At the end of last week, resident studio artists at MINT Gallery received unexpected and upsetting news: the gallery’s physical location at MET Atlanta in West End was set to close, and all artists would need to move out of their studios in just eight days.
MINT Gallery has been a cornerstone of the local art scene since it first opened in 2006. Founded by undergraduate students at Georgia State University as a space for emerging artists to exhibit their works, MINT has since showcased more than 2,000 contemporary artists through exhibitions, workshops, and programming such as their LEAP year fellowship.
Since 2021 MINT Gallery has had three executive directors, which is a high turnover for such a crucial role within the organization. The previous executive director’s last day was May 3, and records show that the rent has not been paid from May to August of this year.
On July 29, BigMet Project Owner, LLC filed a claim with the Magistrate Court of Fulton County that lists $41,617.66 in past due rent.
One of MINT’s studio artists affected by this closure spoke with Rough Draft but asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation. This artist shared the confusion and worries experienced by all resident studio artists as well as LEAP Year Fellows who just moved into their studios within the past several weeks.
The question remains if studio artists who just paid rent at the beginning of August will receive their security deposits back, and the future is uncertain for LEAP Year Fellows who are owed stipends in addition to subsidized studio space.
Expressing feelings of disappointment in the way this has been handled and the lack of transparency about MINT’s ongoing financial crises, studio artists are now scrambling to find new spaces.
It appears that MINT has not received essential grant funding, which would have helped keep the doors open. On July 13, the gallery hosted its EngageMINT fundraiser event, which raised $13,000. However, that fundraising effort was not nearly enough to pay artists and cover overdue rent.
As is the case for many arts nonprofits operating in Georgia, there’s a distinct lack of support from the government level down for organizations such as MINT. The state has consistently ranked among the lowest in the nation for government arts funding, with a National Assembly of State Arts Agencies report listing the per capita amount as a mere $0.06 per person for the fiscal year of 2025.
According to an inside source from MINT, the gallery’s rent has increased each year. MINT’s rent for its space currently sits at $11,950 a month.
The lack of publicly available information regarding MINT’s closure has artists, and the artistic community, feeling blindsided by the news.
“Georgia is just not a huge art market to depend on sales for art,” said Britt Sadé who took on the role of Gallery and Program Director on June 1 of this year. “What I needed to know was that there was no money. We were told that there were grants coming in, that was not the truth. Those were the things that set us up for disaster.”
Sadé officially resigned from her role on Monday when the board informed her that she would not be allowed to speak during the meeting with studio artists concerning reimbursements. She declined to attend the meeting as a result.
There has been a marked decline in tenant-occupied spaces at MET Atlanta in recent months, and there is speculation that the company plans to sell the entire property. There are currently more than 20 vacant studios at MET.
Rough Draft reached out to Carter, the Real Estates Development company that handles MET Atlanta, for comment on the closure of MINT and the potential sale of the property.
“The MET has not received notice from MINT about a potential departure or closing, and our company policy is not to comment on market rumors or speculation,” said Cathryn Houchins, Vice President of Carter.
Sadé’s LET GO, A Releasing Ceremony event was canceled, and instead the artists have coordinated their own event in its place this evening. Head over to 680 Murphy Ave SW Suite #2095, Atlanta, GA 30310 today, Sat., Aug. 17 from 6-9 p.m. for “Last Call.”
A group of “Atlanta-based cultural workers” released a statement of solidarity with the displaced MINT Gallery artists crafted to gather community support for the affected artists. Read the full statement at this link and add your name to the call for action.
Former MINT studio artists have organized a GoFundMe to help offset the costs incurred by resident artists who had to abruptly move out last week. They hope to reach their goal of $9,500 through community contributions.
MINT Gallery has also posted an official response to the closure. In the text – presumably penned by MINT’s board members – the decline in post-COVID arts funding, changes in leadership, inflation, the loss of major donors, and an inability to establish a payment plan with the MET are listed as reasons for the organization’s financial predicament and the closure of MINT Gallery.
“While we regret the short notice provided to our studio artists, we acted swiftly to ensure their property was protected and could be safely relocated,” the text reads, indicating that the organization intends to continue their programming without a physical space.
It is worth noting that several pieces were reportedly stolen from MINT over the course of the last week according to posts on social media. Affected artists are listed as Alexis Jayde (@byalexisjayde), Tyler Im Outta Film (@imouttafilm), Lexi Moon (@leximoon), and Lindsey Kiesgen (@linzylinz_) on Sadé’s Instagram post.
This is a developing story that will be updated as we receive additional information.
