Our story

Art Within was founded in 1995 by Bryan Coley as a resident theater company in Atlanta and a way to foster artists of faith to pursue truth, excellence, and cultural poignancy in their stories—while also funding symposiums and yearly “labs” to bring writers together in community. Art Within produced over 30 projects in the early 2000s, and it eventually led to a first feature film: Crackerjack, in 2013. When Bryan started his current company, REEL Experiences, he left Art Within behind, and the nonprofit was dormant until his son Houston resurrected it in 2022.

The resurrected Art Within seeks to continue much of the same work in a way that is suited to our current cultural moment, engaging the digital space as well as the physical—but still with a high value on gathering people together in physical proximity. Art Within has always been about getting people to ask questions about God and the culture that they live in, creating beautiful art that makes God feel bigger and more surprising than He was before the film or story began. This new incarnation of Art Within is focused specifically on the documentary sphere as a way to stir imaginations about the Kingdom and God’s continued work in the world, bringing people deeper into the reality around them. Our first feature film has been completed: A Kingdom of Tea & Strangers!

Our new mission statement

Art Within seeks to create thought-provoking artistic works that engage and highlight surprising images of God in our world, making space for people to gather in community around art and reawaken their spiritual imagination.