Everyday Heroes: Georgia couple encourages students through art, community service

Chris, born and raised in Detroit, has a background in music production. His wife, Ty, has a passion for working with children and graduated with a master’s degree in business from Kennesaw State University. They were determined to serve local youth in their community, which led them to create ARTportunity Knocks, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering students in the arts and encouraging community service.

Credit: Nichole Maxwell

Credit: Nichole Maxwell

Joshua Smith, 31, a music production instructor for the nonprofit, was once one of their students and remembers those energetic nights in the small apartment.

“Seeing them from almost 20 years ago … they are probably two of the most genuine, organic people I know,” Smith said.

It wasn’t just art that kept the students coming back. One important aspect of ARTportunity Knocks is food. Chris and Ty fed the students dinner out of their own kitchen every week.

“We knew that food would be another valuable commodity that we had to include in our program,” Ty said. “We saw how kids were having headaches after school before we started serving dinner.”

Some of their students were a part of Atlanta’s homeless population and it was important to the couple to support the students beyond art, including providing them with fresh meals.

“For some students, the only time they eat was when they go to school,” Chris said.

In 2013, Chris and Ty signed their first school contract with Atlanta Heights Charter School. Since then, the nonprofit blossomed and has served nearly 25 schools across metro Atlanta. They now offer both in-school and after-school programs as well as workshops, career development programs and summer camps. This includes a multitude of unique arts programs including esports, music technology and film.

London Brown, a fifth grade student, said her favorite part of ARTportunity Knocks is “all the fun activities to make friends and meet new people.”

“ARTportunity Knocks has been so phenomenal engaging kids emotionally, physically and academically,” said parent and teacher Lockett Brown. “My daughter before she came … she could not grow academically and socially.”

Brown said that through ARTportunity Knocks programs, her daughter achieved the highest achievement an elementary school student can make through the Georgia Milestones assessments.

The 2020 pandemic brought Ty back into the business as she brainstormed how to serve students during a time when no one could physically meet. She developed the program Steam n’ Meals. She asked families what they needed during the pandemic and the overwhelming response was food.

A lot of the parents of the students they served were essential workers. Chris and Ty developed a program in partnership with a local church to have distance learning pods for students whose parents still had to leave home to work. This program, which also partnered with Atlanta Public Schools, allowed students to meet safely in a congregated setting to do their virtual learning while their parents were at work.

“It provided a safe place for the students. It provided internet access because some of the parents didn’t even have internet access,” Chris said.

During the pandemic, ARTportunity Knocks also partnered with a struggling business, Supreme Burgers of Decatur and the driving service Lyft to deliver meals to the students in their programs. The food was delivered to the students’ houses once a week, totaling 500 students across Atlanta.

Since the pandemic, ARTportunity Knocks serves three elementary schools in Atlanta. The Woodses have future goals to further arts career development in high schools with their program Creative Careers.

HOW TO HELP

If you’re interested in volunteering or donating to ARTportunity Knocks, go to artportunityknocks.org.