2$0N THE PRINCE
THRIVE REGION, 2022 - 2023
2$0N The Prince (aka Kourtney Brown) aims to serve love and life through art. The art he creates derives from his experiences and reflections. 2$0N’s artistic practice is to speak the truth and the truth always derails against the false narratives that poison our leaderships in the world. He sees the environments he’s in as places to exchange information—and to relate with someone through creativity is his way to exchange. 2$0N was born and raised on the Eastside of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Throughout his school experience he would express his talents the most through visual arts and music. His skills sharpened the most outside of the classroom. Coming from the inner city and walking the streets inspired his style for graffiti and Hip-Hop. Those street art forms related to his spirit the most and led him to a haven where he could expand even further. Rondell Crier who is the director of Studio Everything gave him a platform to perform his talents.
During his term with AAW 2$0N spent time with Alton Park community members to gain a deeper understanding of their perspective of the changes being made to the community through city development. His recorded conversations capture the generational variety of opinions and the need for organizations to be more personable in their community engagement efforts. 2$0N is working to create a virtual platform for local voices to be shared and remembered as developmental changes to the community continue.
CULTURE HUB
ArtsBuild’s mission is to build a stronger community through the arts. Since 1969, ArtsBuild has served as a catalyst for the arts in our community, investing more than $76 million in arts organizations, arts programs, and arts education. In 2020 alone, ArtsBuild infused $1.4 million into the local arts sector. Everything ArtsBuild does is focused on creating access to the arts. The organization does this through grant-making, arts education initiatives, and arts advocacy.
ArtsBuild serves as a champion for the arts. It aims to showcase the collective impact the arts have on its community, as well as the many ways that the arts improve our quality of life. As a hub for the arts in Chattanooga and Hamilton County, ArtsBuild leads and participates in community-wide discussions and strategies about how to cultivate support for the arts in education, local economy, and tourism. In 2021, ArtsBuild was a finalist for the United Way of Greater Chattanooga “Nonprofit of the Year” award.
For more information, visit artsbuild.com.
SOCIAL IMPACT INITIATIVE
The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. We were founded in 1972 on the conviction that all people need access to nature and the outdoors, close to home, in the cities and communities where they live, as a matter of health, equity, and justice. While many conservation organizations set aside wildlands for biodiversity or habitat restoration, our founders sought to bring the benefits of parks and nature to the places, people, and communities that needed them most.