The Lab provides freedom for studio members to develop ideas and ventures that fall outside traditional boundaries or revenue streams. Initiatives range from original artwork to emerging investments, but are unified through the application of narrative.

“For the Sake of Old Times”

Reckoning with our memories of 2020

It’s in this historic moment of reckoning with the past that we measure the weight of our journey together. And in Birmingham, Alabama, a place that dismantled its Confederate monument this summer, a group of Black community singers reimagine “Auld Lang Syne.” The traditional Scottish poem, usually associated with booze and beads, is paired with archival imagery from the year and recorded in a church that refused to seat any Black visitors during the city’s Civil Rights Movement.

Watch the film here.

Featured on NPR
”You Might Be Ready To Forget 2020. This Film Reminds You Why You Shouldn't.”

“America’s Boulevard”

Public art as a form of community development

Renowned artist Meg Saligman has been commissioned to paint one of the largest murals in the country on M.L. King Boulevard in Chattanooga, TN. As the artists attempt to reflect the rich and complex racial history of the neighborhood, they encounter a community at the crossroads of change, and one that is reflective of America’s yet unfulfilled dream of equality for all. This story explores the intersection of public art and redevelopment from the perspectives of local residents and non-local artists who join together to ask: “What do we want to preserve in our collective memories?”

Collaborators
Public Art Chattanooga
Andrew Beck Grace

Featured on Curbed
”This Film Explores How Art Can Revitalize a Struggling Street in a Southern City”

Good Spread

Growing a peanut butter company that saves lives

Severe acute malnutrition is the leading cause of death for children under five. Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) is a fortified, peanut butter-based medicine used to treat these malnourished children globally. The ingredients are simple: milk, vitamins and peanut butter. But sadly, there is a huge gap between the availability of this affordable food and the number of children who need it. In partnership with MANA, 1504 helped launch Good Spread as a response to this urgent need through creating a consumer-facing product. When buying a jar of Good Spread, a treatment of RUTF is delivered to a malnourished child. We believe that the collective action of socially conscious consumers can put a dent in global malnutrition.

Collaborators
MANA Nutrition
Kid President
Huge
World Vision

Featured on FastCo
“Eat This Peanut Butter, Help Save a Child’s Life”

Plot Development

Accelerating early stage social enterprises

Plot reflects the studio’s investments and commitment to business development. Usually, this occurs on an equity-service basis. We seek to partner with entrepreneurs to elevate business concepts that may be preparing to launch, seek capital, or reposition. Our investment thesis is based on using narrative principles for equitable placemaking, social impact, and media technology.

Collaborators
The Growth Society
Brick & Wonder

1504 Patron Fund

Grants to support emerging artists in The South

[In Development]

Interested in collaboration?

1504 aims to develop innovative models for bringing narrative ventures to life. We are continually building relationships and seeking diverse partners with a common vision. If you are interested in a potential collaboration, please let us know.

Clair de Lune Garden Club

Staging quiet revolutions and discussing plants