Planning & Challenges
- Artistic & Organizational Goals
- Plan Development
- Strengths and Limitations
- Economic, Demographic, and Community Factors
The goal of Forward Warrior is amazing & entertaining, engaging youthful energy, free expression of individual artistic voices with attention to uplifting marginalized peoples, and inspiring those lost, alone, or forgotten. We hope to continue an ever-rotating mural that delights and educates over many years, placemaking a destination for dreamers and lovers and those who hope to hear and be heard.
The plan was developed with the participation of over 100 artists, across the span of several years, and continues to grow. We learn from each other, and have coalesced into a strong camaraderie of visionaries working together to build a larger community of peace and understanding through visual art.
Volunteer staffing is a challenge, and we hope to grow into an organization that might be able to hire support staff and create greater economic opportunities within the arts.
Our biggest limitation is funding. Painting supplies are generally easy to obtain, but scaffolding, permitting, and security are large expenses. We would also like to increase our ability to reach new artists and attract painters from underserved communities, including providing assistance with transportation costs for those who may have difficulty participating.
Our primary demographics are white, African American, and Latino. Artist participants are usually between the ages of 20 and 60, with the median hovering around 25 years old. In 2018, more than half participants were women. In 2019, more than half participants were people of color.
The audience is difficult to quantify, being a subsection of Atlanta BeltLine traffic, but estimated to be 60% white, 30% African American, and 10% Latino. Cabbagetown, Reynoldstown, Inman Park, Grant Park, Old Fourth Ward, Little 5 Points, East Atlanta, Kirkwood, Oakhurst, and Edgewood are the closest neighbors for pedestrian visitors, but the Cabbagetown Historic District is itself a popular tourist destination (in no small part due to the presence of the Forward Warrior mural).
Forward Warrior strives in its messaging, membership, and marketing to exhibit a welcoming and inclusive spirit. We hope to increase the accessibility for those with limited transportation opportunities, and look forward to public transit solutions that serve traditionally isolated regions and connect the city & region with workforce mobility.
