ArtsBuild continues to celebrate Arts Week which culminates this weekend with the Four Bridges Arts Festival April 18-19, at the First Horizon Pavilion.
On Wednesday, the folks from ArtsBuild, Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, City of Chattanooga’s Office of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, and River City Company launched a new program called Culture Works which will celebrate and recognize Arts Supportive Businesses.
The ceremony was held at Verre Noir, the first local business to receive a Culture Works designation and window decal due to their embracement of art and creativity.
ArtsBuild Impact Coordinator, Christina Sacco said businesses that receive a Culture Works designation actively collaborate with local artists by showcasing their artwork in their businesses, commission projects with local artists, host performances and create opportunities for creative expression in their workplace.
ArtsBuild President James McKissic said these businesses recognize arts and culture as essential drivers of the city’s creative economy and community vitality.
“They are having local products and local makers in their places of business,” he said. “The arts funding landscape is really changing across our country, so it's important for the arts sector to make new connections and new relationships. And businesses, and particularly the small businesses in Chattanooga, are wonderful partners in that support.”
Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Marketing & Engagement, Jeremy Henderson, said the art community brings in more than $190 million to the city’s economy, a number he said is under-reported and deserves more attention.
River City Company President and CEO, Emily Mack said Culture Works is part of the city’s continuing efforts to revitalize and beautify several areas across the city, especial along Frazier Ave., which she called the city’s historical corridor of arts.
Mack spoke about the new Scenic Storefronts program. She said they are seeking to beautify the front of several buildings and have already started one project on the exterior of the former Arts Creations building on Frazier Ave.
The program is intended to help existing and new retail businesses by providing financial support for interior and exterior permanent improvements. Mack said folks can apply online at rivercitycompany.com/scenic-storefronts
Becca Coleman and Erin Leonard are the co-founders and owners of Joli Jardin and Verre Noir, two retail ventures born from their shared passion for flowers, art, and community. Verre Noir offers an eclectic array of teas, mystical products, books, and puzzles all housed in a store that gives off a vibe of gothic mixed with the Renaissance era. The duo hosts several workshops and night markets at the store and are hosting the first Chattanooga Renaissance Faire on May 30, at Coolidge Park.
Their store was designated a Culture Works Business due to their commitment to their sponsorship and donations to arts, artists, art programs or events, their collaboration with artists, their engagement in art initiatives and their advocacy and public support of the arts.
Leonard said being the first business in the city to receive the Culture Works designation was an honor. She said since starting Joli Jardin in 2016 at their Signal Mountain farm, establishing their Market Street location in 2021, and opening Verre Noir in 2024, being tied to the arts community and collaborating with creative people has always been part of their mission and focus.
McKissic said Arts Week offers a variety of advocacy type events. He said the week offered 60 different projects or programs, folks could enjoy. Everything from plays to dance performances.
“There's so much to do, and we encourage people to visit the Arts Week website and look at the calendar and pick something and support local arts this week, but also every week,” McKissic said. “It's how we show our humanity, it's how we connect to each other. It's also a huge economic driver for our region. So, it's important that we shine a light on the arts community, artists, and arts organizations that are out here doing great things and helping us to have this great quality of life.”
Learn more about Arts Week events here: artsbuild.com/artsweek