Chattanooga On The Verge
As an arts destination, Chattanooga is “on the verge,” which is why we at The Pulse picked that phrase as the theme for this year’s “State of the Arts” issue. And by on the verge, we mean: On the verge of distinction. On the verge of national significance. On the verge, dare we say, of greatness?
Many people and organizations have contributed to this tipping point; some (but by no means all) profiled in this issue. Chattanooga right now is percolating with ideas and movement. Investment in downtown, including new ways for people to live there; neighborhood revitalization elsewhere; GigGigGig—and, of course, artists and the uncontainable creative force they bring with them.
Our advice is the same as it ever was. Only more so. In the months to come, anyone still breathing will be breathless discovering all the new opportunities to art your world.
We’ll help you find a few…inside.
ArtsBuild Imagined A New Home
ArtsBuild President Dan Bowers was having a meeting with then-Times Free Press President Jason Taylor. Taylor, who also sat on the steering committee for Arts Build’s “Imagine Chattanooga 20/20” initiative, stared meditatively out the window at the 1920s building at 301 E. 11th St. “We’re going to give that building to ArtsBuild,” Taylor revealed. “We’ve been wanting to use it for the community.” read more...
Living Up to Their Potential
“It was electrifying. I had never experienced anything even remotely like what I experienced that day, and I’ve never ever forgotten it.” This is how Ashley Capps described to The Pulse via email his first-ever concert experience, which was an extraordinary one: seeing James Brown at Chattanooga’s Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium in the early ’60s, at the age of 7 or 8, thanks to his older music-loving relatives who were stuck with babysitting duties. read more...
Dancing to Frankenthaler’s Tune
A symphony by Philip Glass played as I walked into the theater. Mercy Junction is the creative space that director/producer Kayla Mae Anderson is using to rehearse for her upcoming production at the Hunter Museum. Four women (Hannah Shadrick, Megan Hollenbeck, Hayden Crihfield and Madeleine Young) were walking slowly in a circle, hunched over, cradling invisible babies, their faces expressionless, solemn, concentrating. read more...
Turning The Page
At age 63, an old dog isn’t thinking about new tricks, but the Southern Lit Alliance is feeling frisky as a pup off the leash, bringing readers and writers together with bold new programs for 2016 and broader outreach than ever before. read more...
CoPAC…to The Future!
If you’ve been around the arts scene of Chattanooga for any time at all, you’ve probably been to at least one show at the fabulous Barking Legs Theater on Dodds Avenue. From the mannequin legs adorning the outside of the building to the newly renovated front room to the performance floor itself, Barking Legs is something of a legend among Chattanooga performers. There’s just no other venue like it in town. It is special. read more...
They’re Gonna Let It Shine
“On the Verge,” the theme for this year’s Pulse State of The Arts issue, can be interpreted many ways. For years we’ve watched our music and arts scene change. Many times our favorite local bands and artists have been “on the verge.” read more...
A Chapel To Lift Wounded Spirits
Stepping behind the construction wall door feels like falling through an accidental portal into another world. The main entrance to Erlanger Hospital is right behind me, with only a thin layer of drywall shielding this enclave from the rest of the hospital’s urgent bustle. But inside the new chapel, the atmosphere is tranquil. Father-and-son artists Daud and Timur Akhriev have spent the last few weeks layering the curved walls with shards of subtle color. read more...
Rediscover That New Book Smell
Technology advances before we’ve gotten used to the status quo. Laptops, iPads, and cellular phones decrease in value at a rapid rate as customers put themselves on lists to upgrade to the newest device before they even leave the store. The book business has tried to keep up with the times, both by discounting existing hard copies ordered online and alternately introducing all manner of tablets and e-Readers to bring the written word to the masses with the touch of a button. read more...
Ink, Salt and Water Make Beauty
Chasing her sister with frogs, playing with “real” imaginary friends, and spending an immense amount of time at the ocean…it is easy to see the resulting effects of these times in Fennel Blythe’s artwork. The playful yet imaginative pairing of marine life and art began on paper, and evolved into custom paintwork on stand-up paddleboards (SUPs), alabaster sculptures, and commissioned work of various mediums. read more...