The Art of Keeping Art Alive: How Hannah Kik and Taylor Brookfair are Reviving the Soul of Art in Nashville

Over the past two years, Hannah Kik and Taylor Brook fair have been quietly reshaping Nashville’s creative landscape. Their mission is to give artists a place to create for the sake of the craft and to make work rooted in meaning, not market pressure.

Through their nonprofit, MADE (acronym for Mécène Art and Design Experience), they are bridging a long-standing gap between concept and capital. MADE challenges artists to return to the core question that often gets lost in the industry’s noise: Why do we create art?

Their latest project, called Render, is the clearest expression of that mission yet. Each participating artist was given a single prompt and thirty days to digest, interpret, and produce a piece. The result was a sweeping exhibition featuring more than 100 local artists. Each artist having the opportunity to reclaim the freedom to create something meaningful, and many selling their work for the first time.

When reflecting on how artists shift when creating from concept rather than capital, Hannah shared an insight that stuck with me: “So many artists who had never been in a gallery now had the confidence to apply for galleries or make the transition to creating full-time.” It was evident the moment I walked into the gallery. One prompt, over a hundred interpretations from different backgrounds, different experiences, and different stories coming together to create a space where people could genuinely pause, think, and grow.

As our conversation turned toward women’s role in Nashville’s creative future, Hannah offered a perspective as thoughtful as her work. She noted that over 85% of Render’s participating artists were female-identifying, and that this isn’t a coincidence. Women, she explained, often take a more creative approach to how we communicate information. “Seeing so many women sign up to create work, especially in this tumultuous time, shows there’s an outlet that needs to be created,” she told me. “It’ll be interesting to look back at this moment and see what was communicated through the art.”

In an industry that often trades raw creativity for commercial appeal, Hannah and Taylor are doing something rare: they’re protecting the pulse of art itself.

To keep up with Hannah and Taylor or to get involved with MADE, visit them at @madeforconcept for general information and @madefornashville for events!