$4000 for a community darkroom.
$3000 for a public mural celebrating the history of black Asheville.
$25,000 for a locally designed camera dolly that lets amateurs shoot video like pros.
$3000 for a rentable, shared community space devoted to the circus arts.
$100,000 for a documentary on the evils of complacency in work and life.
The AC-T has the story on how local people are funding creative and business endeavors alike with Kickstarter, the online funding platform that lets fans give you money in return for a perk or pre-order.
Since 2010, 72 creative ventures in Asheville have been funded successfully through Kickstarter to a tune of $392,067. Of those successes, 87.5 percent exceeded fundraising goals by at least 1 percent. (One campaign to fund singer-songwriter Jonathan Reuel‘s fifth studio album exceeded its goals by 76 percent.)
Through online pledges, a mural by Asheville artist Molly Must will soon brighten Triangle Park on South Market Street. After 81 people pledged $3,423 online in June, Toy Boat, a community arts space, opened recently in Biltmore Village. And in the largest campaign yet, Asheville business ZipShooter raised $25,385 to fund the production of a portable dolly/slider system by its June 30 deadline.
Inspiring stories of local creativity, entrepreneurship and perseverance. Full story from the AC-T here.