4 Bridges Arts Festival
Consistently ranked as a Top 100 Fine Arts Festival in the U.S., AVA’s 4 Bridges Arts Festival was recognized by The New York Times last year as a reason Chattanooga made their list of “Top 45 Places to Visit in 2012.”
The crowds seem to agree. Some 12,000 attended the weekend festival last year, creating an average $1.5 million economic impact. And while Chattanooga benefits from the influx of visitors, all money from art sales goes directly to the artists.
In previous years, the featured artist’s work has been used in promotional poster. This year AVA had a “street poster” designed for promotional pieces.
“The featured artist this year is Jake Kelley,” said Kat Dunn, AVA’s major projects manager and director of 4 Bridges. “His work is going to be sold through an auction held throughout the weekend. We are using his imagery to create a limited-edition art poster, which will be printed on archival paper in a small run of 100 and sold at the festival.”
“Jake has a great history with AVA,” she added. “He was an emerging artist in 2008 and has since taught in some of AVA’s programming, culminating as the featured artist for this year’s festival. His work is very dynamic.”
Entertainment begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday with the Chattanooga Threatre Centre, followed by the Chattanooga Girls Choir, Function, Creative Underground, Hudson K, Shark Week, the Chattanooga Symphony Woodwind & String Quintet, The Communicators and the Chattanooga Ballet.
“We have Bob Stagner of the Shaking Ray Levi Society coordinating all the music on Sunday. He is bringing in the Fourth Ward Afro Klezmer Orchestra,” Dunn said. Other entertainers on Sunday include Alex Thompson, Big Kitty and the Orange Grove Chorus.
4 Bridges Arts Festival Preview Party:
6:30-10 p.m. • Friday, April 12 • $75 through April 11; $100 at gate
Festival:
10 a.m.-8 p.m., • Saturday, April 13; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, April 14;
$7 for a one-day festival pass; • $10 for a two-day festival pass
First Tennessee Pavilion • 1826 Reggie White Blvd. • 4bridgesartsfestival.org