Thursday, April 30, 2009

Once upon a time, we had a big morning

Friends and faithful readers, we have a confession: we’re really, really busy. It dawned on us that perhaps we’ve been hiding this fact from our neighbors. After all, our public events are mostly done in the evening hours with lots of help from community members, and—speaking from personal experience—these events are staffed by CreateHere fellows who’d be there anyway. And while we’re in the thick of MakeWork season, most of our programs, from the outside, seem to be just what they always were: silly and serious, on the ground and across the horizon. A confident, well-oiled machine, right?

Well, yes and no. Yes, in that we’ve had consistent community involvement in our programs, which puts a spring in our step, and we’ve been told we have the basic mechanics of “Wow, that’s cool!” programming down pat. But no, also, in that we’re a team of human beings, with dreams and aspirations, in an inspiring, constantly shifting community. We don’t get much sleep these days because, by and large, we see good work going on all around. And we want to be better, to work harder.

This morning, we hosted 30 delegates from Selma, Alabama, interested in the big work going on in Chattanooga today. Our air conditioner is broken, though that doesn’t keep it from popping on in the middle of an important lecture, making it almost impossible to hear what someone is saying from less than ten feet away. Over the din of HVAC, and the careful addresses of our Selma panelists, there was, naturally, opera rehearsal, too (check out the video below for a sneak peek). And heavy furniture moving around. And spray painting and flower planting on the sidewalk. There’s also a team of 25 or so fellows doing their daily work, improving and rehauling our programs, office, city.

This is all to say, there’s always time to sleep tomorrow. Thank you, Chattanooga, for keeping us on our toes.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Countdown to Intrigue | Hops and Opera, Friday 7-9 pm

Hops and Opera comes to CreateHere this Friday, May 1, from 7-9 pm. We’ll pair artisanal beer with some of Chattanooga’s leading operatic voices to celebrate colossal drama in a laid-back setting.

Vocalists include soprano Desirée Soteres, mezzo-soprano Andrea Dismukes, tenor Michael Mays, and baritone Ron Ulen, with piano accompaniment from Jenny Parker. The evening features brew from the Southside’s own Terminal Brewhouse and sausages from local Appalachian Dog Company.

For the first time, we’ll be selling concert swag to mark the epic event, made locally by Young Monster, a screen printing shop. Hops and Opera shirts, printed on American Apparel cotton tees, go for $20 each; and original posters for $15, both pictured above.

What? Hops and Opera
When? Friday, May 1 | 7-9 pm
Where? CreateHere | 55 E Main Street | Chattanooga, TN

Monday, April 27, 2009

Pecha Kucha Night 3 | Thursday, April 30 at CreateHere

Pecha Kucha returns to Chattanooga this Thursday night at 6:20 pm. CreateHere will host the event, the third of its kind for our city. Internationally practiced, Pecha Kucha is a presentation style with unlimited possibilities. Presenters prepare twenty slides, each lasting twenty seconds, and six minutes and forty seconds later, the conversation takes off.

With a line-up of diverse presenters, the din and clatter of new chatter will make for a unique night. The dialogue starts now.

What: Pecha Kucha Night 3
Where: CreateHere, 55 E. Main Street
When: Thursday, April 30 | 6:20 pm

For more information on Pecha Kucha, visit the international organization’s site. Questions about Thursday’s event? Contact Elana Gulas by calling 423.648.2195.

SpringBoard Business Planning Course, Round 4 Starts May 5

Do you have a great idea for a business? SpringBoard is now taking applications for the next round of our Business Planning Course, which begins Tuesday, May 5.  The class will meet every Tuesday nights for eight weeks, from 6 to 9pm at CreateHere.

SpringBoard’s Business Planning Course promotes “experiential learning,” giving local entrepreneurs an opportunity to actively propose ideas, calculate costs and create strategies for their business. Performing these exercises inspires confidence in operating a small business, leading to an accurate articulation of how and when to take action. In 2008, SpringBoard graduated 86 entrepreneurs through its Business Planning Course, many of whom are currently running successful businesses in Chattanooga.

To download an application, visit SpringBoard’s wesbite.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Technology Transfer Conference | April 24th, 8am - 2pm

This Friday at Loose Cannon, the Enterprise Center sponsors a Technology Transfer Conference to promote the importance of new technologies and innovative methods in the local business. A panel of Tech-Transfer veterans, including J. Keith Buckner – VP of Manufacturing at Adaptive Methods – will offer instruction on acquiring new technology for commercial use and accessing necessary funding. The event will host technology exhibits from national laboratories and give business owners a chance to network with Tech-Transfer specialists. 

For more information, contact Charlotte Adkins at 423.425.3772.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Hops and Opera | Friday, May 1, 2009 7-9 pm

CreateHere is pleased to invite Chattanoogans of all musical inclinations to join us for Hops and Opera on Friday, May 1, which pairs artisanal beer with some of Chattanooga’s leading operatic voices. Celebrate colossal drama in a laid-back setting.

Hops and Opera is May 1, from 7 to 9 pm, and features brew from the Southside’s own Terminal Brewhouse, sausages from local Appalachian Dog Company and an evening filled with the talent of local vocalists, including soprano Desirée Soteres, mezzo-soprano Andrea Dismukes, tenor Michael Mays, and baritone Ron Ulen, with piano accompaniment from Jenny Parker.

Hops and Opera features arias and duets from operas by Puccini, Bizet, Bernstein, and many others, from stories full of betrayal, infidelity, murder, and seduction. Sourcing local talent for some of the world’s best loved operatic masterpieces is a feat indeed, but one with real possibilities in Chattanooga, a town with a long and rich history of opera.

It’s a rare treat to experience the force of these voices in a casual setting, with local bites and brew. Leave your monocles and pearls at home, and come for the sheer enjoyment of local talent.

Hops and Opera will feature some timeless concert swag: t-shirts and posters for the event, made by Young Monster, a hip, local screen-printing shop.

Join us for Hops and Opera, hosted at CreateHere’s Southside Gallery, 55 E Main Street. No need to reserve a spot, but space is limited, so mark your calendar now and come early for creative camaraderie.

A note to our esteemed Facebook friends…

The time has come to move on, friends. Facebook and social media are constantly evolving, and we’ve found that the best way to communicate with Chattanooga is to filter all our awesome news, fantastic celebrations, and big updates through one fan page. This means we’ll be eliminating our Facebook group.

You can become a ‘fan’ and then follow our page right in your news stream, just like you follow your friends. We’re also pulling in our RSS feed so you can read, comment on and share our stories with your friends here.

Monday, April 20, 2009

CreateHere Fellow + SpringBoard Grad + MakeWork Recipient featured in “The Pulse”

This week’s edition of The Pulse features an article on five Chattanooga innovators, and we’re thrilled to have worked with three of those individuals.

Harv Wileman, CreateHere’s MakeWork coordinator, talks about the epic, enlightening task of accepting and organizing 107 MakeWork grant applications.

Wendy Buckner, founder of The Hot Chocolatier, graduated from SpringBoard’s Business Planning Course and now runs, happily, one of Chattanooga’s most delicious start-ups. Find her chocolates on the web, or visit her 1000-sq. foot kitchen in the Small Business Development Building.

Nick DuPey, a MakeWork recipient currently enrolled in the Business Planning Course, talks about his screen-printing shop, Young Monster, which he opened with partner Zach Hobbs. The shop provides instruction and equipment for local musicians interested in promoting themselves with unique, hand-made t-shirts and posters.

We’re happy to celebrate the work of all local innovators, inside or outside of CreateHere’s walls. Keep doing what you do so well, Chattanooga!

Art in Public Places Project: Renaissance Park Art Selected

Voting for the second venue in the Hunter Museum’s “Art in Public Places” Project is over, and the winners for Renaissance Park are Carol Mickett and Robert Stackhouse’s “Place in the Woods,” and Terry Allen’s “Tennessee Leaf.”

This project, made possible by support from the Benwood Foundation, gives Chattanoogans the opportunity to choose the creative work that graces our cityscapes.

Voting for the project’s third and final venue, Miller Plaza, is currently open. Cast a vote for your favorite sculpture here, and look for selected pieces at the Zoo, Renaissance Park, and Miller Plaza this fall.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Welcome, Art-o-mat!

Our custom Art-o-mat has arrived! Join CreateHere on Saturday night, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, to celebrate this unique approach to creative patronage. Clark Whittington, Art-o-mat creator, will introduce Chattanooga to the machine, over food and refreshments.

A sneak peek, because blind dates make us all anxious…

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

American Style Magazine: Chattanooga #2 Mid-Sized City for the Arts

The results of American Style magazine’s recent reader survey are out, and Chattanooga was rated #2 for mid-sized cities for the arts, second only to the very wonderful Buffalo, NY. Chattanooga trumped cities well known for their artistic communities—among them Atlanta—in the category, which judges cities with populations between 100,000 and 499,000. Completely reader decided, this ranking is a huge honor for Chattanooga artists and arts initiatives.

The article reads: “Dark horse Chattanooga, Tenn., which didn’t place anywhere at all in the Mid-Size Cities rankings last year, muscled its way into the No. 2 spot for 2009 [...]. Buffalo, N.Y., held on to its top spot in the Mid-Size ranks for 2009 by a tight margin (fewer than 100 votes).”

American Style magazine’s June issue also features an article on Chattanooga’s revitalization, with insights from ArtsMove artists John and Peggy Petrey; Miki Boni and Thomas Paulsin. Congratulations to all, and many thanks to those who voted!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

President of CEOs for Cities to Visit Chattanooga

We’re honored to host Carol Coletta, president and CEO of CEOs for Cities, a cross-sector network of urban leaders. Coletta comes to Chattanooga on Wednesday, April 15 as part of the CEOs for Cities’ “Talent Dividend Tour,” and will also participate in a roundtable discussion with CreateHere fellows and local leaders. Hosted in Chattanooga by UTC Chancellor and CEOs for Cities member Roger Brown, this project brings experts in urban planning and culture to 24 different American cities, offering local leaders solutions to major development questions regarding education’s economic impact.

“We know that educational attainment is the biggest predictor of success for cities and metro areas today. The research is unassailable,” reports CEO for Cities. “However, few urban leaders are focused on the relationship between education and the economy. In fact, producing more college-educated citizens is rarely found in any city’s economic development plan.”

This tour is part of City Dividends, a larger research project spearheaded by CEOs for Cities. The City Dividends project calculates the monetary value gained by setting development goals that focus on one of three areas. The Talent Dividend quantifies the value of increasing college attainment rates; the Opportunity Dividend calculates the benefit of reducing poverty rates; and the Green Dividend assesses the value of reducing vehicular traffic.

Coletta’s work has been enormously influential in the development of CreateHere’s projects. Prior to her tenure at CEOs for Cities, Coletta served as president of Coletta & Company in Memphis. The producer and host of “Smart City,” a nationally syndicated public radio broadcast, Coletta is frequently interviewed as an expert on urban issues by national media and is an active speaker on the success formula for cities and creative communities. This year she was named one of the world’s 50 most important urban experts by a leading European think tank.

In July 2008, Coletta interviewed CreateHere co-founders Helen Johnson and Josh McManus. Listen to the interview here. For more information on CEOs for Cities, visit their website.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Meet the Art-o-mat, with Rivoli Revelers and 4 Bridges Participants

CreateHere is pleased to bring a new channel for creative patronage to Chattanooga’s art scene. The Art-o-mat—a re-purposed vintage cigarette machine vending cigarette-pack sized art pieces—makes original creations accessible to customers around the world, for less than a pack of slims. We’re happy to announce that Chattanooga is getting an Art-o-mat of our very own.

We’ll celebrate the arrival of our custom Art-o-mat with a reception and keynote address from creator Clark Whittington on April 18, in conjunction with the Rivoli Art Mill’s 4 Bridges After Party.

The event will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, with light hors d’oeuvres and beverages. Immediately following the Art-o-mat launch, guests are invited to continue the evening with the Rivoli Art Mill, at an event featuring music from Butch Ross.

Artists in Cellophane, or AIC, sponsors the Art-o-mat program. This organization is based on the concept of “taking art and ‘repackaging’ it to make it part of our daily lives,” explains Whittington. “The mission of AIC is to encourage art consumption by combining the worlds of art and commerce in an innovative form. AIC believes that art should be progressive, yet personal and approachable.” In following with that theme, AIC makes Art-o-mat pieces available for $5.

Art-o-mat machines can be found across the US and abroad, and feature work from a network of over 400 artists in 11 countries. Whittington’s lecture will include a component on how Chattanooga artists can get involved in this program, making their diminutive art pieces available to an international audience. New York’s Whitney Museum hosts a custom machine, and now so does CreateHere.

Local Issues with Global Impact: Help Implement the Climate Action Plan

In April 2008, the Chattanooga Green Committee hosted a visioning event, which attracted over 500 citizens. Together, they generated over 1000 ideas in a single night, all of which helped in the development of the Chattanooga Climate Action Plan.

One year later, the community comes together again. On April 22, 2009—Earth Day—the Green Committee asks Chattanoogans to commit to implement the Climate Action Plan. This event, hosted at UTC’s University Center from 5:30 to 8:00 pm, will be the first step in mobilizing passionate individuals to lower the City’s carbon and environmental footprints. Once a citizen commits they will be given a short assignment and asked to attend a follow-up meeting with others who have committed to the same sub topic.

Citizens can sign up to be apart of Action Teams that include energy conservation, alternative energy, waste reduction, green buildings, recycling and waste, sustainable industrial practices, smart growth, food and agriculture, transportation, air quality, biodiversity, green infrastructure, urban and regional forests, water quality and quantity,  community awareness and participation, business participation, government policy and purchasing, and schools.

Communities throughout the United States are becoming aware of the impact they have on the global environment. Many fear that the battle against global warming will hinder development and adversely impact quality of life. However, experience now shows that opportunity lies in the development of sustainable communities. Green business is booming, jobs are being created and quality of life is improving. The Chattanooga Green Community Commitment Event will give the citizens of Chattanooga the opportunity to dedicate to that change locally.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Pecha Kucha No. 3: Speakers Wanted

The organizers of Pecha Kucha are looking for a few speakers to fill out the roster for their next event on April 30, 2009.

Internationally practiced, Pecha Kucha is a presentation style with boundless possibilities. Prepare twenty slides, each lasting twenty seconds, and six minutes and forty seconds later, see where the conversation goes.

Nominate a speaker, or sign-up yourself, by emailing (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).