Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Writers’ Workshop | July 31st, 6:30-8:30 PM | CreateHere

Artists, entrepreneurs, and freelance writers are invited to a workshop to learn about crafting press releases and query letters. It takes place on Thursday, July 31 from 6:30-8:30 PM at 55 E Main Street. This event is free and open to the public! Space is limited, so please RSVP to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Led by local writer/editor Janis Hashe, the program’s two-fold purpose is to assist those in creative fields who do their own publicity, and to review the essentials of freelance querying for writers, particularly those who would like to be published. Please pass the word along to others who may be interested!

What: Writers’ Workshop with Janis Hashe
When: Thursday, July 31st, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM
Where: The CreateHere studio, 55 E Main Street
Cost: Free!
Contact: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Monday, July 14, 2008

CHATTEM AND RIVERSIDE WINES PRESENT ART.A.MA.JIG 2008

A Unique Fundraiser for the Arts & Education Council

CHATTANOOGA, TN—Art.a.ma.jig, the Arts & Education Council’s (AEC) only annual fundraiser, will be Thursday, July 24, at the Tanner Hill Gallery from 6 to 8:30 PM.  Showcasing the talents of local artists and chefs in the area, Art.a.ma.jig supports the AEC’s mission to provide unique opportunities for lifelong learning and participation in the arts for all members in the community. 

Art.a.ma.jig combines the culinary and fine arts for an exciting evening with chefs, artists, and community members. It has grown into a well-known event; artist participation has doubled and over $75,000 has been raised since its debut in 2003. Art.a.ma.jig brings the community together to raise money for AEC programs—the Independent and Back Row Film Series, Culture Fest, the Conference on Southern Literature, and a myriad of literacy programs for students—that would otherwise not exist in Chattanooga.

The opportunity to support the AEC and its outreach programs in Chattanooga is a big factor in drawing local artists to participate. “I see the AEC’s yearly fundraiser as an opportunity for me as an artist to join them in their efforts in promoting or furthering the arts in the educational setting… The AEC and organizations like them play a vital role in the cultural health of this city,” says Iantha Newton, an artist who has participated in Art.a.ma.jig for the last several years.

The highlight of Art.a.ma.jig 2008 is the silent auction of original works by 51 artists. A variety of media will be represented during the fundraiser, from paintings and sculptures to photography and mixed media works. However, the exhibit will be unified by the theme Fortune, which has attracted both new and previous Art.a.ma.jig participants. Opening bids start between $100 and $3,000, giving Chattanoogans the opportunity to bid on a wide range of original works—and all proceeds benefit AEC programs.  This encourages artists to participate in support of AEC as well as promote art in the community.

Art.a.ma.jig also features dishes prepared by some of the region’s best chefs including Mercatino, Niedlov’s Breadworks, Sushi Nabe, Blue Orleans, Niko’s Southside Grill, and the Deli Man & Cake Lady. The food will be accompanied by a selection of wines from Riverside Wine and Spirits as well as other beverages.

Tanner Hill Gallery is located at 3069 South Broad Street. The art auction begins promptly at 6 PM.  Art.a.ma.jig 2008 is sponsored in part by Chattem, Riverside Wine and Spirits, Miller & Martin, Baker Donelson, Starkey Printing Company, Adams Lithographing Company and Artech Design Group.

Tickets are $65 per person or $100 per couple.  Art.a.ma.jig is open to the public, but because tickets are limited, advanced reservations are strongly encouraged. For tickets call the AEC at 423.267.1218 or register online at ArtsEdCouncil.org.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Macintosh, meet Main

Apple junkies, unite!

Beginning Tuesday, July 15, at 7 p.m., CreateHere will host ChattaMac, our city’s own Mac users’ group.  On Tuesdays every mid-month, Mac novices, advanced users, and developers are invited to meet at 55 East Main to hear presentations and engage in open discussion on the ins and outs of Macintosh.

This coming Tuesday, Robert Lay will be presenting a seminar on the new iPhone 3G, which is set to be release Friday, July 11. He’ll give a run-down of all the new features, compare with the first generation iPhone, and provide a few tips and tricks along the way. He’ll cover the new MobileMe service, the iPhone/iPod Touch App store, and the iPhone SDK.

The August meeting will delve into Mac-based photography, including photo software and HDR imagery.  The night is yet to be scheduled, so keep checking back at the CreateHere blog to find out when it’s going down!

The meetings are free and open to the public, and everyone is encouraged to bring their Mac laptops, iPhones, and iPod Touch devices. ChattaMac’s organizers are Robert Lay, Katrina Smyth, Jeremy Clifton, and Jonathan Calloway.  For more information on the group, email Robert Lay and check out ChattaMac’s website.

What: ChattaMac users’ group
Where: CreateHere Studio, 55 East Main Street, Suite 105.  Chattanooga.
When: 7-9 p.m., Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Contact: Robert Lay at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or (423) 903-5528.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Front Porch Sessions

From this spot on Main Street, Sharon and I disperse to the east and the west.  We walk the sidewalks that snake through the Southside and make it accessible.  As we trace the streets, we look for avenues into the spirit of the community.  We listen for voices that will help us understand these neighborhoods.

A distinctive of this community is the porch phenomenon.  Even the new apartments and condos are fronted by open-air space, with railings, folding chairs, maybe a citronella candle or two.  Front porches are made for socializing, for keeping an eye on the neighborhood, for shooting the breeze with the folks who live next door.  We at CreateHere want a small taste of the front porch culture.

So Sharon and I have been traveling the streets of Jefferson Heights, Highland Park, Fort Negley, and Cowart Place.  We take our voice recorder and our camcorder and our camera, our folders and notebooks.  We come to the houses of new and long-time residents alike, and we come with questions.  We’re ready to hear what brought them to the Southside, and what they see and have seen from their front porches.

  At CreateHere, we’re in the business of priming the creative pump on the Southside.  But no work of that sort can be done in a community that doesn’t know itself.  To build its sense of identity, a community must have an understanding of its past through the individual stories of its members.  CreateHere wants to be an active part of hearing—really hearing—those stories, recording them, and presenting them for anyone interested in the way this community is growing.

Can we hear from you?  If you live in this area and would like to be involved, contact Sharon or Charlotte.

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Local Documentary on the Chattanooga Trial of Jimmy Hoffa Makes Public Debut

The second event in the AEC’s 2008 Back Row Film Series will make available to the public a local documentary about local history: the 1964 Chattanooga trial of Teamster President Jimmy Hoffa.
The first public screening of “Balancing the Scales: the Chattanooga Trial of U.S. v. James R. Hoffa” will take place Thursday, July 10, 2008, at Loose Cannon Studios, 1800 Rossville Avenue.  Social hour begins at 6 p.m. and the film screening will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m.  Filmmaker Barry Cammon of Advanced Video Solutions will address the audience immediately after the film.  The event is free but seating is limited to the first 100 people.  The AEC will be accepting donations in any amount.
In 1964, Teamster President Jimmy Hoffa was convicted of jury tampering in a federal court in Chattanooga. Forty years later, this trial, which severely tested the limits of American justice, remains an important topic of historic interest. Featuring interviews with numerous trial participants and observers, the 2008 documentary “Balancing the Scales: The Chattanooga Trial of U.S. v. James R. Hoffa” explores the difficulties of finding justice in a high profile, high stakes “trial of the century.”

The Chattanooga Chapter of the Federal Bar Association commissioned the film to show at the 2008 Judicial Conference of the 6th Circuit, held in Chattanooga in May.  The AEC is pleased to make it available to the general public for the first time as part of the organization’s Back Row Film Series.

More History

On January 19, 1964, Teamster President Jimmy Hoffa stepped onto the runway at the Lovell Field airport in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Only three days earlier, he had finally secured one of his greatest goals - the execution of the first National Master Freight Agreement, a milestone for the union, which would guarantee uniform wages, benefits, and working conditions throughout the trucking industry.  Many considered the signing of this agreement to be Hoffa’s “finest hour.”

His arrival was greeted by a crowd of cheering Teamsters carrying signs that read “Welcome to Chattanooga,” “We’ll always be for Jo and Jimmy Hoffa,” and “Thank you Jimmy for the contract.”  Smiling and waving to the crowd, Hoffa climbed into a waiting limousine and left, surrounded by a 40-car caravan with a police escort.

The following day, he would appear in court to defend against charges that would threaten him with years in prison and - ultimately - the loss of his stranglehold upon the Teamsters organization.

Monday, July 07, 2008

Creative types are essential to urban and regional economic growth. Here’s why…

by Maya Roney (Source:  BusinessWeek online, Real Estate February 26, 2007)

Want to know where a great place to invest in real estate will be five or 10 years from now? Look at where artists are living now.

Sociologists and policymakers have long been touting art and culture as the cure-all to economically depressed neighborhoods, cities, and regions. The reason? It has been proven that artists—defined as self-employed visual artists, actors, musicians, writers, etc.—can stimulate local economies in a number of ways.

Artists are often an early sign of neighborhood gentrification. “Artists are the advance guard of what’s hip and cool,” says Bert Sperling, founder and president of Portland (Ore.)-based Sperling’s Best Places.

Creativity Leads to Growth
Artists, because of their typically lower incomes, usually need to seek out less expensive, developing neighborhoods where they can afford the rent. But because of their creativity they are able to fix up these areas, eventually attracting hip boutiques, galleries, and restaurants. Not all artists are starving. While some are able to achieve success writing, acting, painting, or dancing, others get tired of scraping by as waiters or bartenders and sometimes apply their abilities in more entrepreneurial ways.

Anne Markusen, an economist and professor at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs and a leading researcher on the effects of the arts on regional economics, once profiled an abstract painter whose work is now displayed on ceilings and in MRI machines in hospitals across the country. In Markusen’s research, artists have also been found to stimulate innovation on the part of their suppliers. A painter may need a certain type of frame that is not manufactured, forcing the frame maker to create a new design that happens to also work well for other artists.

But Markusen also maintains that artists bring more than culture to a community. “Businesses don’t often understand the extent to which art affects them,” Markusen says. “[Artists] are just as important as science and technology companies.”

Nonarts businesses also use artist contractors to improve product design, help with marketing, or even use dramatic theory to solve employee relationship issues. Being a cultural center also helps local businesses attract employees who want to be able to regularly go to the ballet or the theater, hear authors read from their latest books, or attend art gallery openings.

Follow the Money
Due to the individual nature and economics of their work, artists are also some of the most itinerant professionals out there. When relocating, they often look for cities and towns that already have high concentrations of artists and a young, racially and ethnically diverse population. The presence of a nurturing art community in the form of art societies and centers is also essential, especially to young artists.

A low cost of living is important, but many artists make financial sacrifices to live near an art-rich urban center or live in a cheaper neighborhood. Few struggling artists can afford to live in neighborhoods like New York’s SoHo and Greenwich Village, or even Williamsburg, which once were artistic havens before attracting wealthier residents. Now you are more likely to find New York-based artists in the Bronx, Brooklyn, or even Philadelphia.
In addition to the presence of like-minded individuals, proximity to wealth is also important. The fact of the matter is that artists can seldom earn a living, let alone become rich, selling to other artists. They need wealthy benefactors to buy their paintings or support their local symphony, which explains why each of the places in the U.S. that we found to be the best for artists are in or located near centers of wealth. Los Angeles, No. 1 on our list, is most commonly associated with the film industry. While the city provides great opportunities for actors and directors, there are equally rich prospects for musicians, artists, writers, and dancers. Of course, the majority of these people can’t afford to live in Beverly Hills—at least not until they get their big break—and instead opt for more affordable digs in areas like Echo Park.

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Four Creative Individuals Approved for ArtsMove

ArtsMove, CreateHere’s artist relocation program, awards a $15,000 housing incentive to approved artists and artisans.  We are excited to announce the most recent approved artists.

Woodworker, Philip Wallis of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin will be moving with his wife Cindy to Chattanooga.  As an emerging fine craft woodworker, Phil’s signature is simple, rustic, and elegant.  He uses wood from all over the world and does not work from plans or blueprints, so each creation is unique.  He will be moving his shop “Moose on the Loose Rustic Furniture & Wooden Creations” to downtown Chattanooga.  Phil and Cindy are very excited to participate in the many art festivals and shows in Chattanooga and throughout the Southeast.  Phil plans to offer master classes on various woodworking techniques to the community.  Cindy also offers a creative personality as a professional classical flautist. 

Emerging jewelry and graphic designer, Ashlea Mayo moved to Chattanooga in 2004 after spending most of her life in Louisiana and Arkansas.  Ashlea’s jewelry is sold in various cities throughout the US, including Chicago, IL; Destin, FL; St. Louis, MO; and Richmond, VA.  Her work can be found locally at Blue Skies on the North Shore and Umbra Essence Candles & Gift in St. Elmo.  Ashlea is excited to be a first-time home owner.  http://www.fawnscrown.com

Sculpture, Jonathan Hudson is a native of Chattanooga.  He currently resides in Ooltewah but soon will be relocating to the Southside.  Jonathan was a recipient of the Emerging Artist Scholarship at the 4 Bridges Art Festival in 2008.  His current body of work includes life cast molds and paper.  Jonathan’s artistic abilities also include photography and painting.  He has been approached for collaboration with a public sculpture for the City of Chattanooga.  HudsonianArt.com

Emerging fine arts photographer, Maria De Las Casas of Santa Fe, New Mexico was also approved for the ArtsMove housing incentive.  Maria has worked in Venezuela, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and presently New Mexico.  Chattanooga fell onto Maria’s radar after she read an article titled “Ten Great Towns for Working Artists”, which appeared in the March 08 issued of Art Calendar magazine.  http://www.mariadelascasas.com

The ArtsMove incentive is a $15,000 5-year forgivable mortgage which requires no pre-payment and accrues no interest, provided that artist purchases property in a qualifying neighborhood and the property remains owner occupied for the full 5-year term.  Qualifying neighborhoods include Cowart Place, Jefferson Heights, ML King District, Fort Negley and Main Street.  Currently, 25 artists have moved into qualifying residences. 

It has been shown time and again the huge impact artists have on revitalizing neighborhoods.  Creative types are essential to urban and regional economic growth. 

The next application deadline is July 25.  Applications can be downloaded from our website.  For more information, visit: www.artsmove.org .

Who’s Talking About Relocating to Chattanooga:

Relocate-America’s Top 100 2008, Chattanooga is #3!
http://top100.relocate-america.com/

MSN Money
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/StockInvestingTrading/TheNewHotRetirementSpots.aspx#pageTopAnchor