The club has proven very popular with the Hardy kids, which is probably due to a mix of curiosity about the subject matter and affection for Nikki herself, who showers participants with encouragement, humor, enthusiasm, and discipline.

During a racing activity with a group of 2nd graders, Nikki timed each child’s turn as the leader, sending the charge of electrical current down the line, represented by two foam balls the students passed from hand to hand. The only catch: they had to start all over if anyone dropped the ball, breaking the flow of “current.” Competition ran fierce– and when disappointment overflowed into tears or anger, Nikki used the experience to drop in some social lessons as well. “They learn to go with the flow when working together, which is just as important as understanding how to use energy responsibly,” Nikki says. “They are learning that true leaders never put themselves first.”

Because of the Energy Club, it was much easier to collect students to help program the colorful “pucks” that made up Jen Lewin’s “The Pool” art installation during our East Chatt Highlight Festival back in April. That was a rare opportunity for Elementary kids to collaborate with an internationally renowned artist, in preparation for the festival held in their own neighborhood!

It’s overall success has prompted Empower to sponsor the Energy Club next year as well! We’re excited to see more partnership between Hardy Elementary School and our neighborhood partners, and proud to read about continual innovation flowing from inspiring teachers there, like Brittany Harris and Colleen Ryan with The Passage mobile homework help bus, renovated locally by Studio Everything!

The fact that the installation was set up away from a central, more developed city plaza encouraged the colorful discs to serve as a temporary stage, playground, and dance floor where all were welcome. Kids from Hardy Elementary in the East Chattanooga neighborhood where The Pool was first installed, as part of the East Chatt Highlight Festival, had an inside track to directly selecting the programmed color patterns. They got to ask questions of Julie Miller, Jen Lewin’s Creative Manager (Jen sustained a foot injury that, unfortunately, caused her to miss the trip to Chattanooga), and test out the pucks functions before they were installed out on site at 1900 Roanoke Ave., just 3 blocks down the street from their school.

Julie’s eyes were wide during the opening night of the festival. “I’ve never seen anything like this.” She told me. “I’ve been traveling with this installation for years, but never do we find this kind of mix. I thought I’d be used to it in New York, but it’s so sad and surprising how everyone can so easily wall themselves off.  This is a kind of approach that’s completely new and exciting to me.”

The 40,000 LED bulbs within the 106 pucks of the installation create a bright, enchanted atmosphere as attendees danced with friends, old and new. Following Lululemon ambassador, Becky Byrns’ yoga movements all together that first night of the festival it was hard to feel self-conscious. Whether or not the person on the disc next to you was a total stranger, the common sense or wonder was powerful and unifying.

Dawn Hjelseth, Director of Development and East Chattanooga Empower Outreach Coordinator (an energy conservation and savings education program run through green|spaces), wanted to take on the challenge of setting up the sculpture, right off the bat, at the site with the least amenities (no lighting or power that wasn’t transported in), and at a neighborhood site unfamiliar to many Chattanooga residents. “We agree with what Glass House Collective consistently advocates for: there are many types of families who call these neighborhoods home, and the opportunity to engage with one another through beauty and art and music should be available to everyone.”

We applaud the whole Empower team for their sustained energy in seeing this installation successfully shared across three neighborhood sites over the course of a week. Despite some rough weather-delays, the colorful lights were enjoyed by an estimated 700 attendees to the launch site here in East Chattanooga. We are very proud to have partnered with Empower, Public Art Chattanooga, and Lyndhurst Foundation to bring Lewin’s installation to our city’s neighborhoods.

For a complete list of sponsors, click HERE.

At the center of the event was “The Pool,” an interactive art installation by Jen Lewin, an artist based in Brooklyn, New York. Her 106 “pucks” are programmed to light up in a swirl of colors when festival attendees step, run, or dance across them.

GHC director, Teal Thibaud and Empower director, Dawn Hjelseth began plotting over a year ago about how to bring the light and energy-centric sculpture to Chattanooga, and rather than the central downtown area, they wanted to see the sculpture in the midst of neighborhoods, where folks could easily play and mingle together who may not otherwise do so. The 1900 block of Roanoke Ave. (just down the road, along the same stretch as Glass Street), in East Chattanooga was “The Pool’s” first stop, and as Dawn describes, “definitely the most challenging for setting up, due to the completely deserted nature of the site.”

Everything needed to create the East Chatt Highlight Festival had to be brought in with trucks from the outside, a feat made possible through collaboration and sponsorship. The City of Chattanooga owns the land the festival took place on, and were agreeable to help prep the area by mowing and unlocking the gates. Dozens of fire anthills dotted the chosen corner, so volunteers and staff spent time Wed. and Thurs. marking hills with pink flags and sprinkling poison to avoid any mishaps for innocent wanderers when the festival opened Friday evening. Following the press preview Thursday, everyone was beginning to feel pumped, seeing the lights come on and react to our steps. Several neighborhood kids wandered past, and we beckoned them in to test out the installation, and an off-duty CARTA driver stopped her car on the way home to come investigate. All were excited to come back for the main event.

The Lyrical Lights portion of the Festival took place as a Friday kick-off, and was a rousing success, with DJ Tony Dubs keeping the crowd dancing, spoken word, performances by Marley Fox, 2$ON, KG, and others, with yoga on “The Pool” led by Lululemon ambassador, Becky Byrns. Rondell Crier of Studio Everything facilitated free painting on a giant wooden “H” for “Highlight,” and other local artists like Briah Gober had work on display for enjoyment and/or purchase.

At the time, none of us realized Friday would provide our only dry weather for enjoying “The Pool” for the duration of the festival, but everyone truly did make the most of it! 4 Bridges Arts Festival attendees from downtown, eager to check out “The Pool” and perhaps explore a part of East Chattanooga new to them, came and mixed with neighbors and families from nearby, all dancing and sharing the experience together.

For Saturday, the 3rd Annual Gospel on Glass kicked off the continuation of the festival with a special free afternoon concert bringing together a range of phenomenally talented artists sharing their gifts in spite of  intermittent showers. The evening portion of the day, meant to extend until 10:00PM had to be cut short due to a heavy downpour, but not before several attendees had a chance to play some on “The Pool,” and some friends stuck around to help secure the tents to withstand the drenching and wind during the night.

Sunday afternoon launched somewhat later than planned as well, because of heavy rain, but in the spirit of teamwork volunteers helped shovel mulch into muddy areas, straighten tents, repair and change out banners, and even move the ever-popular bounce-house closer in beside the colorful “Pool” area for a cozier set-up. DJ LV and DJ Tryezz set up camp under a protective tent and kept us all dancing even while damp.

LV shared during the afternoon set up that it was surreal spinning out on the old Boone Heights site. He grew up there, and hadn’t been back since, although he was sporting a “Straight Outta Boone Heights” t-shirt in anticipation of a coming reunion with other friends who have mixed-emotions about the area, and share curiosity about what may eventually get built here. “For now, it’s just good to meet people and share my music.”

New friendships, brilliant artwork, powerful music, and camaraderie in the face of challenging weather all helped the East Chatt Highlight Festival accomplish it’s original intention: to connect neighbors with the power of art, shining a light on the good happening in the East Chattanooga neighborhoods.  Click HERE for our official event video on our YouTube channel.

While the audience sprouted bright umbrellas to stay as dry as possible, folks who may otherwise have been driven away by storm threats hung around to savor so much powerful singing all gathered in one place. As Marcellus Barnes, the afternoon’s curator and emcee says, “Many of these artists create recordings and could easily headline a concert experience as soloists, so to enjoy one another’s music out in the fresh air, all together, is a unique celebration and gift for this city.”

Attendees and musicians alike were struck by the wide open setting of this year’s event, held on the former site of Harriet Tubman Housing Projects, also known as Boone Heights. Young UPAFC soloist LeAsia Pope, a sophomore with a powerful voice commented that for local youth to get to come out and enjoy music together with their families, and play on “The Pool” art installation into the evening shines a positive light on the community.

The concert kicked off with a welcome from Demetrus Coonrad, the newly elected City Councilwoman for District 9, who grew up on the site of the festival before the demolition of the housing projects here. She praised the gathering of friends, neighbors, area resources represented (like Habitat for Humanity and UnifiEd) and talented musicians presenting their gifts in the tradition handed down in this area for generations.

The concert’s many highlights included area choirs’ rousing songs (some of which the audience joined in for) like music from the Miracle Baptist and Rock Island churches. Also danceable drum solos from Drummers Shed!!!! Jarrod White, Eddie Heyward, and DJ Gates. Gospel recording artists locally-based here in Chattanooga presented powerful solos. We heard from Ashley White, Trent Williams, and Cory Prather to name just a few!

Although many vendors and community organizations changed their plans based on the weather, we still wound up with some lovely tents with information from UnifiEd, CNE, Neighborhood Associations like Boyce Station and Glenwood, Zy Mori Dance Studio, Studio Everything, Father to the Fatherless, Habitat for Humanity, the Glass Farm Block Leaders, and naturally, Empower and GHC were there with energy information, free light bulbs, and Glass Street t-shirts for sale. Plus Coffee and Big Buff’s BBQ stuck out the weather, along with Pop’s Dogs and later, a very popular funnel cake vendor!

As the rain picked up toward evening, we were worried that those sticking around into the twilight hours would miss out on seeing “The Pool” art installation light up and be able to play and dance on it, but the rain let up just long enough to give folks an opportunity to try it out as the perfect capstone to another inspiring Gospel on Glass!

Please enjoy video footage from this year’s concert event on our YouTube channel link HERE!

The artist arrangements are being made in collaboration with Public Art Chattanooga, and director Katelyn Kirnie says, “We are very excited to launch ‘The Pool’ in the Glass Street neighborhood, and for all the participating neighbors to have access to an interactive tech-integrated artwork which is sure to activate the former Harriet Tubman site and bring the community together.”

Our 3rd annual Gospel on Glass, funded by Tennessee Arts Commission is scheduled for Saturday, April 22 and will be held at the same location with the installation, to provide a live music component near and dear to the hearts of our neighbors. Plans are well underway for organizing favorite performers from Chattanooga’s gospel community for Saturday, while we continue to dream up a more freestyle hip-hop evening of programming for Friday’s kick-off. It will be exciting to see what comes together as local artists and musicians collaborate on expressions that make the most of the colorful lighting context of “The Pool.”

Since 2012 alone, The Pool has traveled to over 30 major installation sites worldwide, clocking millions of user steps, but has never been open to the public in the Southeast. Prior installations have been in metro areas including downtown Denver, SXSW, Google Headquarters; and it will be coming from Hong Kong before arriving in Chattanooga. The artist has selected this project to be a “Global Showcase”, a designation that is expected to bring international media attention to the installation and host neighborhood partners.

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Watch for continued program updates here on our blog and on our Facebook page as we move closer to this exciting weekend: April 21-23!

Read more in Sean Phipps’ preview article on Nooga.com