations of any amount. Some added perks: we’ve promised sketches by Easyside artists to the first 5 folks who donate over $100 to Easyside’s North Texas Giving Day campaign, AND we’ll be making t-shirts for anyone who donates over $50 if we reach our goal of $2,500 by the end of the day.