Art 120 founder Kate Warren lived in Houston but says she was drawn to the Scenic City because, “this city lives and breathes art.”
Her parents came here in the early 90s. “Mom was working on the carousel with Bud Ellis,” Warren recalls. “And this city was using the arts for their entire economic redevelopment. They understand how important arts are for the economy, revitalization and just personal joy.”
What Warren didn’t realize was the Hamilton County School System didn’t have a budget for art teachers for the elementary primary grade levels. That meant students had to wait until sixth grade before being exposed to art.
“When I was growing up, art was what kept me coming to school,” Warren says. “I couldn't conceive that children didn’t have access to art. And I thought: one day I'm going to do something about it.”
She did.
Warren founded Art 120 in 2010 connecting children, teachers and the community to art. She says children benefit from the arts because it improves manual dexterity skills, critical thinking and provides a creative outlet during the day.
Until a budget was set Warren brought art directly to the schools. Houston is another art forward city, well known for hosting an annual Art Car parade. Warren brought that to the Scenic City in 2011.
“I started the Art Car event, which was the Scenic City Art Car Weekend at that time,” she says. “We would visit as many Title I schools as we could with the cars and afterward have a free public art event for everybody to enjoy. It was a great advocacy tool.”
She says Art Car gave her the opportunity to tell everyone that there was no budget for art teachers. She says people were shocked to learn about the lack of funding.
“There was a big disconnect,” she says. “More people got to know that and finally there was a budget approved back in 2017 to start hiring and bringing art teachers into our primary grade schools.”
Little by little the organization started expanding its programs. Kids are taught how to weld and build their own art bikes. Teachers are provided with art resources. Art 120 developed after school programs where kids could create their own fashion camp and learn about digital literacy. There are programs designed for adults and some for primary and secondary students.
Warren says it’s all about increasing art awareness, reaching and teaching with art (A.R.T.).
“It's all based on accessibility,” she says. “We really focus the core here in Chattanooga because that's where we are and we want to celebrate our city. But we also try to branch out and forge stronger connections with other artists, communities, and the public within about a 120-mile radius, which can include Nashville, Knoxville, Birmingham and Atlanta and by doing so we can strengthen our entire region of the arts.”
The Art Car event is now known as We Make Festival, and will be returning Saturday, May 9, 2026, in their new location, Sculpture Fields in Montague Park.
“This year is especially exciting as we celebrate 15 years of art cars and community arts access,” she says. “Art 120 has always believed art belongs beyond the gallery walls, bringing it into streets, classrooms, and communities through education, curation, event - this milestone is proof of just that.”
“It is going to be fun because we are going back to our roots on the Southside with a special twist,” Warren adds. “The Art Cars will be placed among the sculptures so people can walk around, and we'll have a performance area as well. Our International Market vendors will be selling some amazing food and gifts. Local artists will be selling jewelry, unique art, and decor. An Upcycled Fashion Show, Student art exhibits and live performances are a special highlight of the day. We Make Festival is free and open to the public.”
Aside from the We Make Festival, Art120 hosts an International Market Series throughout the year. “Our international market celebrates Chattanooga’s multicultural heritage,” Warren says. “Most people don't realize that we have a beautifully talented and diverse community of Americans here. Folks from Asia, Pakistan, India, all over the world.”
Since launching the market, Art 120 has received a lot of demand to increase their free public events to strengthen our community. Their calendar of events is available on their Facebook page and website www.art120.org
In order to keep expanding programs, Art 120-Chattanooga needs donations and support.
“We need businesses to step up,” Warren says. “Right now, we’re at a moment where we could really grow—offer more workshops, create more opportunities for people in the community, and find new ways to serve the public. But we can’t do it without the support and generosity of Chattanoogans. Every donation, every patron, every sponsor helps us keep the momentum going to bring these programs to life.”
Kate has set up a special ArtCaraVan donation drive to raise funds for youth art programs, school visits, and art supplies. She says every $5 donation supports a Hamilton County child.
“A typical classroom is 30 students,” she says. “Whether you want to sponsor a single kid, a classroom or an entire school, every contribution goes directly into our art programs, helping us support both the kids and the community as a whole.” Our goal is to raise $5,000 in individual giving to cover two Hamilton County elementary schools between now and We Make on May 9th.
Click here to donate, visit their website at www.art120.org.