About Us

Artwork: “Chef Dinner” by Billy Wheeler

Our Mission

Integrating art and business for the benefit of the region.

Our History

We drive economic development by supporting creative entrepreneurs, especially those who combine art and technology to generate new businesses. To do this, we serve on local and regional committees, deliver creative entrepreneurship workshops, host listening sessions, gather data for the Americans for the Arts “Arts & Economic Prosperity” study, and create programming and events that strengthen both the visibility and the viability of creative entrepreneurships in our service area. Our goal is a robust, energetic community of creatives working together to increase both quality of life and economic opportunity in the region.

We have some wonderful partners! Since 2014, Create Appalachia (CA) has worked hand-in-hand with the East Tennessee State University (ETSU), the cities of Johnson City and Kingsport, TN, Sync Space, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), the Tennessee Arts Commission, and many others to provide support for creative entrepreneurs. We define this term broadly, including those who work in digital media, fine arts, culinary arts, film, photography, design and more. Makers in our region can benefit not only from our programs and events, but though the use of spaces carefully curated to meet their needs with special software and equipment.

Our two Centers for Art and Technology are located in Kingsport, TN (KCAAT) and Johnson City, TN (JCAAT). These spaces, designed as micro-enterprise incubators and professional development centers, offer affordable access to commercially licensed software relevant to those who work in digital media, film, photography, and design.

Want to know more about our Centers for Art and Technology? Click here for details.

OUR GRANTS

Appalachian Regional Commission
Tennessee Digital Communities Grant
SouthArts
TVA Marketing Grant
Tennessee Arts Commission “Arts Build Communities” Grant
USDA Rural Business Development Grant

By providing access to affordable co-working and business incubation space, professional development and entrepreneurship training, mentoring, and technical resources, we hope to mitigate the “brain drain” caused by the large number of skilled graduates that are currently leaving the region upon graduation due to the lack of highly-paid, skilled jobs.

We plan to incubate not only businesses,
but a thriving digital arts industry.

What We Offer

Our Footprint

The Create Appalachia Center for Arts & Technology serves the following counties in Northeast Tennessee, and in the adjacent states of North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky:

• Tennessee
Cocke, Hancock, Carter, Claiborne, Grainger, Greene, Hamblin, Jefferson, Johnson, Unicoi, Hawkins, Sullivan, Washington

• North Carolina
Ashe, Mitchell, Watauga, Yancy, Avery, Madison.

• Virginia
Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Wise, Grayson, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, Alleghany, Smyth, Washington.

• Kentucky
Bell, Harlan, Letcher

Testimonials

This was so, so helpful to me. I’m starting to get a direction/image of what I want my business to be, but this gave me so much of a framework to help develop it!