Community Engagement Fellowship

The Community Engagement Fellowship is designed to innovate how ARC connects with the public on pressing issues — particularly housing. Through a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process, ARC’s Community Engagement and Communications team selects an artist to collaborate closely with planning staff, manage a public-facing project, and develop replicable engagement strategies. Unlike traditional outreach programs, the fellowship prioritizes creative process over a single deliverable. The goal is to:

Demonstrate how arts and culture can strengthen planning practice
Foster deep collaboration between artists and planners
Explore new ways to communicate complex policy issues
Build long-term community relationships
Create engagement models that communities and local governments can replicate

By documenting and co-creating experiences with residents, the program positions artists as trusted community liaisons who can bridge gaps between institutions and the public.

In 2025, Mark Kendall was selected to explore alternative housing solutions by partnering with the Decatur Land Trust, using his creative storytelling practice that spans from conversation to video.

About the 2025 Fellow

Kendall brought a distinctive blend of humor, storytelling, and civic insight to the role. He is co-founder of CoolCoolCool Productions along with Bill Worley, a media company that uses comedy to encourage civic participation and community dialogue. He also co-hosts the WABE podcast “What’s Good, Atlanta?” His nationally touring one-person show, originally produced at Dad’s Garage Theatre and Alliance Theatre, explores race, identity, and culture through humor. Kendall studied film at Northwestern University and previously participated in a Comedy Central program where he pitched material for The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. He has been recognized by Creative Loafing as one of Atlanta’s top comedians.

“The Community Engagement Fellowship is an experiment in bringing together planners, artists, residents, everyone; and giving them a space to build relationships with one another, as well as use their unique skills to raise awareness and understanding around land trusts in a way that could be replicated and applied to anyone in community trying to improve people’s lives,” said Kendall. “I believe in comedy and storytelling as vital tools for providing information that empowers communities.

Check out a video Mark created during the 2025 fellowship highlighting the lived experience from the community of the Decatur Land Trust below:

Community Engagement Fellow Mark Kendall hosts a short video highlighting the work of the Decatur Land Trust. First is an interview with Courtney Hartnett, a school teacher and resident of the Decatur Land Trust's Oak Cottage Court property. She talks about the benefits of living on the land trust and how it's a great source of community. The next interview is with legacy resident and crossing guard Joyce W. Jackson. Ms. Jackson discusses how the Decatur Land Trust's rehab program helped repair her roof, helping her stay in the neighborhood. The video ends with a call to action to support the Decatur Land Trust and to learn more by visiting their website, decaturlandtrust.org.

Download the official video transcript (PDF, 60KB)