Chattanooga, start your engines! Chattanooga’s first We Make multi-day event will kick off with a very creative morning commute. Beginning Thursday May 5th, art cars from around the country will be visiting local schools so students can meet the artists, see their artwork up close, and learn how it’s made.
Organized by local arts non-profit Art 120, We Make evolved from their Scenic City Art Car Weekend and organizing The Nation of Makers Conference who selected Chattanooga as the host city in 2019.
“Art 120 strives to make art accessible, engaging, and easy for our community to get involved," explains executive director Kate Warren. "It was only natural that the name of our signature event would change to reflect this intention.”
We Make free public events begin Thursday night at The Hunter Museum of American Art with an UpCycle Fashion show. Hamilton County students will take to the runway and model their fashion designs created from recycled materials. The winning design will receive $250 courtesy of Art 120. Chattanooga Fashion Expo will emcee the event.
The main event takes place Saturday, May 7th in Coolidge Park with a free, family friendly festival complete with international food, student art exhibits, activities and art cars from 11am to 3pm. A variety of art cars from fun to fabulous will line up along Coolidge park next to the Walker Pavilion.
Student art car entries will vie for the Golden Gnome Award courtesy of Rock City with $500 cash or EPB’s Energy Pro Green Prix Award with a $650 cash prize. Come out, enjoy some great food, artwork and vote for your favorite student art car.
We Make events conclude Saturday night with a spectacular, ticketed fundraiser at The Granfalloon from 7pm to 10pm. CARnaval is a Latin inspired costume ball complete with fire dancers, Latin food, music by Eliment, and illuminated puppets. Proceeds from CARnaval support Art 120’s youth programs.
To stay up to date with the We Make schedule, follow Art 120 on Facebook @art120, and on Instagram @art120chatt. A calendar with all the events and tickets for CARnaval is available online at: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/we-make-art-happenings-may-5th-7th-310479 .