"Chattanooga is the poster child for Creative Placemaking"

Chattanooga Receives Accolades from Chairman

 Chattanooga Receives Accolades from NEA Chairman

Ann Coulter, Rocco Landesman Photo by Samuel E. Burns

"Chattanooga is the poster child for Creative Placemaking," Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, said during a standing-room-only panel discussion on Wednesday at The Chattanoogan Hotel.

The open panel discussion coincided with the first day of the Arts Education Partnership Fall 2012 National Forum: Arts Learning Without Borders, which will take place through Friday, September 14 at The Chattanoogan.

Four local and regional arts advocates, led by facilitator Ann Coulter, discussed the significance of creative placemaking in community revitalization and sustainability. Specifically, panelists expressed how strategic arts placement has helped the greater Chattanooga community grow and thrive over the past 20 years.

In a 2010 publication by the NEA and The Mayors' Institute on City Design, "creative placemaking, partners from public, private, non-profit, and community sectors strategically shape the physical and social character of a neighborhood, town, city, or region around arts and cultural activities. Creative placemaking animates public and private spaces, rejuvenates structures and streetscapes, improves local business viability and public safety, and brings diverse people together to celebrate, inspire, and be inspired."

The most recent creative placemaking project noted during the discussion is Main Terrain, a new urban park adjacent to Main Street in the Southside neighborhood. Landesman noted that in order to achieve successful creative placemaking a community must possess three elements: a tradition of artistic activity, strong commitment from its private sector, and buy-in from its local government. Chattanooga, Landesman said, embodies these elements and that is why the community has experienced such success in its artistic endeavors.

"When you bring the arts into a community, it becomes a catalyst for positive change," Landesman said. "The arts really do transform communities."

Panelists included Mr. Landesman, architect Eric Meyers, Lyndhurst Foundation Program Officer Sarah Morgan, landscape architect Mike Fowler, and Larry Zehnder, Administrator for Chattanooga Parks and Recreation. 

 Tennessee Arts Commission Director Visits Chattanooga

Tennessee Arts Commission Director Visits Chattanooga

Anne B. Pope Photo by Samuel E. Burns

Anne Pope, Executive Director of the Tennessee Arts Commission, visited with local arts professionals during a reception at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre on Wednesday, September 12. Ms. Pope, who began her current position in May, expressed her enthusiasm for the greater Chattanooga area's unwavering commitment to the arts. Chattanooga has served as the benchmark standard for community arts initiatives in the state of Tennessee, Ms. Pope said.

The Tennessee Arts Commission was created in 1967 to stimulate and encourage the presentation of performing, visual and literary arts throughout the state and to encourage public interest in the cultural heritage of Tennessee. Through a variety of programs, the Commission has encouraged excellence in artistic expression through the state's artists and arts organizations.

  

Unlike many states, TAC has a direct revenue stream from the sale of specialty license plates. Ninety percent of the revenue from the sale of the Arts Commission license plates is returned to TAC who, in return, distributes those funds to organizations in the form grants. Last year, the Tennessee Arts Commission funded over 800 grants to arts organizations across the state, including Allied Arts. Seventy percent of that funding came directly from the sale of specialty license plates.

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     For more information on these and other community events, visit the Allied Arts Calendar.