River City Company has announced a request for qualifications for local artists to be a part of redesigning the district banners in downtown Chattanooga.
Since 2009, River City Company has operated the 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.
The banner redesign and replacement will begin in the Southside District with River City Company selecting future districts for replacement over the next few months. “We are excited to engage with community artists to create a sense of place for our unique areas in downtown. This is an opportunity for us to celebrate history, culture and community,” said Emily Mack, President and CEO of River City Company.
The request for qualifications will be open for artists to submit until September 8th with the top artists selected on September 15th. Final submissions will be reviewed on September 29th, with one artist selected for the project, receiving a $1500 stipend for their artwork.
“Ever since the 21st Century Waterfront plan, Chattanooga has made a conscious effort to utilize public art to transform the city’s landscape. Public Art Chattanooga is excited to assist River City Company with the design selection process for the banner refresh project. Through this process, we hope to work with our local creative community to produce original artwork for our downtown districts,” said Carmen J. Davis with the City of Chattanooga Office of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy.
With the costs of the banner program increasing over the past few years, River City Company is also seeking community support for the replacement of the banners. “We believe this program is a tremendous asset to our downtown and we are committed to matching dollar for dollar, up to $20,000, toward donations for the program,” said Mack.
In conjunction with the request for qualifications, River City Company has also released an updated banner information guidebook. “We receive requests from event organizers and cultural facilities on a regular basis to celebrate their work and accomplishments in the community. The guidebook will help us ensure that organizations have the opportunity to utilize the banner spaces as well,” said Mack.
The deadline for requests for banner space is August 15th for those who would like to use the banner spaces November 2023 – April 2024 and 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.