Chattanooga's public art scene has flourished over the past few decades, with countless murals, sculptures, trail art, and neighborhood art installations, earning the Scenic City a reputation for its public art displays.
I see these displays everywhere downtown, whether it be on my way to a coffee shop or turning a corner while running; there is no shortage of stunning public art in Chattanooga.
Similar to how Chattanooga is recognized as an outdoor city, it has increasingly grown to be synonymous with public art, symbolizing the creativity and enduring spirit of our city and its dedication to embracing art as a way to totally transform downtown spaces and bring folks together.
Public art has spread all across the city, including into neighborhoods outside of downtown, like Glass Street, Alton Park, and MLK, and even into large outdoor spaces like the Sculpture Fields at Montague Park.
In the months to come, the Chattanooga Pulse will be working to highlight various public art happenings as they occur across the greater Chattanooga area; however, one of the coolest public art events in the Scenic City is occurring this Saturday, May 16th, at Erlanger Park, where local multidisciplinary artist and designer Tommy Bronx will be revealing his Erlanger Park Stadium Gates and throwing out the first pitch at the Lookouts game. There will also be a scavenger hunt with prizes and Lookout ticket giveaways.
Katelyn Kirnie, the manager of Public Art for Public Art Chattanooga, discussed what people can expect from the unveiling and expressed her excitement for this signature event and the state of public art in the Scenic City.
“We’re really pumped about the recently completed Erlanger Park Stadium Gates by local artist Tommy Bronx. They were installed with the completion of the stadium earlier this month. We have an interactive public art opening event happening on Saturday, May 16th, at 4:30 p.m., before the Lookouts game. The artist will be on deck to share about the three ‘metal murals’ he created for the entry gates; we’ll have a scavenger hunt with prizes, and Tommy will be throwing out the first pitch of the game.”
The event is being put on by The Lookouts and the City of Chattanooga’s Office of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy. It is set to be a unique evening that ultimately highlights the incredible stadium gates designed by Tommy Bronx.
The stadium entry gates for Erlanger Park were conceived not as temporary murals but as monumental, permanent steel narratives, with each of the three entry gates telling a different story. The names for each work are “Where the Game Begins,” “Forged on this Ground,” and “At the Foot of the Mountain,” with each reflecting a broader part of Chattanooga’s identity. The works were then laser-cut into Corten steel and built around Chattanooga-steeped storytelling.
The artist, Tommy Bronx, has over fifteen years of experience creating public art, and he gave a statement about what these works mean to him, offering up how deeply important it was to him to reflect the spirit of the city of Chattanooga in these gates.
“Creating the gates for Erlanger Park is deeply personal for me. Chattanooga is a city where landscape, history, and community are inseparable. To be able to translate that identity into steel, into something permanent and civic, is an honor…Knowing that families, fans, and future generations will pass through this work for years to come means everything to me. To contribute a lasting public artwork to the City of Chattanooga is both a responsibility and a privilege, and I’m proud to have played a role in shaping this moment for the city."
The Stadium Gates at Erlanger Park installation by Bronx spotlight Chattanooga’s growing reputation as a public art city, one where art is no longer just confined to museums and murals but is built into the very spaces where people gather together, showcasing Chattanooga’s rapidly evolving identity.
Speaking more about public art happenings in the city and their impact, Katelyn Kirnie discussed how the staff doesn’t choose the artist; the community does, adding that hopefully these works will continue to help redefine Chattanooga’s cultural landscape.
“Every project and site has different objectives and goals for the artwork created. Once the artist is selected, they respond to the goals and vision for the artwork through their own style and interpretation in response to the surrounding community. It’s an interesting process that most people aren’t aware of.
Our staff has extensive experience and expertise in public art, but we don’t actually choose the artist. The community does. The artists have a responsibility to produce work that goes beyond serving their own interests and also serves the broader community and the specific cultural context of the site.
They visit the site, get input, create a concept design, respond to feedback, revise, and finalize a design that is approved by the Chattanooga Public Art Commission before they get to install their work on public property. The artworks created for our city not only contribute to the cultural landscape of Chattanooga, but they also reflect it by representing a diversity of artistic expressions, and, if we’re really doing our job well, they inspire creativity and redefine Chattanooga’s cultural landscape.”
Finally, Katelyn mentioned that she hopes these works of public art will encourage people to stop and take a look at the spaces around them, to be inspired by the beauty of the everyday.
“I hope these artworks encourage people to pause, look around, and truly notice the meaningful, present-moment encounters in our shared ‘human’ spaces. My goal is for them to reveal the beauty and wonder within the everyday; the constant natural inspiration available to us if we simply open ourselves to new experiences and perspectives.”
Erlanger Park Stadium Gates Public Art Opening and Interactive Event
- Saturday, May 16, 4:30-5 p.m.
- Free. Main Entrance of Erlanger Park.
- 2587 Chestnut St. Chattanooga
- tommybronxstudios.com