Stories That Shape Us: Two Projects Amplifying Artist Voices

In a time when our arts and culture sector faces constant challenges, the stories of artists matter more than ever. Today, we’re sharing two powerful projects that remind us why artist voices are essential—and how you can be part of amplifying them.

Documenting Our Cultural Moment: A Zine Project

What does it really mean when we say “art impacts communities”? Destiny Moore, a graduate student at Northeastern University pursuing a degree in Arts Administration and Cultural Entrepreneurship, is answering that question through lived experience.

Destiny is creating a zine that captures the real stories of artists, cultural leaders, and organizations like collaboARTive. Not statistics. Not abstractions. The actual voices of people creating change in their communities through art.

Her project is a form of documentation—a record of this moment in our cultural landscape, told by the people living it. As funding shrinks, as artists struggle to find affordable space, as cultural institutions navigate uncertain futures, these stories become evidence. They become proof of why this work matters.

We’re inviting our artist community to participate. If you’re an artist with a story to share about how art has impacted your life or your community, we encourage you to complete Destiny’s survey: [Digitized Stories Survey]

Your perspective is part of a larger narrative about why artists are essential. Your story deserves to be documented and shared.

Art as Survival: Maxim Mirnov’s “I 765. New Life”

While Destiny collects stories of impact, artist Maxim Mirnov is living one.

“I 765. New Life” is a visual diary unlike any other. Each painting in this series represents a single day of Maxim’s new life in America after fleeing war in Ukraine. The title references Form I-765, the Application for Employment Authorization—the document that stands between a refugee and the ability to legally work, earn income, and rebuild a life.

For 278 days—9 months—Maxim lived in limbo. No documents. No right to work. No income. No support system. Yet every single day, he created.

Each canvas is a record of survival and artistic persistence during one of life’s most vulnerable transitions. The project’s visual language is intentionally minimal right now, reflecting the uncertainty and constraint of waiting for work authorization. But as Maxim gains full legal rights, the paintings will naturally evolve—richer colors, deeper textures, more energy. The work itself becomes a living documentation of transformation.

This is gallery-level conceptual art with profound humanitarian dimensions. It’s a testament to what artists do: they witness, they document, they transform their experiences into something that helps us all understand our world more deeply.

Maxim has launched an online exhibition where you can view the work and, if you’re able, support the artist directly. Supporters can receive an original painting based on contribution amount and canvas size.

View the exhibition and learn more: https://gofund.me/85d762c3e

The Thread That Connects Them

These two projects are connected by a common truth: artists have the power to document, witness, and transform their experiences into something larger than themselves.

Destiny is collecting stories that prove art’s impact on communities. Maxim is living that story—creating art as an act of survival, documentation, and hope during one of life’s most precarious moments.

Both projects ask us to pay attention. To listen. To recognize that behind every artist is a story worth telling, and that these stories collectively form the evidence of why art and culture are not luxuries—they’re necessities.

How You Can Help

Whether you’re an artist, a supporter of the arts, or simply someone who believes stories matter, there are ways to engage:

·      Participate in Destiny’s zine project by sharing your story through her survey

·      View Maxim’s exhibition and witness his visual diary of resilience

·      Support Maxim’s work if you’re able, and receive original art in return

·      Share these projects with others in your network who care about artist voices

Every action—no matter how small—helps amplify artist voices when they need to be heard most.

At collaboARTive, we believe that supporting artists means more than providing studio space. It means creating a community that listens, that documents, that witnesses, and that amplifies the stories of artists navigating this complex cultural landscape.

Thank you for being part of our community.

collaboARTive empowers emerging and mid-career artists by providing affordable studio spaces and fostering creative community in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. Learn more at collaboARTive.org.