The Glass House Collective brings a neighborhood together
In an impressive display of community strengthening and revitalizing, the Glass House Collective has demonstrated that with some likeminded people, vision, determination, and follow-through, that community (re)development can surpass the achieved mark, and skyrocket to well beyond thriving levels.
As individuals, sometimes it is hard to make a voice be heard, an action to be acknowledged, a desire to be expressed, or an impact to be felt. Glass Street was a location that was full of people with tremendous potential, and phenomenal abilities, only the potential and ability would remain locked inside of them with no definitive way to let it out.
Where they would look around and want to see and implement change, it would be difficult since one person can only do so much, particularly in an area that has obtained the “rough part of town label”. The area was slipping in terms of aesthetics, amongst other aspects, and needed a transformation. Glass House Collective was the spark that turned into the catalyst for change.
The Collective was founded in 2012 to “bring life back to Glass Street and Glass Street back to life” through artist-led and community involved projects. GHC’s work recognizes and celebrates the distinctiveness of Glass Street’s people, place and culture with the goal to inspire, support and ignite the spark that will bring about positive community change. GHC works together with residents and partners to make Glass Street and the surrounding community cleaner, safer, and more inviting.”
Led by a robust and growing board, steadfast volunteers, and empowered residents, GHC assiduously works to create, inspire, upgrade, transform, unite, teach, gather, and strengthen Glass Street and the surrounding East Chattanooga Community. The project started as a very small group, and has snowballed into a beautiful powerhouse of an entity.
The board added four new members this year, and is led by a diverse conglomeration of inspiring minds, with incredibly impressive credentials. It is not merely the fact that the combined education of the members makes them extraordinarily impressive as a group. The board is also full of culture, many of them have traveled the world, and lived abroad.
They are a mixture of world class artists, architects, lawyers, and an anthropologist with a Ph.D. They are real people with experience in real world settings, and they all come together with the intentions to continue growing the Glass Street Community; to take the rose that has developed, and turn it into an entire garden of beautiful flowers.
“As entrepreneurial and beta-minded, we gather diverse teams of talent to help revitalize historic Glass Street in East Chattanooga,” they explain on their website. “We see our work through three lenses, that help us prepare for impact: Creative Placemaking, Feet on the Streets, and New Partnerships. We use creativity as a resource for renewal to bring people together.”
Forging community events like Greening Glass Street, Glass Street Brand, the Tree Planting Volunteer Day, Pardi Gras, Glass Street Live Block Party, On the Lot (BBQ and live music), Glass Street Cleanup, AIA Design Workshop, Day of Service, Scavenger Hunt, and Better Block Reviving Glass Street, were all created for the purposes of growth, development, and unity.
Pop-Up Projects generated quite the buzz where exhibits were formed to further solidify the growth of the artistic community, as well as demonstrate the rich history, and flourishing transformation that is currently engulfing Glass Street.
Artistic projects aimed at expression, exploration, and creativity have paved the way for numerous sculptures, and murals around Glass Street. These projects featured truly masterful pieces of artwork, and helped to solidify Chattanooga’s stance as a dominating force in the worldwide artistic community.
The Glass Street Collective has helped Glass Street and the surrounding area turn into something truly remarkable. The lack of community is a thing of the past, and people have truly united under the guidance of this marvelous collective. It has been so successful that it is certain that other cities and communities across the nation can use their template as initiative for new beginnings.
Support this incredible organization by donating, volunteering, and by attending their events. For more information about upcoming events, and detailed information regarding the programs mentioned please visit glasshousecollective.org. “I am seeking. I am striving. I am in it with all my heart.” —Vincent van Gogh