WHO WE ARE & WHAT WE DO





We at The Carrack believe art is an invaluable community asset – a resource for sparking dialogue, cultivating and strengthening unexpected relationships, and affecting change.





For six years, our gallery space in Durham, NC has presented a new exhibition every two weeks, as well as frequent performances, workshops and creative gatherings. All artists and organizers use our space for free, have complete creative freedom in determining the presentation of their work, and keep 100% of what they make from sales.





We seek to support artists who are emerging, experimenting, producing temporal and/or site-specific work, and who are committed to building an equitable and collaborative arts community.





The Carrack works with a wide-ranging network of artists, arts organizations, and Triangle residents. We accept proposals for exhibits, events, and performances through an artist-juried process and provide an affirming space in which emergent and marginalized artists share their work with a broader community. We are funded entirely by donations and depend on a team of volunteers and part-time staff.





WHAT WE WANT TO BUILD





Over The Carrack’s six years, Durham has shifted from quiet to bustling, and from overlooked to a nationally known cultural and economic center. Amidst these rapid changes, The Carrack has become a crucial platform for experimentation, conversation, and connection through the arts.





Today, we recognize the urgent need to use that organizational power to address the role of the arts in urban development and gentrification. Through new conversations and community-centered programming, residencies, public art projects, and artist-led outreach, we will continue to lift up Durham’s flourishing independent arts scene while galvanizing its actors to collaborate towards more equitable community growth.





It’s become impossible to do this while surviving on a month-to-month shoestring budget. In order to commit fully to this new direction, we need a more sustainable model for The Carrack.





Immediate Goals

Create a new staff position dedicated to focusing on Community Engagement and Equity across all Carrack programs

Increase wages for current part-time staff

Begin building a salary for a new full-time Director

Increase our budget for paid, contracted work by artists The Carrack does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, expression or parents/guardians with children. The Carrack, like many art institutions, is a predominantly white space, and in an effort to decolonize dominant cultures of intersectional oppression, we encourage queer and trans artists of color to apply for any and all positions in our organization.

Become a 501c3 organization to increase eligibility for grant funding

WHAT WE HAVE & WHAT WE NEED





Our fundraising plan this year has three parts: our annual fundraising event, The Muse Masquerade; our ongoing monthly giving program; and this year-end fundraising campaign.





$ The Nitty Gritty $

The Carrack currently has a fixed operating budget of approximately $60,000 annually. This represents around $5,000 in monthly expenses, composed of $1,300 for waged labor, plus an average of $450 for outside labor such as accounting and design; space rental at $1,200; approximately $500 for office and overhead expenses; $300 in exhibit expenses, including repair and maintenance of the gallery; $200 in marketing and outreach; and several hundred in miscellaneous other expenses, such as administrative fees. The remaining $10,000 of the current annual budget is composed of less frequent expenses, such as tax preparation, event costs, website design, equipment purchases, and other items that occur annually or semi-annually, rather than monthly.





The Great News

We met our goal for The Muse Masquerade and raised $30,000 from ticket sales and sponsorship. Annual operational support is also provided by 81 “sustainers” who currently, as a group, contribute a collective total of $13,500 in the form of monthly $5+ gifts; our annual “RED DOT” art exhibit, in which artists donate small works to be sold for our benefit; as well as one-time contributions made by local individuals and corporate sponsors.





Combined, these provide our modest budget of $60,000 to support rent, lights, supplies and basic staffing.





WHY WE NEED YOU NOW





While survival is an accomplishment, it is time to face the reality of what it means to keep The Carrack's doors open. To sustain The Carrack and grow in this new direction of arts-led community organizing, we need to bring on new staff and increase part-time staff pay. Funds raised through this campaign will allow us to start the year with financial integrity so that we can work towards these goals.





Join us in continuing to support the work of artists in our community and help us take The Carrack from shoestring to sustainable.



Special thanks to Ned Philips for helping us put together the video, and to all team members, artists, and photographers who created the art and captured the featured images. In order of appearance: Alyssa Miserendino, Carin Walsh, Kerry Crocker, Jon Fuller, Dionne Liles, Chris Vitiello, Claudia Corletto, Sass.Art, Luke Demarest and Blackspace, The Draw, NC: Food Youth Initiative, Jasmyn Milan and @KingPhill_, Celia Gray and Jennifer Curtis, Kulsum Tasnif, Anna Renee Ohe and Robin Spohr, Linda Belans and Leah Sobsey, Nico Amortegui and Gabriela Rozenberg, Mark Little, André Leon Gray, Shane Charles Smith.



The Carrack is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of The Carrack must be made payable to “Fractured Atlas” only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.