Today we’d like to introduce you to Doug McCraw.
Doug, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
FATVillage is an arts district located in a city designated four-block area in the Ft Lauderdale city center. The area was developed out of a warehouse district in 1999, and has some of the oldest buildings in the city. It has developed into a community of artists, galleries, studios (photography, film, graphics design, media management, arts technology incubation), and other arts-centric businesses. FATVillage incubates artists and creates a collaborative environment with professional business, design and technology community on-site. This produces art not in the traditional sense, or not how we may be accustomed to seeing it. FATVillage has launched companies with its resident artists, and tenant-creatives in partnership. Monthly Artwalks, food trucks, art exhibitions, and programming provides the Ft Lauderdale community with a great FATVillage experience.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It was difficult building an art/tech creative district when the concept was new and not understood. The City in the earliest phase felt the industrial warehouses should be razed. Funding for the arts programming has been a challenge because of a scarcity of funding and grants are difficult to find for a significant annual budget. FATVillage has been largely self-funded and our (501-c-3) non-profit is finding traction with corporate partnerships. We are creating a consulting group (CUUE – Creating Unique Urban Experiences) to model our programs and processes.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Our model is a creative /cultural environment that is highly curated and collaborative. It is “best of practice” for art and technology for the area. We partner with local organizations, including cultural, public, educational, and businesses. We are unique in the level of collaboration that makes up FATVillage.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up in Tuscaloosa, AL as a semi-rural kid in a blue-collar family with five siblings. I graduated in Marketing and Advertising at the University of Alabama (1972) and have been active in board work there for years. Two international internships in The Netherlands (1971) and Sweden (1973) sparked a love for travel that has resulted in global trips for years. A several month trips across the Middle East, Asia, and the Far East in 1974 provided me with a rich experience of art, culture, and food that has remained today. It was an interest in art collecting that provided the basis for creating an art and technology district that became FATVillage.
Contact Info:
- Address: 521 NW 1st Ave.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 - Website: FATVillage.com
- Phone: 954-760-5900
- Email: dougmccraw@gmail.com
- Instagram: @fatvillage
- Facebook: @fatvillage
Image Credit:
C&I Studios
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