In August, River City Company announced a new program for community artists to assist with the redesign of the downtown banners across their districts.
Over 50 artists have applied for the first and second call for the Southside and Riverfront Districts. Today, River City Company is announcing the call for artists to submit their qualifications to be considered for the third district to receive a refresh - the Northshore District.
Since 2009, River City Company operated the downtown banner program with the goal of welcoming downtown residents and visitors to the unique districts along with serving as an effective tool to accentuate city streetscapes.
“We were proud to celebrate with the community the new banners in the Southside district and look forward to another unveiling for the Riverfront district this coming Spring. The quality of work submitted to us has been incredible and we look forward to seeing what is created for the Northshore district,” said Emily Mack, President and CEO of River City Company.
The request for qualifications will be open for artists to submit until January 15th with the top artists selected on January 22nd. Final submissions will be reviewed on February 8th, with one artist selected for the project, receiving a $1500 stipend for their artwork.
"Through the continuation of River City's banner design program, we are able to champion local artists, spark joy through design throughout our downtown neighborhoods and support the creative economy," said Carmen J. Davis, Senior Director with Office of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy with the City of Chattanooga.
“We are beyond grateful to the local businesses and organizations who have stepped up and shown support for the new banners through sponsorship. It is because of generous donors that we are able to pay the artist and have beautiful new banners for our downtown districts,” said Mack.
In conjunction with the request for qualifications, River City Company has also released an updated banner information guidebook. The deadline for requests for banner space is February 15th for May – October 2024 placement. Additional information about the banner program and how the community can donate to the program can be found at https://www.rivercitycompany.com/downtown-banner-program.