Friday, October 30, 2009

Our Workplace Methodology: Creative Chaos, in a Single Shot

Last night, we had the great pleasure to debut a short single-shot video on our workplace methodology at Memphis’s “Creative Conversations,” an event hosted by the Memphis College of Art and MPACT Memphis. A team of fellows, along with Creative Strategist Helen Johnson, discussed how we work, some of our core values, and why projects like this video are important to our day-to-day operations.

“Creative Conversations” are part of the National Arts and Humanities Month programs coordinated by Americans for the Arts. These events are local gatherings of emerging leaders in communities across the country and are part of a grass roots movement to elevate the profile of the arts in America during National Arts and Humanities Month.

Many thanks to Grant Withington and Ben Johnson, the brains behind the shoot; and Ramble Horse, who provided the soundtrack.

The GOOD 100: CreateHere

Read more about CreateHere in GOOD.
See all 100 that made the GOOD list.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Summer Dregs CD Release: November 7

Summer Dregs is the collaborative brainchild of MakeWork grant recipient Carl Cadwell. CreateHere will host a live performance by Summer Dregs in our gallery space on November 7 from 8 PM to 10PM. Grant Withington, CreateHere fellow, captured a bit of footage at a recent band rehearsal. Check it out, and stay tuned for more details on the Summer Dregs CD release party. More information HERE!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Establishing Shot Video Series, Episode 3: Jim Pfitzer

Michael Kendall is an Editorial Fellow. He recently sat down with Jim Pfitzer, ArtsMove artist and professional storyteller. The video below was produced by Megan Hollenbeck, a local videographer.

“I lived here twenty years ago, and it was not a place I wanted to be. I couldn’t imagine ever coming back…we were a dirty city.” These words are from Jim Pfitzer, ArtsMove artist and local storyteller.

In 1987 Jim left Chattanooga in a Volkswagen Bus (ironically), and headed for sunny California. He spent roughly twenty years living out of this bus, working as a rafting guide in Yellowstone, at a hostel in the Redwood Forest in CA, and at a nature center in Chicago, Illinois.

Twenty years after he left, he decided to come back. Chattanooga had become, in his absence, a budding community of growth and development, and it was this and his desire for a slower-paced lifestyle that brought him back to his roots.

Jim wasn’t raised on storytelling. The only time he remembers being told a story was at a church summer camp, and it was then that his interest was piqued, and the rest of his life has been spent uncovering and developing this ability.

The inspiration behind Jim’s stories derives from his passion for the outdoors. Birds of prey, black bear encounters, and memories of giant magnolia trees all are topics of stories Jim tells, and he has found that these interests coupled with the passion that has interwoven itself into his existence have all been integral to his ability to create a story that captures the interest of his listeners.

Original stories are not the only type that Jim purveys, however. Here is an example of Jim’s personal variation on a couple of ancient Zen Koans that he has mashed together (via his blog). Nothing captures the essence of this Tennessean treasure like his own words:
There was once a young monk who ran across his master on a meditative walk. As he approached trying to be respectful and quiet, he saw the master spit on a statue of the Buddha. Seeing the student’s alarm, the master turned to him and said, “It is only a statue,” and walked on.

A week later, they met again on the same trail. This time, the master was bowing down in front of the same statue. Upon standing, he saw the monk’s confused look, and said, “Some see a statue, others see the Buddha.” The monk walked on.

A week later, the monk discovered his master early in the morning along the trail huddled by a fire like a traveler. As he approached, the master reached behind him, picked up a small wooden statue of the Buddha in one hand, took a hatchet in the other hand, split the statue in two and placed the pieces on the fire. Once again, seeing the monk’s distress, the master spoke. “Look at the ground and tell me what you see.” When the monk responded that he saw pebbles and dirt, the master directed him to look closer. The monk bent over to get a better look. Each time the monk described what he saw, he was instructed to “looker closer still” until finally he was on his knees with his nose in the dirt. “From here, I can see nothing,” he said.

The master walked behind the monk, laughed, kicked him in the ass, and walked on.

The young monk got up, brushed off the dirt and sat down by the fire. Eventually, he too found himself laughing.

You can listen to Jim’s stories live! He has appeared at a myriad of locations in Chattanooga including the Children’s Discovery Museum, Rock City, and private events all over the city. You can follow Jim on twitter: @jimpfitzer, and to find out more about Jim’s activities visit his website, http://www.jimpfitzer.com.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Persona | Anima Event Series: Make a Mask on Friday

Katie Waddell is an Arts Fellow who helped curate our current exhibition, “persona | anima.” Here, she thanks any and everyone who participated, and gives us some details on one last event, just in time for Halloween.

As persona | anima nears its conclusion, I’m reminded of, and must thereby enthusiastically relate, the manifold talent exhibited by the Chattanoogans passing through the gallery doors.

When persona |anima was in its planning stages, we deliberately decided to put together a show and corresponding events that engaged people’s imaginations and encouraged them to put their creative faculties to work. People delivered. Over the course of the show, the fellows here have seen excellent figurative artwork from local and regional artists, astounding Play-Doh mini-sculptures, collaborative drawing, ridiculously amazing fashion design, and, most recently, impressive acting and dramatic collaboration. On behalf of the CreateHere fellows, I want to thank everyone who participated, collaborated, created, and showcased. You were and are wonderful; you are what makes Chattanooga a vibrant and exciting city.

And, to digress somewhat, we have one more persona | anima event—an informal costume party complete with mask-making—occurring continuously during office hours on October 30th. If you need to make a mask to compliment your Halloween costume, or you feel your costume needs a trial run, feel free to stop by, show off your new witch hat or modified bed sheet, and take advantage of our craft supplies.
For our next exhibit, we plan to take a much different approach, albeit an exciting one. Again, we’ll be calling on Chattanoogans to participate, collaborate, create, and play. Based on what I’ve seen from you all so far, I know you’ll be up for the challenge.

A Week in the Life of a Fellow: Thank you, Neighbor

Elana Gulas is a Senior Fellow on CreateHere’s culture team. Here, she tells us about the importance of people and place, even if it’s just a matter of where you run ashore.

This Sunday, as many folks may have seen as they drove by 55 East Main Street, I had a little car trouble. People that know me and my driving skills know that I am not the world’s most observant driver and have been known to visit “LaLa Land” more often than I should. This Sunday, I was in awe of the beautiful day and didn’t happen to notice the humongous curb that was in my way as I pulled up to park. After hitting the curb at what was probably 20 miles an hour, I immediately had a flat tire.

This was not my first trip to this rodeo: I have had more flat tires that I care to share (a number so high I should have stock in Goodyear), so I did what I normally do. I called Dad.

But Dad was going to be about 4 hours, so I sought help from my friend and Main Street neighbor, Veronique. With all sorts of brute strength, she and I wrestled the flat, with not much luck, until my brother George came to the rescue.

George got the process rolling, bolts loosened, jack secured, and then a faulty parking break got in the way of his success. The jack had slipped, giving my brother much more difficulty than he had bargained for.

There was nothing to fear because within minutes, out of no where, the Main Streeters were on it. Between Joan Marie, who owns Blue Grass Grill (if you don’t know her, get to know her), two nice men taking a Sunday stroll, a man scoping out the public art installations, and Eric, a favored tenant in the Lofts on Main, my tire problems were extremely short lived.

This may have only taken 20 minutes of their day, but it was significant in making mine better. I known I didn’t say it enough this past Sunday, so I’d like to say thanks here. To those that helped me, you all have proved, yet again, the awesomeness of Main Street and its visitors. Thank you.

Spread the Word: ArtsMove deadline Thursday

This year’s third ArtsMove application deadline is on Thursday, October 29.

ArtsMove is a relocation incentive for full and part-time working artists. In its first three years, ArtsMove helped 25 practicing artists relocate to Chattanooga by offering mortgage assistance and financial assistance for the purchase of properties in one of five downtown neighborhoods. Combined home sales for phases I-III total $3.8 million.

From chocolatiers to landscape architects to storytellers to graphic designers to classical sculptors to DJs, ArtsMove artists have played an integral role in the redevelopment of the Southside.

Today, ArtsMove is growing, bringing the spirit of creative revitalization to a larger footprint, with a more flexible award. Qualifying artists can rent or buy property within a 3.5-mile radius of downtown. So far, four artists have been granted this new award, among them musicians, jewelery designers, and contemporary artists.

Interested in applying? Know someone who is? Visit http://artsmove.org for more details.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Summer Dregs CD Release Party: November 7 @ CreateHere

Carl Cadwell is a local musician and 2009 MakeWork grant recipient. His project, a collaborative album, debuts at CreateHere on November 7. He sent us this brief preview.

In 2007 Infradig—my previous band—was done.

Within a couple weeks of our last show I began working on tracks with no other desire than to fulfill my need to create. As I began to get lost in a noisy cloud of beats and melodies, I asked some friends to help me shape these masses into songs. Before I knew it we had a project—now called Summer Dregs—which involved some of Chattanooga’s best musicians, artists and designers. What we shaped, with the help of CreateHere’s MakeWork grant, is an album called From Gold to Green. The album is community music, it’s Chattanooga music and, most importantly, it’s really really good music.

On November 7, from 8 to 10 pm at CreateHere, this long work of many hands will come to fruition. We’re going to celebrate in full force. There will be music from Charles Allison, Reeve Hunter and a large Chattanooga collective playing Summer Dregs songs. There will also be art and an installation from Cat Collier and Sarah Nichols.  And beer.

Summer Dregs: The People
The band includes Josh Green (The Distribution), Stephen Nichols (The Good Players), Reeve Hunter, Michael Kendall (Coral Castles), and Mark Nichols.
And the CD includes most of the above plus John Totten (The Quiet Ones), Chris Ammons (Jairus), Ryan Dixon, Mason Neely, Robert Heiskell, Andrew Hobbs (Infradig)

For more information on Summer Dregs, check out MySpace and Facebook. Click here for event details.

Future Economies in Italy’s Piedmont: Notes from the Field

Josh McManus is one of CreateHere’s co-founders and Creative Strategists. He’s on the road for a month-long trip abroad through the Marshall Memorial Fellowship, and sent us this dispatch from Italy.

The pace of my trip has sped up significantly, to point where it’s become difficult for me to write regularly. That’s probably best, though: Italy, our most recent stop, takes time to digest, literally and figuratively.

We flew from Paris to Turin via the French/Italian Alps, welcomed by the violent shudders of “Siberian Winds” some 24,000 feet above sea level. The plane’s shaking was unlike anything I’d experienced before, and the panicked look on the flight attendant’s face must have mirrored my own. A silver lining, however: this was to be the first and only terror of my visit to Italy.

We were welcomed at the home café of Italy’s largest coffee company, Lavazza. The raciness of their advertisement campaigns was in sharp contrast to the humility and easy candor of our host, Piero Gastaldo of the Compagnia di San Paolo.

The Compagnia—company—has billions in assets and stands as one of Europe’s top three private philanthropic foundations. It began as a brotherhood of social service in 1563, and following the recent global economic crisis, is now one of the world’s 10 largest banks

Over nearly five centuries of growth, the Compagnia’s philanthropic arm spun out and now focuses on a mission of bettering Turin specifically, as well as the larger world, by connecting the local dimension to the global sphere.

During this trip, I’ve had the opportunity to witness an exciting fact: many great cities that excel at improvement derive that capacity not through transitional governments but through the long-range vision of benevolent philanthropic entities.

If Paris was a “Moveable Feast”, then Turin was a fixed celebration of place and presence.  From touchdown to wheels up, our visit showed how a post-agrarian (and perhaps re-agrarian) economy has transformed itself into the epi-center of a movement.  

On my first morning in the city, I strolled out for a 7:00 am market visit. It was Tuesday, and conventional wisdom has taught me not to have high hopes for early mid-week mornings, but insomnia drove me to restless exploration. I was blown away to find Europe’s largest outdoor market, boasting more than 1,000 stalls of fresh food, meats, cheeses, fish, clothing and sundries of all types. People of all stations piled into the market to shop, but also engage in the rich cultural tradition that is a town market: the market is far more than just a place to get supplies. It’s a place where news is passed from booth to booth, where culinary traditions are preserved, and where immigrants and natives alike gather around the shared concerns of sustenance and survival.

It is evidence of a good practice: the market is the flagship for a region that is conscious of where it came from and where it’s going.

Our travels and studies took us to the production facilities of the aforementioned Lavazza coffee company, where the discussions focused more on grower conditions than profit margins; the emphasis on carbon reduction rather than global economic crisis. Lavazza does well by doing good, and that was clear throughout their presentation.

From Lavazza, we drove deep into the Piedmont Plateau to tour the University of Gastroendemonic Sciences, where undergraduate and masters students were building the skills of palate definition, taste recognition scales, and agro-business. Their goal is to become front-line leaders of the quickly globalizing food renaissance. From preserving all of the wines of Italy to developing standardized palate recognition scales for the world, the Institute is the brainchild of Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini.  The shining eyes among the student body was enough to prove to me that magic is happening in that valley.

There’s no way to capture that entire valley in one dispatch, but I can say that I had two of the best meals of my life in the course of twelve hours there; drank beer that is inspiring a revolution in the Italian wine country; stood on top of a hill and soaked up the cool breeze that turns out some of the world’s best grapes; talked Slow Food strategy in the office of Carlo Petrini; and changed my outlook on the world. It’s a big valley, y’all.

I realized: we are faced with morally imperative issues on a frequent basis. From genocide in the developing world, to our footprint on the earth, our shared values tell us that things are wrong, but that we cannot work alone. Transformation can only come when moral imperative meets fiscal imperative, and that’s what I witnessed in Italy’s Piedmont. Slow in no longer an isolated idea: it’s a robust and growing economy that is poised to change the way we think about sustenance and agrarian economies.

As a firm believer in the free market, this brings a smile to my face. It also restores my confidence that markets follow the consumer and not the other way around. There’s hope, then, for leaving this world better than we found it.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Handcrafters Gift Gala: November 6

The holiday season is rapidly approaching and gift-giving is soon to follow. To kick things off, seven local artisans and their unique Chattanooga-made products will be featured at the Handcrafters Gift Gala on November 6.

From 10:00am until 7:30pm at the Business Development Center on Cherokee Boulevard, all Chattanoogans are invited to view a showcase of local craftsmanship, enjoy some hors d’oeuvres and even pick up a few goodies from the vendors: Alchemy Spice Company, Cabeen Originals, Everyday Eclectic, The Hot Chocolatier, Lesha Patterson Photography, McGowan and McClain and BML, Inc. From chocolate truffles to custom woodworking, the Gala promises an enjoyable opportunity to purchase remarkable local products, big and small, directly from their manufacturers, and maybe win a gift basket in a live drawing.

The founders of these small businesses, many of whom graduated from the SpringBoard Business Planning Course, are to be commended for their ongoing contributions to the local economy and community. Their high-quality products, among many others, are establishing a wonderful selection of local goods, helping to drive economic growth here in the Scenic City.

For more information, contact the Business Development Center at 423-413-5897.

By Trey Meyer, Arts Senior Fellow

Hops and Opera: TONIGHT @ 7 pm!

The Chattanooga Theatre Centre, in partnership with the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera and CreateHere, is inviting Chattanoogans of all musical inclinations to the next installment of Hops & Opera tonight, October 23, which pairs artisanal beer with some of Chattanooga’s leading operatic voices.

MCs Bob Bernhardt and Harv Wileman will be in the main lobby of the Chattanooga Theatre Centre for another installment from 7:30-9:30 p.m. The evening features brew from Chattanooga’s Big River Grille & Brewing Works and hot dogs from the Appalachian Dog Company, and Summitt Pianos joins the Hops & Opera team to present a night 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 & Opera features arias by Lehár, Bizet, Puccini, Verdi, and Mozart and many others, from stories full of betrayal, infidelity, murder, and seduction.

Admission is $10 at the door. Want more details? Check out the Facebook event page.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Mainx24 Planning Meeting Tonight @ green|spaces

Just a little reminder that tonight at 5:30 pm, green|spaces will host the final brainstorming and planning meeting for this year’s Mainx24: organizers are looking to have plans set by the end of the month. Come by this afternoon if you’re interested in volunteering, riding in the parade, or planning an event!

Creation of Character Luncheon: Tomorrow @ 11:30 am

As part of the “Persona | Anima” Event Series, 55here will host a luncheon tomorrow, October 21, from 11:30 to 1 pm. The event is free and is designed for seasoned and aspiring performers as well those who are just plain curious about theater, performance and character development.

Kim Jackson, local actress, and Garry Posey, founder of the Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga, will facilitate this interactive event.

Kim and Garry have spent a great deal of time collaborating to prepare for the luncheon. By way of a four-part recipe for interaction and awareness, the duo will engage participants in open discussion, dialogue, monologue, and sceneage. With both improvisational and practiced participation from guests and local players from the theater community, the event will encourage the exploration of the depths of character.

If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Lunch will be provided.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

A Million Little Things, In Under 10 MInutes

On Thursday morning, a group of LeadHere fellows, including Trey Meyer, Elana Gulas, Melinda Taylor and myself, presented to Wichita’s Chamber of Commerce on the theme of CreateHere.

No small thing. A lot of us who work here find it hard to summarize what we do in a matter of minutes. A few months ago, the fellows were given the task to work in teams and produce presentations—each under 10 minutes—that explain at what CH really is. Some of us focused on people, others on programs, and others still on the underpinnings of our organization: the next big thing is a million little things.

No matter what approach you take, the conversation’s going to be a long one: little though they may be, it takes a while to talk about a million things. The presentation we gave on Thursday comes from the pool of those designed during that project.

Our visitors were patient and enthusiastic, though. They were are all visiting Chattanooga to research potential development models for Wichita’s downtown. A few things on the horizon: an arts district and programs that bolster entrepreneurship. As a group, they asked fantastic questions, proof of their interest in projects that revitalize cities in sustainable ways. We’ll be following their work in Wichita: it’s an exciting prospect, for sure.

Worried though we were about our abilities to deliver this presentation, it appears a journalist in Wichita totally gets it, and for that, we’re eternally grateful.

Thank you to our attentive visitors, and to the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, the team responsible for bringing this dynamic group to our city.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Leadership Lessons from Macolm Gladwell: Humility is Key

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend Catalyst Leadership Conference in Atlanta, where one of my favorite authors, Malcolm Gladwell, gave a talk entitled, “Mistakes Leaders Make: What Does the Financial Crisis Tell us About Leadership?”

Gladwell is first foremost a storyteller. In his writings for periodicals and books, he weaves together seemingly disconnected stories, finding overlooked, and underappreciated, correlations. He draws lessons and insights from these stories, providing relevant lessons for the challenges of today.

This address began with a story from the Civil War, specifically the Battle of Chancellorsville.

Abraham Lincoln had recently replaced the ineffective General McClellan with Thomas Hooker, a young, arrogant general of the Union Army. Knowing that Lee was holed up nearby, Hooker commissioned a troop of spies to find out what they could about Lee’s position. Hooker’s intelligence was unrivaled: He broke Lee’s code, and regularly intercepted messages. It was through this network of information gathering that Hooker was able to know Lee’s position, on an almost daily basis. Using this information, Hooker devised a plan to trap Lee.

Outnumbering him at least 2 to 1, and confident in his knowledge of Lee’s whereabouts, Hooker was convinced he couldn’t lose. “God almighty could not prevent us from victory,” he reportedly said.

He was wrong. Secure in his vast amount of information, he refused to listen when aids came to him telling of Lee’s maneuvering. Undaunted, he continued to prepare for battle, and refused to let anyone else speak to him—he set his plan, and he knew best. Hooker was so sure that Lee would retreat to Richmond that his forces were completely overwhelmed when Lee instead surprised them by attacking first. Hooker, trapped by his own overconfidence, paid the ultimate price.

Gladwell then compared this fiasco with the financial crisis, where “experts” knew everything about the market and could predict what would happen. They thought they knew the outcome of their actions, and this overconfidence led to a financial meltdown.

Research shows that as our amount of information increases, the likelihood of making a better decision or prediction actually does not increase significantly, but what does increase is our confidence in the accuracy of the prediction. Knowledge does not equal better decisions; we all over-estimate the value of extra information.

We have a tendency to become more confident in our decisions because of how much we know. Excess confidence can lead to mis-calibration—where you think you know more than you actually do. This is counter-intuitive: we think that mistakes are due to lack of information, rather than because of overconfidence resulting from too much information. In times of crisis we think we need daring and bold decision making, what we need in times of crisis is humility.

A key sign that a leader is overconfident is when he or she stops listening to those around them; when they cut themselves off from others. It is necessary for a leader to develop humility—a willingness to listen to others, to seek wise council.

By Ben Johnson, Economy Fellow