Modern Patronage that’s Community-Funded

Traditional patronage puts one group in charge of supporting artists. We think everyone involved–artists, community, sponsors, attendees, is a patron of the arts, building the creative ecosystem we all want to see.

A crowded art gallery opening with people standing and chatting, artwork displayed on the walls, and warm lighting hanging from the ceiling.

THE
ORIGIN
STORY

The word 'DOPAMINE' in bold white letters on a black background.

MADE’s first exhibit, DOPAMINE, featured 30+ local artists who created works exploring the human relationship with dopamine and its role in pleasure and pain experiences.

36 artists.
350+ attendees.
$3,500+ raised.

Prompt-Based.
For Concept.
04.28.2023.

MADE began with a simple Instagram story seeing if friends wanted to do a collaborative art project in 2022. What started as 5-6 responses quickly grew to 75 people wanting to participate. With no funding, we created the first prompt-based exhibit around the role of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the experience of pleasure and pain.

The inaugural DOPAMINE Exhibit opened its doors for one night in April 2023 after months of scraping together resources. The 3-hour event drew over 350 people with a completely organic marketing campaign, raised $3,500 for a local nonprofit supporting kids in the foster care system, and gave creatives a platform without discrimination or compensation requirements—a true collaboration.

After formalizing as a nonprofit, MADE returned to the scene in July 2025 with STATE OF MIND, a smaller, focused event featuring work from 10 artists. With over 120 tickets sold and $2,500 raised, it served as our reentry into Nashville's art community and a chance to flex our creative muscles under our new mission. But that was just the warm-up. We've got our sights set on a big finish to 2025, and we can't wait to show you what we're building.

The Founders

Hannah Kik and Taylor Brooke Fair first met in a Nashville coffee shop in 2022, bonding over a soft-spoken alliance against some questionable conversation happening nearby. When Hannah put out that first open call, Taylor was among the 75 who responded. As Hannah struggled to make DOPAMINE happen, Taylor was the only person from her network who stepped in to help.

Both creatives and planners, they've worked together to create something different in the art scene, events that prioritize authentic expression over commercial pressure, building community connections rather than exclusive gatekeeping. After pursuing various paths to fund their vision, they formalized MADE as a nonprofit in 2024, committed to their original mission of creating space for art's sake.