Preserve Chattanooga, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, has announced a summer drawing contest inspired by Ray Gindroz’s book Taking a Pen for a Walk: Discovering Towns and Cities Through Drawing.
Chattanooga has a rich architectural heritage to discover this drawing contest is an exciting way to do so.
The Taking a Pen for a Walk in Chattanooga drawing contest is open to both youths (14 to 18 years old) and adults (19 +). Using pen and paper, participants will reference Ray Gindroz’s sketches as inspiration for ways to capture an important element of Chattanooga’s architectural heritage.
Artists may choose to sketch a streetscape, a prominent building façade, or even map out a walk with significant architectural details illustrated. There is no cost to enter the contest. Submittals are due by 5 pm on Monday, September 1, 2025.
Ray Gindroz is a co-founder and Principal Emeritus of Urban Design Associates. He pioneered the use of community engagement in planning processes and led the revival of pattern books as a means of implementing urbanism. Ray taught urban design at Yale, Carnegie Mellon, and Hampton Universities.
He was a Senior Fellow of the Prince’s Foundation in London, Chairman of the Board of the Congress for the New Urbanism, The Seaside Institute, and the National AIA Committee on Design. He was the principal author of The Urban Design Handbook, The Architectural Pattern Book, The Place of Dwelling, and Taking a Pen for a Walk.
Winners will be announced during the Chattanooga Preservation Awards on September 18, 2025. This special event will feature Mr. Donovan Rypkema as the keynote speaker. Mr. Rypkema is an internationally known expert on how preservation impacts local economies, tourism, and housing. The event will take place in the historic Read House Silver Ballroom.
For more details, descriptions of prizes, and to register to participate, please visit preservechattanooga.com/contest.