Upcoming East Chatt Highlight Festival

A whole weekend festival will take place April 21-23 at 1901 Roanoke Ave., near Glass Street just beyond Hardy Elementary School. The East Chatt Highlight Festival is presented by Glass House Collective and Empower (green|spaces) and features a range of programming across three days, with the common artistic feature by Jen Lewin called “The Pool,” where all ages are encouraged to come out to play, dance and move as the colors change with and around them.

Empower is now in its second year as a resource offering information about how residents can save money on their energy bills. Dawn Hjelseth, development director for green|spaces says, “we feel The Pool represents bringing a community together – pooling people together to create a really amazing experience.” The project is a collaboration with Public Art Chattanooga, and director Katelyn Kirnie says, “We are very excited to launch ‘The Pool’ in East Chattanooga, and provide access for all to this interactive, technology inspired artwork. The installation will also activate the former Harriet Tubman site and showcase its potential as a space that can have a positive economic impact on the community and bring people together.”

The color pattern is being selected by a group of Hardy Elementary students as a part of their Energy Club sponsored by Empower and facilitated by Glass House Collective’s Community Coordinator, Nikki Lewis. The kids are currently in the process of putting color patterns together and Lewis says, “they are very excited to have their creative choices used as input for such a large and public event in their own backyard, and we know they’ll be more engaged during the festival itself, if they’ve had a hand in designing the way it looks and feels.”

Friday evening will kick off the weekend with “Lyrical Lights,” a Hip-Hop and Spoken Word showcase featuring a talented array of local Chattanooga poets and musicians from 7:30-10:30PM. This event is being curated by Glass Street resident artist and owner of Studio Everything, Rondell Crier and three local poets: Genesis Greykid, Erika Roberts-Blackmon, and Josiah Golson.

Saturday afternoon from 3:00-7:30 will feature the 3rd Annual Gospel on Glass, made possible by a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission and Hope for the Inner City will host their Open House and Plant Sale across the street. Once again Marcellus Barnes of Unity Performing Arts Foundation is organizing the program which promises to welcome in new choirs and soloists, while continuing to draw from faithful regulars from the last two years. So far performers include Larry Hurston and Genuine, Pastor Jo and Team Judah, Tiffany Coleman, Trent Williams, Jarvis Menifee and Peculiar Praise, Darius Ware and IPMC, Pastor Corey Prather and High Praize.

Sunday afternoon is featured as a time for families to bring out food, lawn chairs, and blankets to picnic together from 3:00-7:30. Food trucks will be on site.

Both Saturday and Sunday nights, as evening darkens around 7:30pm,“The Pool” colors will appear all the more vivid, creating a vibe for evening dancing with a DJ set until 10:30 PM each night. As Glass House Collective Executive Director, Teal Thibaud says, “often people who visit Glass Street or the surrounding neighborhoods come by day, and it’s a powerful statement of unity that we can play together and mingle outside in the evening with neighbors, celebrating art and the beauty of the neighbors here who make up this community.”

Following its installation at the East Chatt Festival, “The Pool” will spend the following two weekends in two other Chattanooga neighborhoods. Visit Empower’s website for more information about ongoing events, and acknowledgment of sponsors for “The Pool” art exhibit. The artist herself was excited to have her piece featured within neighborhoods where people can easily access it. “We are very excited to be a part of the Chattanooga community and especially these neighborhoods,” said artist Jen Lewin. “In the ten years we have been traveling the world with this installation, we’ve never had the opportunity to work with organizations like green|spaces and Glass House Collective and get deep into the communities to really interact with neighbors.”

If you are interested in being a volunteer, click here. If you are interested in being a food or product vendor, click here.

APRIL 21ST / 7:30PM – 10:30PM
LYRICAL LIGHTS: HIP-HOP & SPOKEN WORD SHOWCASE

APRIL 22ND / 3:00PM – 10:30PM
GOSPEL ON GLASS FEATURING MARCELLUS BARNES & UNITY PERFORMING ARTS FOUNDATION / LIVE DJ STARTING AT 7:30PM

APRIL 23RD / 3:00PM – 10:30PM
FAMILY FUN PICNIC: BOUNCE HOUSES, GAMES, VENDORS & FOOD / LIVE DJ STARTING AT 7:30PM