Backstreet Arts: Where creativity and community meet

Written by LISA GENTRY | Photographed by BETH NEELY

Kim Ramey keeps things running smoothly and always has plenty of coffee, snacks and art supplies on hand, not to mention Pip, who encourages artists to do their best work.

“A place where everyone is welcome” is what Kim Ramey had in mind when, in 2015, she started Backstreet Community Arts, commonly known as, simply, Backstreet Arts.

Her inspiration to create such a space, she says, grew out of a combination of anxiety and depression.

This honest self-reflection was something she knew many others faced as well. So, after visiting art therapy spaces across the country, Ramey opened Backstreet Arts in Newnan as a place with a simple philosophy: Come as you are. No judgment. Just art.

The mission of Backstreet Arts is to provide a
safe and inclusive space to experience the healing power of art and creativity, according to the nonprofit’s founder.

Located at 19-B 1st Avenue, just behind LaGrange Street in downtown Newnan, Backstreet Arts became an official nonprofit in 2017. Inside, visitors find a fully functioning art studio – a respite workshop where people can relax, create and feel at ease.

Walk into the studio and you’re greeted by cheerful voices and a steady stream of upbeat music, including songs that make you want to sing along. People from all walks of life share tables, art supplies and conversations that often turn into life advice you never knew you needed, according to Ramey, who operates the nonprofit with dedicated volunteers and a small team of employees.

One of those employees is Faith Farrell, a local artist who’s spent much of her life creating art for TV and movie sets. She was intrigued with Backstreet Arts after complimenting a woman’s leather bag and being told, “I made it!”

Curious, Farrell soon visited the studio.

“I was welcomed home to a home I didn’t even know I had,” she says.

The artist began her partnership with Backstreet Arts as a volunteer and eventually became an employee after retiring from the film industry. While her artistic talents span many mediums, painting is her focus. She helps patrons not only create art but also form meaningful connections.

“Everyone has a story here,” says Farrell.

One of the biggest advantages of Backstreet Arts is that it’s completely free. All supplies are provided, and Ramey is adamant about never asking visitors for donations.

“I want all kinds of people to be able to get together and make art with no limits,” she says, stating the one rule she enforces at Backstreet: “You do art. You don’t just watch other people do art.”

Mike Stillman tunes up his banjo. Stillman, a veteran, heads up leatherworking classes at Backstreet Arts.

Backstreet offers a wide range of creative opportunities, including a leatherworking station where visitors can create their own items, similar to the leather bag that inspired Farrell to check out the studio. Other options include watercolor, oil painting, printmaking, jewelry design and art journaling. There’s a sewing area for those who want to learn or practice using a sewing machine, and ukulele lessons are available. The variety of activities ensures that there’s something for everyone, according to Ramey.

Another cherished feature of the studio is the Heart Wall.

“It began as a gentle way to welcome newcomers,” says Ramey. “When someone visits for the first time, we invite them to paint a small heart. It’s a simple and familiar shape. When they paint, they get a feel for the space. Their hearts are then added to the collection.”

Over time, the wall has become a colorful reminder of how many lives have passed through the doors.

Trauma can affect anyone, according to Ramey; no one is immune. For many people who carry something heavy, Backstreet Arts offers a place of solace, she says.

“When you walk through the doors, there’s a certainty that within these walls, you are safe,” she adds. “Everyone is welcome, and no one is turned away based on their ability to afford supplies.”

When visitors leave the studio, the hope is that they feel a little less weighed down with less worry, stress, anxiety or whatever burden they carried in with them, according to Ramey.

“Our volunteers and participants don’t tell tidy stories,” she says. “Coming to Backstreet is often part of a larger process – one that may also involve therapists, support groups and rehabilitative care.”

For many Backstreet artists, having no-cost access to creative resources is an essential part of emotional wellness, according to Anne Write-Cunniff, office manager at Backstreet.

“For several of our participants, it’s truly a lifeline,” she says, mentioning one longtime volunteer, a Purple Heart veteran, who learned to leave his stress in his art and make room in his heart for the warmth of camaraderie.

1. Sara Pace teaches mixed media, junk journaling, sewing and beading at Backstreet Arts. “People here are so nice,” she says. “It’s cheaper than therapy. It’s home.” 2. Art is the heartbeat of all that’s done at Backstreet Community Arts. 3. Faith Farrell, one of Backstreet’s dedicated volunteers, puts a finishing touch on a painting for the annual HeArt Jam fundraiser. 4. Visitors are invited to paint a small heart that’s added to the heart wall collection, which has become a colorful reminder of how many lives have been touched at Backstreet Arts. 5. Pip, the giant golden doodle, is a mainstay among artists and volunteers. 6. You name it, you’ll find it, when it comes to inspiration at Backstreet. 7. Whether it’s a cup of coffee or a plethora of art supplies with which to create, all are readily available at the downtown Newnan space. 8. Emily Stumbo, left, was invited by her friend Elaine Bronstein to join in the fun and fellowship offered to Cowetans at Backstreet Arts. 9. Art saves lives.

Every medium offers distinct benefits: Collage can spark language when words don’t come easily; felting generates a meditative, gentle rhythm; and sewing provides both a sense of accomplishment and a practical path to cost savings.

“At Backstreet, we believe art should feel enjoyable rather than transactional,” says Write-Cunniff. “We encourage participants to focus on the process itself – and to resist the impulse to compare their work with others’.”

Beyond the creativity it affords, Backstreet Arts has become a quiet anchor in the Newnan community. For many, it offers routine, a reason to leave the house, a place to belong, and faces that become familiar over time, according to Ramey.

“The studio encourages conversation but never demands it,” she says. “Silence is just as welcome as laughter.”

Some visitors come once; others return week after week, slowly building confidence both in their creativity and in themselves, according to Ramey.

In a world that often feels rushed and isolating, Backstreet Arts stands as a reminder that healing does not have to be complicated. Sometimes, it begins with paint, music and an open door. NCM