Paint Love has selected six artists for its latest Artist Cohort — and for the first time, participants will earn a professional certificate in trauma-informed arts education upon completion of the yearlong program.
The Paint Love Artist Cohort, launched in 2022, supports artists working in schools and nonprofit settings across metro Atlanta. This year’s cohort was selected from more than 45 applicants. Each will participate in a yearlong program that requires 20 hours to teaching, 6 hours of youth mentoring and 15+ hours of professional development training and coaching to complete. A $2000 stipend is included.
Meet the 2026 Artist Cohort
The six artists selected for Paint Love’s 2026 Artist Cohort work across disciplines ranging from visual art and animation to dance, pottery and interdisciplinary teaching.
The cohort includes Meredith Eastburn, an artist and educator whose work centers on the expressive language of flowers; Michael (Quake) Edwards Jr. whose pastel, charcoal, and oil works blend nostalgic with bold visual technique; and Katie Hayes, an Atlanta-based artist and consultant whose practice draws on nature through pottery, basket weaving, and mixed media.
Also selected were Christina Hiroko Kelly, a dancer and choreographer trained at Kennesaw State University; Mirth Mains, a self-taught interdisciplinary teaching artist working across visual art, theater, and broadcast media; and Mikael Trench, an animator, writer, and educator and the founder of TriClops Films, a stop-motion studio based in Atlanta.
According to Mandy Noa, Program Director at Paint Love, the selection process underscored not only artistic skill, but a strong sense of service.
“This year’s applicant pool was an incredible array of talent, making the selection process especially challenging,” Noa said. “What stood out most was not only the dedication to each artist’s craft, but the giving hearts ready to serve their community. We were deeply moved by their shared belief that art is a powerful tool for connection and healing.”
Why trauma-informed arts education matters
The addition of formal certificate to the Artist Cohort program comes at a time when Paint Love has seen a shift in how institutions are approaching arts programming.
“The ongoing mental health crisis in schools and youth-serving nonprofits has made the need for trauma-informed creative practice more urgent than ever,” Noa said. “Paint Love’s work has evolved from supporting art teachers to receiving direct requests from school leadership and student support teams.”
Those requests, she said, often focus on building connection and resilience among students and families.
“It’s increasingly clear that the way we approach mental health must change — and art is a powerful vehicle for doing that work,” Noa said.
Past Artist Cohort participants have gone on to roles across metro Atlanta’s cultural and educational landscape, reflecting the program’s emphasis on leadership and applied experience.
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“To date, Paint Love Artist Cohort graduates have gone on to meaningful professional roles at cultural institutions across Metro Atlanta, includingLos Niños Primero, the Women’s Resource Center to End Domestic Violence, and Kate’s Club,” Paint Love Director of Philanthropy and Communication Robin Deutsch Edwards said.
For young people participating in Paint Love programming, the impact of the Arist Cohort is designed to be immediate and tangible. Cohort artists are required to develop and lead programming with Paint Love’s partners, offering students direct engagement with working creative professionals.
What the certificate offers artists
This year’s cohort also marks the first time participants will earn a professional Certificate in Trauma-Informed Arts Programs with Youth & Families after completing the program. The new certificate formalizes training Paint Love has been developing over several years.
“That means they’ll have an expertise, coupled with hands-on teaching experience, that they will take back out into the greater Atlanta community in whatever projects they pursue,” Noa said.
As the cohort begins its yearlong work, the program represents both an investment in artists and a response to the evolving needs of schools, nonprofits and young people across metro Atlanta.
