Chattanooga Receives Accolades from Chairman
Chattanooga Receives Accolades from NEA Chairman
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Ann Coulter, Rocco Landesman
Photo by Samuel E. Burns
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"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
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Anne B. Pope
Photo by Samuel E. Burns
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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.
ArtsWire is a weekly service of Allied Arts of Greater Chattanooga.
