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Sometimes when people spew hate, other people use that spit to water their gardens. This is a pivotal moment in history. A moment when we get the opportunity to really decide what type of world we are going to choose to live in, and make that choice mindfully. What is amazing is that all over the world people seem to be waking up to making positive choices about the future. In small but real ways ordinary citizens are choosing to opt out of the fear, hate, and constant media hype and realizing how they can be instruments of peace.

Last week I came across this self portrait done by R. Josiah Golson.

It was so powerful to me that I wanted to respond to it in some positive, active way. So I went out and bought two rose bushes and planted them in a small park on Glass Street in Chattanooga. This park has become a living metaphor for what is happening on several levels in society. It is a great little park with some beautiful art work and a cute little free library, a great place to hold a 4th of July Bar-B-Que, but the issue with the park is that no one has been really willing to step up and say, “I’m willing to put in the consistent work it will take to keep this park cleaned up.” So what has happened repeatedly is that volunteers will swoop down and get rid of the weeds and clean the park up, but then they go away and the weeds grow up even taller and it becomes nothing more than another abandoned looking lot again. Various neighbors have given their time here and there, but no one has been able to give it the ongoing love and work it will take to keep it a safe, nice looking place. No one has committed to a long term relationship with this little corner park.

On Monday night I was able to attend an 800 session led by R.Josiah Golson. 800 is a visual artists collective with the focus on art for the community’s sake. Meeting at Causeway with other people that live in Chattanooga and want to not only make a difference, but also slow down and try to really figure out root causes that are creating the current problems of out of control violence.  They came together to brainstorm about any solutions to get to a better place, and what that would look like, because how will we know we have reached our destination if we don’t know where we are going? Creating a mural together we discussed current issues such as racism, inheriting a history instead of deliberately creating our own story, status quo, differing cultures, fear, embarrassment about not knowing how to make friends with neighbors that are from a different culture, different expectations and manners, about poverty, and unique foods.Josiah made the comment that in the fifteen minutes that we worked to create our part of the mural we went deeper in our conversation than most people did in their entire lives. Our dialogue was real and healing. We discussed the importance of relationships to work together to break down lines that separate and vilify “the other”. It was an incredible experience.

Healing the wounds that are causing a bleeding and traumatized society won’t be easy, but it is the best option for a safer, saner world. Those wounds are healed by empathy, by listening, by observing without judgement, by taking the time to breathe deeply and think before speaking, they are healed by one neighbor reaching out to another and committing to having a long term relationship of shared respect and responsibility, they are healed by refusing to give into fear.

They are also healed by choosing to plant roses, which by the way, my two small rose bushes created a chain of beautiful events, including getting more people willing to help on a regular basis to promote and maintain the park, and even a dinner invitation to the house of two new friends. Do what you can, where you can, with what you have, trusting that your small choices can and will add up to a big impact.  No longer will the spewing out of hate be acceptable, the river is turning and mutual respect and honor will be its new destinations.

    GG, taking time to smell the roses.

Raising Roses Amidst The Rage Sometimes when people spew hate, other people use that spit to water their gardens. This is a pivotal moment in history.

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Local college students were invited to curate a show at the East Chattanooga Academy of Art and Social Justice. The show included students from UTC and from Chattanooga State: Kelly Norris, Liberty Smith, Chris Anderson, Brooke Craig, and Briah Gober.  

Just Fooling Around Local college students were invited to curate a show at the East Chattanooga Academy of Art and Social Justice. The show included students from UTC and from Chattanooga State: Kelly Norris, Liberty Smith, Chris Anderson, Brooke Craig, and Briah Gober.  

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Last December a special group of art enthusiasts came together at the ECAASJ building to raise money in support of the Holmberg Arts Leadership Institute.  The silent auction/open mike/art show raised $450 for scholarship money for future students of the institute. The fundraiser was initiated by the 2015 class of the Holmberg Institute, the graduates wanted to “pay forward” their gratitude for how much they had learned and experienced as a part of the tenth class of the Institute. The friendships formed and the knowledge of how the arts contribute to Chattanooga’s economic and cultural growth made the class an incredible experience.

The East Chattanooga Academy of Art and Social Justice is committed to bringing about a quality Master of Fine Arts program to Chattanooga. As a part of that mission, we know that having advocates for the arts is crucial.  Graduates of the Holmberg Arts Leadership Institute serve on boards for non-profit arts organizations in Chattanooga and actively promote the importance of art to create a diverse and enjoyable community in which to live and learn.

  Holmberg Arts Leadership Institute Last December a special group of art enthusiasts came together at the ECAASJ building to raise money in support of the Holmberg Arts Leadership Institute.  

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This past year has been amazing as we have watched our dream of creating a Master of Fine Arts and Social Justice Academy start taking shape and becoming a reality.  Our building on Glass Street in East Chattanooga has had some major changes, and we have seen first hand how our presence has started impacting the area. We would like to thank all those that have already partnered with us this year to help us create a space that has helped draw the neighborhood closer together and invite you to consider making a donation to the East Chattanooga Academy of Art and Social Justice during Giving Tuesday. We have received our official 501(c)3 status and you can donate by going to this link: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=9TLBQSN79YKZ2

A huge thanks to the people that donated to the Academy this year. Your donations have helped tremendously allowing us to renovate the building enough to have our first major art show this fall.

Sponsorship Levels for ECAASJ:

Up to $100:  Friendship Partners

Between $101-$500:  Partners for Hope

Between $501-$5,000:  Partners for Growth

Between $5,001-$10,000:  Partners for Justice

Between $10,001-$50,000:  Partners for Harmony

$50,000-$100,000 +: Partners for Peace

Thank you to current Friendship Partners:

Mat and Amy Brewster

Danny Martin

Erin Tocknell

Shelby Jumper

Mary Lou Pate

John and Kathleen Panek, owners of the Gillum House Bed and Breakfast in Shinnston, West Virginia

The Bramblett Group, public relations firm in Henderson, Tennessee

Thank you to our Partners for Hope:

Bill and Mary K. Smith

Trish Stanfill

We appreciate our Partners for Growth:

Joe and Kay DeLay

A look at how your donations helped us this year: 

Spring 2015

Spring 2015

Spring 2015

Spring 2015

Fall 2015

Fall 2015

Fall 2015

Fall 2015

Fall 2015

  Giving Tuesday This past year has been amazing as we have watched our dream of creating a Master of Fine Arts and Social Justice Academy start taking shape and becoming a reality.  

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Sculptures in the Sky, on the Fields

Sculptures in the Sky, on the Fields

Last Saturday a wild and wonderful wind blew through the newly opened Sculpture Fields at Montague Park, a wind that boosted brilliantly colored kites high into the Chattanooga blue sky.  A large crowd gathered to watch these “sculptures in the sky” and to enjoy a tour given of the new Sculpture Fields by internationally celebrated sculptor, John Henry. The Sculpture Fields, which are located on…

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Bubbles: Magical, Iridescent, and Temporary: Interactive Art Show and Workshop November 14

Bubbles: Magical, Iridescent, and Temporary: Interactive Art Show and Workshop November 14

Join us to look at mindful, meaningful life through an interactive art exhibit and workshop. Seating is limited to 12. 2437 Glass Street 1-2:30 p.m. Saturday, November 14 http://www.eventbrite.com/e/interactive-art-show-and-workshop-what-bubbles-up-tickets-19345337425

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Thanks for Supporting our First Art Exhibit!

Thanks for Supporting our First Art Exhibit!

Glass Street sparkled to life last Friday night as we held our first art exhibit at the East Chattanooga Academy of Art and Social Justice! It was everything we had hoped for and more! Thanks to all the artists that participated, and all the community members that came out to help make it a tremendous event. With hundreds of attendees we all enjoyed the art, live music by Nat Yonce, and lots of…

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Warning This Art Exhibit May Contain Nuts: Today is #NationalDesertDay and while Ascent Bars, made in Chattanooga, are energy bars not really a dessert, you will think they are because they taste so amazing.

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Stephen Turner

Friday night will be a busy night on Glass Street, with an art exhibit at The East Chattanooga Academy of Art and Social Justice from 6-9, Art work and tours available at Studio Everything, and a store front will be open with antiques, vintage glassware, linens and vintage jewelry. One of the artists that will be showing at the East Chattanooga Academy of Art and Social Justice is Stephen…

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Mary Ann Twitty

Mary Ann Twitty is an artist and social entrepreneur with a corner at Studio Everything on Glass Street. She is drawn to all things light and tiny, and her affair with line and its power to connect is apparent. Mary Ann will have work in the opening at The Unknown Artists Exhibit at the East Chattanooga Academy of Art and Social Justice Friday October 16, from 6-9. Her studio space which is…

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Neil Grant

Friday, October 16th from 6-10 p.m., the East Chattanooga Academy of Art and Social Justice (ECAASJ) will open its doors for one of the final events of Start Up Week Chattanooga. Featuring artists currently starting to make their artistic impressions on Chattanooga, the Unknown Artists Exhibit will be an opportunity to meet the artists and see some of their works. One of the artist featured will…

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Shelley L. King, Jr., featured artist for the Unknown Artists Exhibit

Shelley L. King, Jr., featured artist for the Unknown Artists Exhibit

We hope you are looking forward to Friday, October 16th as much as we are! Right now a lot of our time and energy is going into making that night a special experience for Chattanooga. The Unknown Artists Exhibition will be one of the final events for StartUp Week Chattanooga and we are doing everything we can to help make it a fun night to remember. Featuring mostly unknown but very talented…

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Waffle House, Art, and Transformative Relationships

Waffle House, Art, and Transformative Relationships

Every booth was taken, every person already engaged in conversation.  Waffles, hot coffee, eggs and hashbrowns quickly being dispersed and relished when a single white woman entered the Waffle House where my husband and I were eating lunch last Sunday. I watched her from the corner of my eye as she stood there looking a little lost. I wondered if I should invite her to sit with us, but we were…

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The Rising Action

Changes take time, in the case of redoing the stairs at the ECAASJ building the time has added up to about 20 hours so far, and they are far from being finished.  Those stairs have taken up a considerable amount of space in my brain over the past few months. Progress on the stairs has been held up for many reasons: economics, time, weather, indecision. When thinking about those stairs this…

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ECAASJ will be a part of Startup Week Chattanooga

ECAASJ will be a part of Startup Week Chattanooga

One of the best things about living in Chattanooga is that while the rest of the world is connected by six degrees of separation, the people in Chattanooga seem to be separated by only two degrees of separation. This is why an event like Startup Week Chattanooga is an incredible opportunity to help build the entrepreneurial community and build creative connections. Taking place October 12 –…

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Brad Montague, Making The World A Happier Place

Brad Montague, Making The World A Happier Place

If you have ever been entertained by a Kid President video then you have had an encounter with the fun loving spirit of our dear friend,  Brad Montague. Brad is the brother in law of Robby Novak a.k.a. “Kid President”. You may have even heard Brad refer to himself as the goofy red headed guy that is sometimes in the videos. Brad is actually the dreamer and connector that helps the world learn…

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Our Neighbors Are Really Making Their Mark!

Saturday was a beautiful day on Glass Street in East Chattanooga. A day made even more beautiful by the happy smiles of some very hard working and talented local teens that were being honored by the non-profit group, Mark Making. Besides the local teens that were a part of the program and their families, the ceremony also included Councilman Chris Anderson, who currently serves as the Director of…