Our Story

Our mission…

…is to use the arts holistically as a way to bridge gaps and build relationships

Our purpose…

‍…is sharing stories through the arts—musical, visual, theatrical, all of them!—to build and strengthen communities. This may be through music festivals and events, visual arts training, and stage works. We love watching humanity blossom when artistic collaborations create a space for sharing.

High school music workshop featuring hip hop, musical theatre, classical & popular styles

Our story…

…began in 2022 with a two-year tour of the multi-media stage work, Songs of Hope: Unveiling Darkness. This work—shared on stages from New York to Vancouver—told the stories of individuals facing challenges in life. In addition to live performances, arts training events took place, sharing the arts with students of all ages—from middle school to college students. AiM continues to focus on arts training, especially for those who find such opportunities limited in their areas.

Individual music masterclass for collegiate students

What we do…

Education & training

We provide workshops, teaching programs, and specialized art training. Recent examples have included music masterclasses for university and high school students, presentations on art & society, and educational discussions that equip artists to communicate effectively with audiences.

Performances & artistic projects

Concerts, collaborative productions, premieres, and community events. A few examples include Songs of Hope: Unveiling Darkness, a recital at Carnegie Hall and many other venues across the country, and visual-art showcases.

International exchange

Cross-cultural partnerships, residencies, artist exchanges, and collaborative projects abroad. Recently, we have partnered with Afghan composer Milad Yousufi, Kurdish painter Harem Jamal, and, in 2026, AiM team members were invited to teach in two overseas festivals.

Community impact

Programs serving populations that may have limited access to arts education, visibility, or institutional resources. We have partnered with over 40 local and national organizations including the Birmingham Museum of Art (Birmingham, AL); American Voices (St. Louis, MO); The Cove (Waco, TX); The Day Worker Center (Mountain View, CA); and Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD).

Museum of art performance/exhibition featuring paintings by refugee visual artist Harem Tahir

Who we serve

While we are not limited in who we serve, most of the time you will find us working alongside

  • students & emerging artists of all kinds;

  • music educators;

  • local & global partner institutions;

  • communities with limited access to arts training;

  • audiences engaged through socially meaningful artistic projects.

Our values

Human dignity
Every person and community possesses worth, creativity, and a story deserving to be heard.

Artistic excellence
Meaningful service and high artistic standards strengthen each other rather than create mere competition with one another.

Access
Geography, disability, income, or institutional limitations should not exclude people from arts education, participation, and sharing their stories.

Collaboration
Lasting projects are built with communities and partners, not merely delivered to them.

Cultural respect
Inter-cultural work should be reciprocal, locally informed, and rooted in careful listening.

Carnegie Hall concert featuring works by Afghan composer Milad Yousufi

Accomplishments we’re excited about

  • raising funds for independent artists

  • providing artist equipment to local organizations

  • commissioning new compositions

  • multiple university residencies

  • ABC, NBC, CBS television interviews & NPR interviews

  • An invitation to perform a full recital at Carnegie Hall

  • multiple invitations to teach in Middle Eastern music festivals

Arts in Motion is a Tennessee-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.