We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anton Traverso a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Anton, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

Navigating Uncharted Waters: New Art Agency’s commitment to Atlanta’s Creative Community

One of the most unexpected challenges in Atlanta’s creative industry is the ”assumed” shortage of skilled creative talent. As the demand for creative services surges(film, photography, graphic design, UX design, social media marketing, etc.), agents and directors often find themselves competing for a limited pool of designers, producers, and other creative professionals. The city’s rapid growth without a proper foundation for the sprouting creative workforce can hinder the ability of businesses to scale and meet marketing demands.

Atlanta’s creative industry often intersects with the film and music scenes, which can create unique intellectual property challenges. Ensuring that all creative work adheres to legal standards and intellectual property rights can be an unanticipated issue for creative talent in Atlanta who have the skills but not the knowledge to apply them at an industry level.

New Art is committed to solving the unexpected challenges that local creative talent have been made to overcome on their own, and have been faced with adversity. Creating content in a diverse city like Atlanta demands a deep understanding of cultural and demographic sensitivities. Missteps can have serious repercussions, making it crucial for brands and businesses to invest in the local talent and culture. Our solution is to provide premium services offered by specialized creative professionals, and deliver opportunities for fresh talent rather than stifle their growth. We must remain agile and adapt to these changing expectations, which can require substantial effort and resources. But by acknowledging the need for teamwork and addressing these issues head-on as a creative unit. New Art will continue to thrive and contribute to the city’s dynamic and ever-evolving creative landscape.

Anton, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Anton, I am the founder of New Art, and I am a first generation Caribbean-American, and that has come with its own challenges and perspectives. I was raised in a very family oriented environment and as a result my values are deeply rooted in family and community. As an artist, my journey began in high school with fine arts, then AP art, then almost to going to college for illustration before quickly benching myself to support my family and sick mother at the time. With my back up against a wall between being a care giver and supporting the household financially. I had no other choice than to become an entrepreneur and seek any chance I could to make things easier for my overburdened mother.

I was dedicated to making myself uncomfortable. I moved out of the house at 18 to focus on building Business and generating enough capital using my local resources in artistic ways that I was familiar with. Design, photography, creative direction, and branding, these are all things I studied in depth throughout school and YouTube university. I invested in myself intensely and booked studio time, tools, backdrops, makeup, wardrobe, and other resources to fill major production gaps on the typical production set. I then convinced neighboring creatives to come and work at my expense without any concern outside of showing up and doing what they’re good at. Makeup, Hair, Photography, Videography, all these aspects of production I researched and sought the right talent to build with and fully take advantage of this barter system.

This is how New Art was truly born. What was once a clothing line, turned magazine, had finally now become a full scale creative agency offering a variety of specialized creative skills with grace to all people and a new age perspective that the world cannot deny. I spent the last couple of years honing my skills at talent agencies, marketing agencies, and also just dedicating my personal time to developing my research and management skills. Every job I ever worked and every mentored experience I ever had, good or bad, provided me with valuable tools in order to be blessed with the team I have today.

At New Art we are nothing but grateful for each other and the opportunity to create. We believe in providing the support and care your vision deserves. We see the world and creativity through a lens of love, in order to set an example; That we are more than our disagreements, and we are limitless when united.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Our goal is to begin transforming areas of the creative industry, starting with Atlanta. In creative production there is so much burning passion that there is also burning jealousy, spite, and ridicule. We want creatives to behold New Art as a safe space and a testimony for how creative talent from our community can work together with respect, and maximize each others productivity through mutual collaboration.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I love to tell unique stories. I can’t even make this one about me because almost every artist I have asked this question to has said the same. As creatives we seek to tell stories with our art, we yearn to reflect something beautiful or mimic reality in very esoteric ways. A great artist once told me that the best art should make you uncomfortable. Maybe the most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative is telling a story so successfully that it invokes indescribable emotions within the beholder.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.new-art.us/
• Instagram: @newart.agency
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anton-traverso-810a95170/

Image Credits
Six, Shadow, Kaitlyn Adams, Dale Roberson, Knylah Fultz, Ameerah DeChaubert, Samurai Shy, Donte Shultz, Aiyanna Lovett, Easie, Anton Traverso