Jazzmen Williams calls Kitty House Art Collective a “home for believers;” a place where creatives, organizers and curious people can build, perform and celebrate together.
Williams, 34, a former University of North Georgia student, founded Kitty House after a period of personal transition that left her craving more creative purpose than her day job provided. While being the General Manager at Roadhouse, she also produces an annual staff holiday party. Williams conceived what became the collective during a late-night brainstorm. She invited friends over, they made art and costumes, and the event grew into the “Madness Fair” a themed fair that became the backbone of Kitty House’s identity.
“Kitty House is an art collective, a gathering of creatives or believers or movers and shakers of all kinds,” Williams said. “They don’t have to be artists. They just must believe in something.” The collective produces themed parties, markets and commissioned installations for businesses, and offers a workshop that functions as a third space for members to meet, work and socialize.
Locally focused, the collective’s immediate goal is to become a pillar of Athens’ creative community: a meeting point for makers, vendors and audiences. Williams envisions broader reach in five years, with Kitty House branching into other cities such as Atlanta to produce installations and curated events. Her 10 year plan is more ambitious: to evolve Kitty House into a production company that designs immersive art for major festivals and large-scale events, creating stage sets and permanent installations for gatherings that prize visual cohesion and experiential design.
Williams stresses that participation is voluntary and self-directed. Kitty House posts open calls for help and invite people to join projects that match their interests and availability. The collective’s approach has attracted a mix of longtime collaborators and newer contributors, including college students who balance academic demands with hands-on creative work. Student involvement fits prominently in Kitty House’s model. Williams said students can plug in at several levels that accommodate busy schedules: follow the collective on Instagram, request access to the group-me chat, attend markets and film nights or volunteer for installs and de-installs. The workshop’s Wi-Fi and communal atmosphere make it a practical place for students to study, meet classmates or take creative breaks.
“If you’re a painter or a sculptor or a seamstress, put yourself out there.” – Jazzmen Williams, General Manager of Roadhouse Bar, CEO of Kitty House Art Collective
As Kitty House grows, Williams wants it to remain a place where projects are made and consumed by the people who create them. “It’s a place for believers to come and to work on projects and then get to consume those projects with their people and their communities,” she said. If Williams meets her long-term goals, the collective will be a recognizable creator of immersive art across the region, bringing the “Madness Fair” spirit to larger stages.
