Carpe Artista is a Smyrna, TN based non-profit organization that promotes positive culture by developing arts communities and creatives. We do this by providing training, leadership development and community engagement opportunities that help artists of all genres reach their full potential in our core values of character, calling, craft and community. We also create and manage arts related classes, events, performances, exhibits and camps for local residents of all ages, interests and skill levels. Through our Carpe Academy program, we teach art skills in private, class and camp settings. An advanced career and mentoring program for high-potential creatives called Carpe Studio is currently in development. It will provide instruction in business, marketing, leadership, character and citizenship to High Schoolers and young adults wishing to pursue careers in the arts. To ensure the positive affect of our work, we use the following four core values to direct our actions and the design and delivery of our programs: - Character - showing morality and compassion to everyone in every way - Calling - using our creativity to positively change our world - Craft - pushing our creativity, commitment, and competence to reach artistic excellence - Community - positively serving, teaching, leading and entertaining our local communities and regions We also operate Carpe Cafe, our “coffee and more” cafe/performance space located in the Historic Depot District of Smyrna. The cafe acts as a hub for the organization, local artists and the citizens of Smyrna. It is the cornerstone of our community development efforts. Carpe Artista generates a portion of its operating capital through instruction and event fees. The remainder comes from individual and corporate donations, grants and fund raising activities. The Cafe operates as a separate and self-sustaining business.