This year the Bessie Smith Cultural Center will host its inaugural Bessie Smith Legacy Gala Awards Oct. 19, at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
Named after the legendary blues singer, the ceremony celebrates individuals who were pivotal in championing the growth and cultural diversity of the city.
“We wanted to be able to recognize these people to ensure that the work they have done is not ever forgotten,” said Elijah Cameron, the center’s Director of Community Relations & Development.
Cameron said each nominee has demonstrated their ability to uplift the community, foster unity and have worked to ensure a brighter, more inclusive future for all residents of Chattanooga.
He said a committee reviewed 25 initial submissions for their first incoming class of honorees. The committee was tasked to pick 10 inductees, but faced with such a grand list, they selected 11.
The first class of inductees include: Dr. Tommie Brown, Dr. Roland Carter, Ms. JoAnne Favors, Mr. John P. Franklin Sr., Mr. Moses Freeman, Ms. Vicky Gregg, Mr. Franklin McCallie, Rev. Paul McDaniel, Mr. Irvin Overton, Dr. Edna Varner, and Judge Walter Williams.
Each inductee will receive an award, handcrafted by renowned local sculpture artist Alex Paul Loza. The award is an 11-inch-tall statuette of Bessie Smith.
“Alex has done some work for us before,” Cameron said adding the center’s President, Paula Wilkes reviewed his other works and gave the approval.
“It was a sense of honor but also one of big responsibility,” Loza said about being commissioned to design and create the award.
He said his inspiration was sparked by the enthusiasm and excitement from the center’s staff.
Loza, a native of Peru who has lived in Chattanooga since 2010, has long championed for civil rights, inclusion, and the growth of cultural diversity.
Loza’s mom and grandparents encouraged him to pursue his creativity. It was his high school art teacher who recognized his talents and set him on a path of being an artist. Loza would soon use his talents to amplify the voice of his Latino community as well as honor people who fought for civil justice and rights.
His first mural was in Chicago depicting well-known Latino artists and leaders.
“I wanted them (the children) to know there was more than just finishing high school,” he said. “They are options. There are a lot of opportunities that you can follow. That pushed me more to be a voice for my Latino community.”
Locally Loza was commissioned to create the “Little Debbie” Sculpture which was unveiled during the grand opening of Little Debbie Park back in June of 2023. One of his wall murals titled “Dreaming Forward,” is painted on the walls of Super Carnicerias Loa #7 at the corner of Main and Broad. The two girls depicted in the painting are his two daughters.
“Art is a tool used to bring unity,” he said.
Loza said he recognized the importance honoring Bessie Smith but also the cultural significance of the museum when creating the award. He created the main mold, but said each bust was hand finished.
“They are all an original piece,” he said. “None of them look exactly alike.”
Cameron said the museum has also evolved to recognize more than just African Americans. It was founded as the Chattanooga African American Museum by 10 visionaries in 1983. Cameron said the founders wanted to ensure the museum captured, preserved and presented the history of African Americans who contributed significantly to the growth of Chattanooga.
Later the board recognized a need to expand and acknowledge others who contributed to the city’s growth as well.
“We start with those indigenous people who were here before anyone,” Cameron said of the Cherokee Tribe. “We must tell that story to get to where we are today.”
The Museum also expanded to recognize entertainers, like Bessie Smith and others, who put Chattanooga on the map.
“People like Usher, Samuel L. Jackson, and Kane Brown,” Cameron said. In 2009 the board changed the museum’s name to the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, to highlight every aspect of cultural diversity and inclusion.
The Bessie Smith Legacy Gala is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Chattanooga Convention Center. Cameron said it’s a black-tie affair featuring food, entertainment and cherished moments as each inductee is honored by family members and friends.
“Hopefully people will come out and help us celebrate those who changed the dynamics of Chattanooga,” Cameron said.
For more information about the gala visit: https://www.bessiesmithcc.org/upcoming-events
For more on Alex Paul Loza visit: https://www.alexpaulloza.com/