We will showcase our Southern and historical traditions through local art, enriching our culture and landscapes.
Bessie Smith sang here, Usher was born here and Dolly is right up the road. Clyde Stubblefield – the father of hip-hop – worked railroads here, a young Willie Mays ran down fly balls at Lincoln Park and Reggie White, one of the greatest football players – yes, our football – to ever live, was raised here.
Riverbend was a mainstay of summertime festivals for decades. You can see seven states from Rock City, applaud the oldest high school dance troupe in the state at Girls Preparatory School and wake up Sunday to Gospel music ringing in 100s of area churches.
ArtsBuild, which supports every elementary school in the county. United Way. The Hunter Museum for American Art. The modern tow truck was created here. World-renowned sculptor John Henry created here. Chattanooga is home to some 190 pieces of public art, including The Passage, an art and pedestrian installation that honors, recognizes and remembers the Cherokee Nation.
Earlier this summer, we were selected as a host site for 2026 World Cup teams. Soon, soccer teams – sorry, football teams – from around the world will travel to Chattanooga. We’re the smallest city in America selected for this big honor.
This is community work. It is hospitable work.
We have champions across the city: nonprofits, families, public and private leaders, gutsy, DIY individuals who start working, come hell or high water.
ArtsBuild has supported local arts since 1969, with more than $77 million of investment in arts programming, education and organizations.
Works to “enhance the community by cultivating and mentoring diverse artists, presenters and audiences in an eclectic, creative environment.” The nonprofit has consistently challenged “barriers that inhibit new growth and exploration” while serving Chattanooga with projects, programs and classes in an intimate, storied theater space.
“ongoing, multi-day and multi-disciplinary festivals celebrating Black arts throughout the year.” The festivals “are revolutionary acts of sankofa - retrieving that which was ours and had been forgotten. The arts delight, instruct, console, awaken and refine us and if we let them, they restore our humanity.”
Chattanooga Theater Center celebrates its 100th season this year as the city’s theater center designed to “enrich the cultural, intellectual, and emotional development of people of all ages by providing high-quality theatrical experiences and creating opportunities to engage in them.”
Ed Johnson Project was formed by a group of Chattanoogans “to promote racial healing and reconciliation in Chattanooga by creating a permanent memorial” that acknowledges the lynching story of Ed Johnson.
Lookout Wild Film Festival celebrates its 13th year this January, as a premier outdoor adventure and environmental film festival. Lookout Wild Film Festival “has been a beacon of excitement in Chattanooga, showcasing the most captivating outdoor adventure and environmental films from across the globe. … As passionate advocates for the environment, we are dedicated to minimizing our footprint and promoting sustainable practices.”
The Hunter Museum for American Art’s presence within the city skyline reminds Chattanooga of the ongoing importance of American art; the museum “collects, preserves, and presents American art and connects the community through inspiring educational and visitor-focused experiences for all.”
Mark Making’s impact since 2009 has been tremendous; the nonprofit has worked with more than 2,600 Chattanoogans, including “inner-city youth, teens in foster care, people with mental and developmental disabilities, the homeless and the incarcerated” along with creating more than 70 public art projects a
Serves “the Chattanooga community by providing local, national, and international artists a venue for the production of, the exhibition of, and education through contemporary works of art.”
Works with more than 400 teens weekly with “accessible, age-appropriate and high-quality dance education” that cultivates the joy of dance.
The Association for Visual Arts’ mission is to strengthen and promote the artistic ecosystem of Chattanooga’s visual artists, art enthusiasts and arts-based institutions.
A performing arts program using storytelling, oral history and performative events to “to celebrate the culture of the Chattanooga community” and “by a strong belief that social justice cannot be achieved without deep listening and learning from those marginalized, silenced, and ignored.”
The Tivoli Theater and Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium are Chattanooga’s foundational and historic theater, arts, music and performance venues.