The Forward Warrior Mural Project has been popular and well-attended, but we constantly try to invite artists from under-supported areas, and aim to attract audiences from areas that may not have the space or resources for large scale murals. Always welcoming more hearts and minds, Forward Warrior is strongest when our artists are diverse and proselytize in their own circles.
Traditional media and social networks have been consistently loud advocates, and we also invite local publications to press previews & events. Peter was recently featured on WABE Coffee Conversations with Rose Scott, and that sort of media attention is just our speed & style. As we grow, a better communications network and Public Relations volunteer staff will be increasingly necessary to expand our mission of inclusion and outreach, with careful control of our external relationships and associations.
In 2019, we partnered with the adjacent neighborhood of Reynoldstown to cross-promote with their annual fundraiser, the Wheelbarrow Festival. We also recently began discussions with Miranda Kyle at the Atlanta BeltLine Art Program and Jenny Odom with BeltLine Marketing to work towards greater cooperation with promotion.
We are also working with Art Ruddick of Atlanta’s StreetArtMap.org to launch a special campaign for 2020 that will hopefully bring together Forward Warrior, Living Walls, and Outer Space, among others, to mutually celebrate the street art movement in the metro region, and join together to educate a national audience about Georgia’s community of public arts professionals. We believe we are on the right track for healthy, sustainable growth, and look forward to cooperate with more arts organizations for the greater good.
For purity of message and to preserve our goodwill, trustworthiness, and sincerity, we have eschewed corporate marketing proposals and advertisements. We have developed clear protocols for reducing branding opportunities and keeping sponsor logos or activations compartmentalized into rigid parameters. We don’t allow trademarks or brands in the artwork, nor near the wall (e.g. no permanent plaques or “sponsored by” language). Event banners and volunteer shirts are the only temporal opportunities to thank our generous supporters. Similarly, we do not purchase advertisements or promote social media posts.
