Friday, August 15, 2008

The Necessary Tools

The Necessary Tools
Healthcare is an essential, though difficult, addition to any artist’s toolbox

For artists and be-my-own-boss-types alike, the stress of finding insurance is often reason enough to give-up on the whole enterprise. The epic quest for affordable coverage requires bravery, discipline and an appreciation for music of the “You’ve Been Put on Hold Indefinitely” genre. Of course, the high cost of even the most basic medical treatments testifies to the importance of reliable healthcare, but with the investment of time—and of course money—required, it can be difficult for the self-employed to justify the hassle. A little know-how can get you started in the right direction.

First and foremost, there’s the government. Many programs, both federal and state, exist to pay for your healthcare costs, though you may find that qualifying for Uncle Sammy’s dollars requires an extenuating circumstance. Cover Tennessee provides healthcare for children and seriously ill individuals who have been denied healthcare elsewhere. Those over 65 can benefit from Medicare, and low-income families have Medicaid at their disposal. Most notably, CoverTN, one of four divisions in the Cover Tennessee network, finds ways to insure the employees of small businesses across the state.

As an individual seeking healthcare independently, it’s helpful to think outside the box. Let’s imagine you’ve been employed by A Company Fortunate Enough to Find a Genius Like You, Incorporated, which has generously provided you with a benefits package that includes healthcare. Because this company is staffed with 800 or so other geniuses, you all get cheaper insurance rates. You benefit, collectively, from your individual employment.

Enter the private group provider, a type of organization that simulates a large company for the purposes of providing insurance to its members. Group providers connect artists with bunches of uninsured brethren, i.e. your fellow geniuses. The idea is that there is strength (and discount) to be had when these bundles of artists approach insurance companies as a collective, rather than as individual policy-buyers. Enrolling in a private group provider gives the shopper access to rates that those working for larger companies enjoy. Enjoyment whilst shopping for insurance. It’s genius.

There are a few names in the private group provider industry worth knowing. With Freelancers Union, members have access to health insurance as well as dental, disability and term life policies for the particularly ambitious. Fractured Atlas, a provider some 50,000-members strong, can also connect artists in Tennessee with an appropriate healthcare plan through Aetna. And there’s Assurant Health, which helps with financing your healthcare and works with several nation-wide insurance companies providing both short- and long-term policies.

Goodness, it sounds so easy, but the buyer beware: insurance companies recommended by group providers are not legally bound to accept group bids. While Freelancers Union and Fractured Atlas have enormous clout because of their sheer size, it’s still not a sure thing. Ever.

Should you so choose to forgo insurance, there are many prescription assistance programs operated by non-profits and pharmaceutical companies. The government is also willing to offset prescription drug costs from time to time.

And then there’s the jive. Mercifully, many providers and advocacy groups offer resources for learning the romantic language of health insurance—and there are volumes dedicated to its pursuit. This proves incredibly helpful since different companies provide different types of coverage: you can do some powerful comparison-shopping when you understand the jargon. Hit me with an HAS for my PPO, you’ll tell them, you genius.

Keep in mind, even the most well-informed smooth talker can come up against major pratfalls. Age, medical history and income can all play a decisive role in whether or not you qualify for healthcare and how much it will cost should you score a policy. Additionally, it gets tricky when you want to insure yourself as well as a partner, family member, or group of employees. But you’re not alone in your search for affordable healthcare, little genius. That much, if only that much, is certain.

By Veronique Bergeron

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Call to Artists

The Maryville Civic Arts Center
Project Description
A new, 47-million dollar cultural center is currently being constructed on the campus of Maryville College, located in Maryville, Tennessee. The new Civic Arts Center will be a destination for the arts for Eastern Tennessee and the region, and will include a 1200 seat theater and 250-seat recital hall, a 200-seat flexible theater, three exhibition spaces, workshops, classrooms and offices.  The majestic entry lobby, as well as the Center’s exterior arts plaza, will be the focal point for a myriad of corporate, community and college events. 
Information about the Civic Arts Center can be found at the website http://www.civicartscenter.org, and includes updates on the progress of construction as well as information about the site plan, donors and Maryville College.
There will be a significant fine arts component to the new cultural center. This part of the project is open to established, professional artists living in the United States and abroad. The aim is to acquire works of the highest quality, and will include both regional artists and those artists living and working internationally. The primary criteria will be the level of expertise and quality of past work exhibited by each artist, as well as suitability of that work for the site.
Art Locations
Fine artwork is being sought for a variety of areas within the building and in exterior locations. These works may include sculpture, painting, photography and video art, installation/environmental art, textile design, glass, ceramic art, and wood. Appropriate artworks may include two dimensional paintings for interior wall surfaces, exterior free standing sculpture or relief sculpture; pedestal-sized sculpture; and possibly the design of the theater curtain and prominent entrance doors. 
Criteria
All artists wishing to be considered must be proficient in their stated media, with a strong exhibition history and demonstrated expertise in their field. Submissions must take the form of no more than five (5) digital images of the artist’s most recent work, in jpeg format only, and include:
• The title, size, media and an explanation of each work depicted, including location.
• A CV or resume detailing exhibitions and other accomplishments. 
• Price range of past works, including commissions, if applicable. 
• Team members, if appropriate, if the artist typically employs structural engineers, fabricators or other subcontractors;
• Contractual relationships with galleries or private art dealers;
• Artist’s full contact information, including day and evening phone numbers, address and email. 
All submissions will be accepted via CD-Rom or flash drives only. Each individual CD Rom or flash drive must be clearly labeled with the artist’s name. CD Rom disks and flash drives will not be returned.  These should be forwarded to the Civic Arts Center’s architect, McCarty Holsaple McCarty.  Make sure the envelope is marked Fine Arts Program and forward to:
Jeff Johnson
McCarty Holsaple McCarty, Inc. 
550 W. Main Street, Suite 300  
Knoxville, TN 37902
Deadlines
Submission deadline is September 30, 2008. Submissions will be reviewed in October, with a short list presented to the Fine Arts Committee of the Maryville College Civic Arts Center by the end of the month.  Final decisions on artists to be considered for commissions or acquisitions of non-commissioned works will be made by the Fine Arts Committee. Artists will be notified via email.  It is the policy of Maryville College and the Civic Arts Center not to discriminate on the basis of age, race, sex, color, national origin or disability in its hiring and employment practices. No person shall be excluded from participation in or be discriminated against in treatment or employment on the grounds of handicap and/or disability, age, race, color, religion, gender, or national origin.

Monday, August 04, 2008

The Arts Mean Business

...communities that invest in the arts reap the additional benefits of jobs, economic growth, and a quality of life that positions those communities to compete in our 21st century creative economy. 

Nationally, the nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $166.2B in economic activity annually- a 24 percent increase in the past five years.  That amount is greater than the Gross Domestic Product of most countries.  This spending supports 5.7 million full-time jobs right here in the United States - an increase of 850,000 jobs since a 2002 study.  What’s more, because arts and culture organization are strongly rooted in their communities, these are jobs that necessarily remain local and cannot be shipped overseas.

Our industry also generates nearly $30B in revenue to local, state, and federal governments every year.  By comparison, the three levels of government collectively spend less that $4B annually to support the arts and culture - a spectacular 7:1 return on investment that would even thrill Wall Street veterans.

Arts and culture organizations - businesses in their own right - leverage additional event-related spending by their audiences that pump vital revenue into restaurants, hotels, retail stores, and other local businesses.  When patrons attend a performing arts event, for example, they may park their car in a toll garage, purchase dinner at a restaurant, and eat dessert after the show.  Valuable commerce is generated for local merchants.  This study shows that the typical attendee spends $27.79 per person, per event, in additional to the cost of admission.  When a community attracts cultural tourists, it harnesses even greater economic rewards.  Nonlocal audiences spend twice as much as their local counterparts ($40.19 vs. $19.53).  Arts and culture are magnets for tourists, and tourism research repeatedly shows that cultural travelers stay longer and spend more.  Whether serving the local community or out-of-town visitors, a vibrant arts and culture industry helps local businesses thrive. 

Right now, cities around the world are competing to attract new businesses as well as our brightest young professionals.  International studies show that the winners will be communities that offer an abundance of arts and culture opportunities.  As the arts flourish, so will creativity and innovation-the fuel that drives our global economy. 

(Source: Americans for the Arts, 2007)

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)

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

Monday, June 30, 2008

Local small businesses blossom through innovative tools

To the casual observer, Pejoux Designs, a burgeoning floral design business in Chattanooga, looked successful.  Owner Julie Tolbert had plenty of customers and was breaking even every month.  But in March 2008, after being in business for eight months, something was still missing: Pejoux wasn’t turning a profit, and still had $5k+ in start-up debt.

Typical of many creative entrepreneurs, Tolbert had great ideas and credentials; but an education in sculpture and floristry had not prepared her to manage a business.  So, in March of this year, Julie enrolled in an entrepreneurial training program called SpringBoard.  In the three short months following her graduation, Pejoux has become a debt-free, profitable enterprise.

SpringBoard, a program of CreateHere, is not a typical business planning course.  Geared toward small-business owners and creative hopefuls who want to understand the foundations of business, it involves the entrepreneurs and teachers in what leader Sheldon Grizzle calls a “facilitated dialogue” aimed to help people turn their personal passion into profitable and sustainable work.  SpringBoard adopted its curriculum from a similar initiative in Asheville, which has helped over 1,000 businesses and resulted in over $50 million in economic impact. 

In Chattanooga, the program is 31 graduates and four months strong, and is already having effects on the small business sector of the city.  Monday, June 23, marked the end of the third round of SpringBoard classes.  From artistry to economics, these folks have a lot in common.  All have grand ideas, a lot of creativity, and, now, both a basic understanding of how businesses work and a new network of fellow entrepreneurs. 

This third SpringBoard course was taught by Brent Jackson, an MBA student who helped get Niedlov’s off the ground, and Sheldon Grizzle of CreateHere.  The class meets three hours once a week for eight weeks.  A typical evening begins with a thirty-minute guest lecturer from the business community.  Then the facilitators jump into the night’s topic with group discussions and experiential learning.  Each participant also receives two free consulting sessions to discuss their individual business plan with one of the SpringBoard staff. 

Portrait artist Mia Bergeron, a recent graduate, says that SpringBoard course is “desperately needed,” and would encourage anyone to enroll.  A fourth round of SpringBoard begins July 7.  Jackson and Grizzle will co-facilitate the course again.  Guest lecturers for this class include local lawyers, bankers, marketing specialists, and accountants.  Registration is ongoing until the start date, but will close as soon as space in the course runs out.

What: SpringBoard Business Training Class, Round 4.
Where: CreateHere Studio, 55 East Main Street, Suite 105, Chattanooga, TN 37408
When: Once per week, July 7-August 25; 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Cost: Sliding scale from $100 to $500
For more information: contact Sheldon Grizzle at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), call the CreateHere studio at (423) 648-2195, or visit http://www.createhere.org.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

A Man Named Pearl

The AEC Back Row Film Series kicks off Saturday, June 28th with a demonstration, film screening and talk by renowned topiary artist Pearl Fryar.

The documentary A Man Named Pearl tells the inspiring story of self-taught topiary artist Pearl Fryar, whose unlikely journey to national prominence began with a bigoted remark that inspired him to create a message of peace and goodwill through his garden sculptures. Pearl and his gardens have been featured in the New York Times and Smithsonian, and on NPR and CBS Sunday Morning. This award-winning documentary, co-produced by Shaking Ray Levi Society, offers an upbeat message about respect for both self and others, and shows what one person can achieve when he allows himself to share the full expression of his humanity.

Tickets are going fast!  Call the AEC or visit http://www.backrowfilms.com to get your tickets early.

When: Saturday, June 28th
Where: The Tennessee Aquarium

5:00 PM Free Topiary Demonstration by Pearl Fryar on the Tennessee Aquarium Plaza
6:30 PM Film Screening and Discussion with Pearl Fryar in the Tennessee Aquarium Auditorium - use members’ entrance

Cost: $5 for AEC and Aquarium members; $10 for non-members.

Presented by green|spaces

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Vocational freedom granted to twenty-three MakeWork artists

Across the street from the brick shell of the old Levin building on Main Street, one of CreateHere’s first MakeWork grant recipients is planning a mural.  Shaun LaRose’s wall painting, which highlights Chattanooga’s environmental consciousness, will go up on the newly renovated building at the corner of Mitchell and Main.  LaRose’s mural will help beautify the neighborhood surrounding some of Main Street’s most available spaces. LaRose is a good example of a community-centered artist, exactly the kind the MakeWork program seeks to foster. 
CreateHere is pleased to announce the awarding of $150,000 in total funding to twenty-three such area artists as part of the 2008 MakeWork arts grants program.  From cheese makers to a documentary videographer to sculptors who need financial help to rent their studio space, a huge variety of artists are benefiting from the first round of CreateHere grants. 
Susan Seaton is a painter who will use her grant funding on a new project: capturing the world of a mentally challenged man in oils. “I feel incredibly grateful,” she says.  “I feel a strange weight off my back, with this free space, unencumbered by the need to look for a job while I do my art.  So I’m more focused.  At the same time, I feel an awesome sense of responsibility to those who selected me, for the bigger picture of what this does for Chattanooga.  This is for future artists too, and the longevity of the program.”
MakeWork is an arts grant program launched by CreateHere in January 2008.  Artists within a 50-mile radius of Chattanooga were encouraged to apply for the grants in a variety of artistic endeavors divided into three categories of need: Studio Assistance, Career Advancement, and Projects.  By mid-spring, over $878,000 in funding had been requested by 96 applicants.  Beginning at the end of March, the proposals were submitted to juries of local and out-of-town experts in various fields of arts and culture.
“I was impressed by the high caliber of the grants,” said juror Ellen Simak, Chief Curator at the Hunter Museum of American Art.  “That made the selection process very exciting but very difficult…What CreateHere is doing is valuable for…enlivening the arts community in Chattanooga.”
The MakeWork grants, ranging from $2,160 to $17,300, will be disbursed to the selected artists in installments over ten months, beginning in July. Grant recipients are urged to showcase their work in the community throughout the grant year and obligated to participate in CreateHere’s SpringBoard entrepreneurial program to explore the sustainability of their given disciplines.
A complete list of MakeWork grant recipients is attached.

Monday, June 02, 2008

Surface Issues

Surface Issues // May 28th - July 11th

“Surface Issues” is CreateHere’s latest exhibit, exploring the way 14 local artists and artisans think about the surfaces of their work.  “Surface Issues” presents an eclectic mix of painting, sculpture, video installation, decorative and functional art. The presentation of work is refreshing, while the overall resonance is quite progressive.

Drop by and check out the show Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 PM!  Come back and join us for a reception celebrating the artists on Friday, June 20th from 5 until 7 PM.  More details to come…

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Here’s to Rauschenberg.

In honor of one of America’s most influential artists, CreateHere would like to recognize the life of Robert Rauschenberg, who passed away Monday evening at the age of 82.

Born in 1925, Rauschenberg is widely recognized for pushing the boundaries of American art throughout his career, but especially during the 1950s following the movements of Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art. His innovative “Combine Paintings” incorporated painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography and papermaking. Rauschenberg was interested in taking found objects from the streets of New York City and re-assembling them to create new, thought provoking works of art. He professed, “I think a painting is more like the real world if it’s made out of the real world.” Thus, his most influential work questioned the previously established notion of ‘painting’ and redefined it as an interdisciplinary practice, where the use of multimedia, improvisation, and counter-intuition weighed heavily.

Read a little more about the life of Robert Rauschenberg.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

5.18.08 // Reception for “Storm Cycle” Exhibit

Thomas Mann, feeling an emotional urgency to understand and respond to the devastation in his hometown, began creating a body of work in his signature collage-assemblage style using materials gathered from the streets of New Orleans post-Katrina. Each of the 20 panels of STORM CYCLE include a removable, wearable jewelry-object within an assemblage of found objects and photos depicting the aftermath of the hurricane- each panel telling a different story. 

Please join us this Sunday afternoon for a reception!

May 18, 2008 @ CreateHere // 3 - 5 PM
with guest speaker Thomas Mann
live music featuring the Ben Friberg Trio
catering by Blue Orleans & Easy Seafood Bistro & Bar

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Pangea Day - Saturday 5.10.08

By the World, For the World, Breaking Down Borders

Pangea Day is a global event bringing the world together through the power of film. Over the course of four hours, a live broadcast around the globe will feature 24 short films, visionary speakers, and inspiring music. This free, public showing will take place at the Benwood Auditorium on UTC’s campus. In honor of World Fair Trade Day, CreateHere is inviting fair trade vendors and representatives from local organizations that support the global community. Explore international flavors, merchandise, live music, and global art, while learning how Chattanoogans are impacting the world. Please pass the word along to anyone who may be interested!

http://www.PangeaDay.org
www.PangeaDayChattanooga.com