Happy 2026 folks… our 5th year of operating the 501C3 known as AAMP, soon to be known as TAAP (See below). We were recently interviewed by Gabriel Scotto of the Athens Messenger about our history, and what we have planned for the future. Exciting changes ahead!
The Athens Artist Project helps spread the joy of the arts throughout Athens County
Gabriel Scotto Athens Messenger Jan 7, 2026
The Athens Artist Project (TAAP) provides grants to disadvantaged youth and adults to pursue their artistic dreams. A local charity is working to help spread the joys of art and music to those who otherwise would not be able to experience them.
The Athens Artist Project (TAAP), formerly the Athens Artist Memorial Project (AAMP), buys guitars and art supplies and gives them to disadvantaged youth and adults in Athens County, Stephanie Hayes, the secretary of TAAP, explained.
Along with purchasing guitars and art supplies, the organization also pays for music and art lessons, Hayes added.
TAAP has been active around Athens County in various forms since the 1980s. Initially, the group was known as the Johnny B. Fund after the late Athens-based musician John Bartlett, Roman Warmke, the president of the board of TAAP, said.
The group began holding concerts in honor of Bartlett, where they raised funds for low-income children to buy guitars. Despite being active for over 30 years, TAAP was only granted 501©(3) nonprofit status in 2021, Warmke said.
As a result of acquiring nonprofit status, TAAP expanded its focus from promoting music education to promoting the arts more broadly. TAAP also began offering donations to adults who wanted to experience the arts, Warmke explained.
“Our mission is if you’re in Athens and you’re having trouble financially, but you have a passion, we can help fulfill it,” Warmke said.
Musical training has been shown to have numerous benefits for children’s intellectual development, including improved reading and verbal skills, according to a 2014 study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience.
Similarly, researchers found music education was beneficial to the mental health and wellbeing of teenagers, according to a 2023 study conducted by the University of Southern California’s (USC) Thornton School of Music.
However, for many low-income families and individuals, the price of an instrument and the accompanying lessons can often serve as a barrier to music education.
While the price of music lessons varies, the average cost for a private lesson is between $38 and $60 for a 30-minute session, according to Ensemble Performing Arts.
Moreover, during times of hardship, families sometimes have to make a difficult decision between paying for essentials and continuing their child’s music education.
One example of a family in dire straits that TAAP assisted was a family that had to choose between paying for a new roof and paying for their daughter’s piano lessons, Hayes said.
“[For the family], it was either pay, pay for a new roof or pay for their daughter’s piano lessons and they couldn’t do both, so we [paid] for the piano lessons,” Hayes explained. “[The daughter] and the piano teacher were over the moon because they both had something to do that summer.”
Funding for TAAP comes from a variety of sources, including individual donations and small grants, along with the proceeds from concerts that TAAP holds, Warmke said.
Donations to interested parties is capped at $500 per year for individuals and $1,000 per year for larger groups such as rock bands and art classes. The group also gives out scholarships to students at Athens County high schools. In total, TAAP gives out around $15,000 per year, Warmke explained.
TAAP also has partnerships with other nonprofit organizations throughout the community, such as Stuart’s Opera House in Nelsonville. TAAP has consistently made donations to Stuart’s Opera House’s Afterschool Music Program, Dawn Graham, a board member of TAAP, said.
“We give [the] kids in need musical supplies. In turn, whenever we have our annual fundraiser every October at Casa [Nueva], the people that have benefitted from our organization give back and play on stage,” Graham explained. “We have a lot of really great synergy with other organizations.”
One thing the group prides itself on is its low overhead costs when compared to other charitable organizations. TAAP’s board is made up of five people, all of whom are volunteers. Of the money TAAP has taken in since 2021, 97% has gone directly to recipients, Warmke explained.
“There’s no payroll [and] no office space. We have no overhead, [so] we don’t have any expenses whatsoever, not even postage stamps,” Warmke said. “We’re super focused on getting as much money directly to the people [as we can].”
Read the full article here: https://www.athensmessenger.com/news/the-athens-artist-project-helps-spread-the-joy-of-the-arts-throughout-athens-county/article_4f48f8c7-19be-4511-8491-cc0ccaa20c18.html