Request for Proposal for Artist Grants Program

Artists Will Receive $30,000 Each in Grant Funding to Create Public Projects with the Glass Street Community. Grant provides opportunity for artists to work with community members on public projects that improve the neighborhood while occupying three vacant buildings along Glass Street.

Glass House Collective is seeking artists or artist teams to work within  East Chattanooga’s Glass Street district  for one year. The Collective released the national call to artists Friday, Sept. 13th, 2013.  Three artists or artist teams will be given studio space in three historic buildings along Glass Street and receive up to $30,000 to complete place-based projects in the Glass Street district.

Over the course of one year, artists will implement projects that address one or more of the  priority areas identified by resident stakeholders – including: community engagement, neighborhood safety, and beautification. Glass House Collective encourages all disciplines of art to apply (i.e. performing, visual, literary, graphic design, multi-media craft, etc.). To view the Request for Proposal visit www.glasshousecollective.org/RFPartistgrantsprogram

Funding comes from The Educational Foundation of America (EFA), a national private foundation program that supports arts driven approaches to social and economic revitalization in depreciated communities. By investing in artists, creative initiatives, and cultural institutions, EFA hopes to encourage artistic  and community collaboration and deepen local pride.

“EFA believes that creativity has a vital role to play in urban revitalization. By partnering artists with deserving communities and nurturing their relationships, we feel we can answer civic needs in a way that will build local pride and promote the social vibrancy that comes from positive, community-based change. By integrating contemporary art into civic life, we hope to revitalize the social and economic fabric of EFA communities and contribute to the sustainability of a creative society in which the arts play an important part in the way problems are solved,” said a spokesperson for EFA.

In alignment with the Educational Foundation of America’s objectives, Glass House Collective has kick started a creative and citizen-led revival by focusing on the value of the arts and incentivized projects by individual artists.  The Collective has provided support for artists to engage residents in projects such as murals, temporary sculptures, pop-up galleries, live performances, and interactive art exhibitions. In addition to their focus on arts and creativity, Glass House Collective has established partnerships to help bring additional resources to East Chattanooga. These include business planning classes for residents, free youth summer camps, after school programming for kids, and most recently new sidewalks along Glass Street. Please visit http://www.glasshousecollective.org/projects/ to learn about the various projects Glass House Collective has supported over the past 18 months.

“This program is designed to spark positive and lasting change by pairing our neighbors’ insights with the imagination and resourcefulness of creative individuals,” said Katherine Currin, Executive Director of Glass House Collective.

Founded in 2012, Glass House Collective is working to develop a creative revitalized district on Glass Street through artist-led and community-involved projects to catalyze redevelopment in East Chattanooga.