The Art of Cool Project

History of The Cool

The Art of Cool Project (AOCP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that strives to cross artistic, economic and social boundaries to bring together a diverse mix of people, cultures, experiences, and creativity. Our mission is to present and promote S.T.E.A.M activities in ways that build and uplift the community.

Since 2011, our organization has built a brand on empowering scores of children, parents, volunteers, and community members through our S.T.E.A.M programming. Supporters of AOCP, not only understand and value the importance of community engagement and financial capability but have gone on to demonstrate these principles through creating small businesses of their own, helping to further extend the reach of our non-profit. The Art of Cool Project is known for setting a standard of how to build a small business from the ground up and how with hard work, humble beginning can lead to national and international recognition and positive creative impact.

AOCP is more than just another non-profit, as our partnerships with universities and community based music presenting organizations such as Duke Performances (Duke University), Carolina Performances (UNC Tarheels), and North Carolina Central University, demonstrate just a snap shot of out ability to be inclusive and appealing to a wider demographic than most organizations of our type. We consider our brand niche and not just tied to "jazz music" presentations, rather experiences that cater to meeting people where their musical taste are most readily peaked and where art, education, and entertainment all intersect.

In 2014 we created The Art of Cool Festival, one of the first to cover multiple venues in a 3-mile radius. The Art of Cool Festival's initial concept focused on the emerging grassroots talent that was gaining traction during the season. The goal was to create exposure for emerging talent while incorporating important conversations that socially impact certain communities via the Innovate Your Cool Conference. During our 5 years of owning the festival, we presented acts like Common, Anderson .Paak, Anna Wise, The legendary George Clinton and many more.

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