Back in 2013, two incredibly talented residents, Gail Mitchell McKeel and her neighbor, Daniel Crlencic, created a Pop-Up Flea Market. This pop-up shop was intended to be open for a one day block party, but instead they ran the shop for about 6 months after their grand opening, driving energy along the walking corridor. It was these residents’ energy and grassroots activism that sparked the process. Gail has been inspired to see the improvements made by Mike Long, and feels proud that the seeds of her efforts still bear fruit– making a tangible difference on Glass Street.

Teal Thibaud, Glass House Collective’s Executive Director, takes pride in facilitating and empowering residents like Gail, with the ideas and pioneering spirit to get involved in the neighborhood. “We always talk about how short-term projects lead to long-term change. Here’s a perfect example of that. A resident-led example of that no less.”

The How-To Guide was created as an instruction manual for residents to work with neighbors on temporary projects. The guide has been passed out to over 200 community members and serves as a catalyst for neighborhood action as it not only gives manageable directions, but also provides a visual projection of each project’s potential.

The guide is broken down into instructions for nine projects.  From community banners to pop up shops, it not only gives basic step-by-step directions, but also lists the needed materials, costs, time frames and necessary collaborators for each individual project.  The How-To Guide is a unique and visually stimulating representation of the near-term plan for Glass Street.  The How-To Guide will be vital in the  planning process for the Glass Street’s Better Block event on February 23rd.

The people who use them take responsibility. On January 21, 2013, more than sixty Chattanooga residents coordinated a public beautification effort along the Glass Street historic commercial corridor. Under the direction of “Champions,” the volunteers painted, cleaned, and landscaped public and vacant spaces within the target area. Teams also began preparations for the upcoming Better Block event. Activities for the day concluded with a shared meal and viewing of presidential inauguration coverage.

Outcome:
65+ volunteers attended
11 vacant storefronts painted
10 blocks cleared of street trash
5 vacant spaces prepared for Better Block event
50% lumber prepared for Better Block event
1 Welcome area painted
2 benches stained
2 sidewalks cleared of weeds

Media:
Channel 3
Channel 12
Facebook photo album can be viewed here.

The mural also celebrates the historic East Chattanooga Belt Line Trolley which connected the Glass Farm District to the businesses and attractions downtown in the early 1900s. The trolley is not only a point of connection for places – it connects people. De Klein’s mural is designed to do the same – inviting people to interact with the installation and ultimately one another.

The temporary installation is located at 2442 Glass Street.

Outcomes:
14 volunteers engaged in the project
17,151 yards of yarn were used, which translates into about 9.7 miles
1 image of this mural reached more than 2,500 on facebook
More than 100 first-time visitors attracted to Glass Street

Media:

Featured on http://www.facebook.com/LionBrandYarns

Gail McKeel and Daniel Crlencic joined forces to create Glass Flea, a pop-up shop for the Better Block on Glass event. They cleared and cleaned a vacant building, painted and installed storefront signage, and sent out a call to neighbors for ‘things-no-longer-loved.’ In a week, Glass Flea was filled with furniture, clothes, books, lamps, shoes, and a variety of other household trinkets.

During the Better Block event, a stage featuring live music entertained more than 450 customers that passed through the shop. The community hoped this would be more than a ‘flash in the pan,’ and Gail and Daniel answered this call to action. Now, Glass Flea is open on Saturdays from 10am to 5pm.

Outcomes:
3 people employed
Generated $650 dollars in sales during Better Block event
20 donations from residents

Outcomes:

project led by resident, Travis Yeagley
24 donated trees
28 donated day lillies
1 cubic yard of soil donated
0.5 cubic yard of gravel donated
800 linear feet of repurposed wood
1000 nails pulled out of wood
13 volunteers participated in the project
Approved plans for the City of Chattanooga to permanently add trees on Glass Street

As part of the Better Block event, community members were invited to add their personal touch to a fourth ‘made-by-the-neighborhood’ mural. It’s amazing what happens when we make room for personal expression and the creative process – even if it’s in a parking lot.

Commissioned works included:

The Urban Renaissance Project by Seven utilizes street art as a means to uplift community pride and enhance the appreciation of graffiti as a legitimate art form. Participation in the project helped generate new interest in attending future street art related workshops and events produced by Deep Space Art Studio and Kingdom Graphica.

Hold Your Head Up by Kevin Bate features four portraits based on historic images of people who look proud and exude strength. The 16′ long canvas is divided between the four images that all support one another but can also be divided and stand on their own. Strength personified.

Music Concrete: Glass Street by Devon Kronenberg is a collage in four parts. Each of the four collages were assembled from the repetition of a single corresponding woodblock print which depicted something from the location or surrounding area: gravel, trees, brick, and chain link fence.

Outcomes:
75 ‘made-by-the-neighborhood’ mural participants
3 new public art installations on Glass Street (‘Hold Your Head Up’ and ‘Music Concrete,’ March – August of 2013)

Ultimately, we’ll accomplish our goal if we share our story and our mission with the community. We can do this by using anything that identifies us as Glass Street:

 Our logo. Our tagline. Our key phrases.

A team of artists and writers from in and around the Glass Street community conducted more than two dozen one-on-one interviews and eight community visioning meetings. The input and ideas gathered through this process were a basis for a unique brand identity for the Glass Street community. The brand has been brought to life through the installation of 16 storefront banners, 100s of t-shirts, stickers, buttons, community space signage, two murals welcoming people to the street, and the Glass Farm Neighborhood Association’s facebook page.

Download:
Poster Design 1
Poster Design 2
Stencil Design

Outcomes: 
1 resident-designed logo
16 branded banners installed on storefronts along the street
2 gateway murals and a community space sign emphasizing the brand
1 new resident-launched facebook page for the neighborhood
250 How-to Guides printed

In 2002, Brouwer began these ‘Rise Up’ projects as a way to engage a broader audience in a contemporary art experience that involves them in its making. This is his 9th installation made from borrowed ladders.

Outcomes:
452 ladders borrowed
244 ladder lenders engaged
1,200 visitors
3 school field trip visits

Media:
Times Free Press, Glass Street group celebrates its Rise Up Chattanooga sculpture
The Pulse Weekly, Glass Street Scales Ladders to Rise Up
The Wall Breakers, Rise Up Chattanooga!
WRCB Channel 3, Rise Up Chattanooga:a man’s dream to use art to unify Chattanooga
WUTC Public Radio, Transforming Glass Street from the outside in
Nooga.com, The beautiful uprising on Glass Street
Times Free Press, Sculpture expected to inspire Glass Street improvement
Times Free Press, Glass Street’s streetscape improvements seen as key step in Chattanooga area’s revitalization
WUTC Public Radio, A Rung Up on Art
Pulse Weekly, Loan Your Ladder
St. Andrews Center Project Video
Rise Up Chattanooga Video

These individuals posed with and used the American flag as a platform to present themselves and voice their opinions about their country. The series began in the fall of 2006 and illuminates the attitudes and beliefs of young adults, encouraging viewers to look closely at the individuals who will shape the future of our world. Whether born in America or migrating from other countries, these ethnically diverse, politically engaged young people express a great sense of pride in their country. Yet they are still questioning: “What does it mean to be an American in the 21st century?”

In the summer of 2012, Bright was among 26 national and international female artist that were chosen to create murals across the Atlanta landscape as part of the Living Wall Conference. Bright took the Young Americans series beyond the museum and showcased her work within the communities by wheat pasting them on buildings. The project received local and national attention. After Atlanta, was Miami, and next came…Glass Street.

Outcomes:
5 murals installed on Glass Street

Media:
Youtube Video 

View the artist statement and learn more here.

Photo Credit, Young Americans series courtesy of the artist.