Gospel on Glass – Glass House Collective

Heard + Amplified featuring Deborah Bledsoe

mary — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 14:57:27 +0000

The Art of Music

In my journey with GHC as a Creative Strategist, I get to meet, know and in some cases, I get to collaborate with people in the community. That’s the best part of my job. It’s even more amazing when the community member is a Creative as well. I light up with excitement.

I had the humbled honor of sitting down with Glass Farm Resident and local singer Deborah Bledsoe. She and her husband, also a musician, are members of the band “2 Deep Within.” I sat down with Mrs. Deborah at the All-Good Coffee and Used Bookstore located on Glass Street IN the Glass Farm community.

I MUST pause for a moment to explain and describe the spot I chose to interview Mrs. Bledsoe.

Picture this:

Have you ever seen an alluring space of knowledge?

Have you ever seen a dope coffee shop in a tv show and wanted that same vibe?

I have felt and wanted this and then BOOM!!! I experienced it in All-Good Coffee and Used Bookstore. This is Black-owned by a family resident. It is managed and curated by Kahla Stewart who is an amazing Creative herself.

I sat down with Mrs. Deborah near a street window surrounded by books and art as Etta James plays in the close distance. I don’t know about you fine folks but when there are books, art, food, coffee, and music in the space nothing but great conversation can happen.

I met her over a year ago during the planning and creating of SWAY: The People’s Guide to Community Organizing. I didn’t realize that I knew some of her family until then as well. I saw her band perform in Gospel on Glass street. She has a soulful voice filled with strength and knowledge.

I asked Deborah about her early life and she told mE that it was filled with lessons.

She lived a hard life that has taught her over the years how to appreciate all things.

She uses her voice to bring people together. She and her husband have a very talented band named “2 Deep Within.” She married into a singing family and spoke of how enriching it was to be able to communicate using music.

When I darted out into the street of conversation, I said “Do you consider yourself a Creator? She without pause or question said, “Yes I am.” She has created some inventions over the years. She hasn’t had them patented but that is creating with a purpose. She is also a talented seamstress. She is an amazing writer.

I have had the pleasure of creating and performing with her and the band in 2019’s Glass Street Live. Her band played behind myself and 4 other local spoken word artists. It was a spiritual moment. The music, the singing voices, and our poetry.

So very powerful!

Mrs. Deborah was a very important part of the entertainment committee for Glass Street Live 2019.

I also had the inspiring opportunity to write for a documentary film “Rhythm of Life” that highlighted Glass Farm residents and how their lives changed during the early months of the pandemic. The Bledsoes are featured in the video with the words that I wrote.

Mrs. Deborah says that she enjoys being a part of the community working with GHC. She wants to see the community grow closer and become more involved in the building up of the neighborhoods.

We have our work cut out for us and we are ready. It is so refreshing to have community members that want to get involved and that don’t mind the hard work.

Thank you again for returning to read my thoughts as I hear those in the community and amplify their message.

Till next time….

#onelove #throughglass #heardandamplified

Wrapping Up: Glass Street LIVE!

glasshousec — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 22:06:26 +0000

It’s almost hard to believe that Glass Street Live was already more than a month ago! If you follow Glass House Collective on Facebook, check out the photo album from the day, featuring wonderful photos by Matt Reiter. And the pictures don’t lie. It was a great time!

Highlights from the day include that awesome streetscape simulator, watching all the Glass Street superheroes in their new capes, Gospel On Glass, delicious food made by our neighbors, and local art from around the community.

The Glass Farm Block Leaders booth was a busy place as Miss Janette and her volunteers gathered surveys and input from the neighborhood to select the design for new house banners for the Glass Farm historic district. The winning design will be revealed at this year’s Christmas party on Friday night! Janette said the survey participation during Glass Street Live was terrific and she really appreciates everyone who took the time to stop by the GFBL booth. Remember if you participated in the survey and signed up to receive a free house banner, free banners will be given to the first 50 who come to the Christmas Party Friday night, December 14th, at 6pm at 2523 Glass Street.

It was great to see so many people interact with the streetscape installation, lead by architect, David Barlew. Glass Farm resident, Johnny Patmon, volunteered to help kick things off in the morning and said he appreciates how the block party became a place for productive conversations directly with the community who are impacted and advocating for change on Glass Street. “Thats who you should ask in the first place, is the community who wants to see change and improvement in their community. So we asked people if they lived in the neighborhood and for how long because that’s important,” he said.

Feedback on the streetscaping proposal and signatures of support were gathered in different ways throughout the day at Glass Street LIVE! Barlew said that Gail McKeel, who has lived near Glass Street for years, prepared several signs expressing different opinions of the mock-up and streetscaping plans. “Visitors to the installation were asked to pose for pictures with signs of their choosing that expressed their opinion of the proposed scheme. In all, Gail collected more than fifty photos of individuals, friends, couples, neighbors, and families sharing their thoughts about the mock-up,” David said. The pictures will be delivered to CDOT to show support for the proposed streetscaping.

As usual, Glass Street Live’s food vendor’s did not disappoint. In fact, Miss Dunyetta of D’s Eggroll’s says the block party continues to be a great venue for her small business and 2018 was her best year yet. “GSL is great for exposure. It opens our menu up to a lot of new customers. It’s so exciting to see the people and the support that they gave us. We really enjoyed ourselves,” she said.

GHC Community Relations Manager, Nicole Lewis, spent the day helping some of the neighborhood’s youngest superheroes earn their capes. Judging from the number of capes buzzing around Glass Street Saturday afternoon, the Capes and Superheroes activity was a hit. “The kids really enjoyed completing the tasks,” Lewis said. Be on the lookout for a fun campaign coming in the new year to celebrate these young neighbors who are superheroes for their neighborhood. Also, a special shout out to Leo Ascarate. Leo screen printed Glass Street on the back of the capes. Thank you, Leo!!!

Hardly last and never least, starting the day with a full program from Gospel on Glass was the best. GOG curator and musical director, Deborah Bledsoe, did an amazing job selecting the performers and pulling the stage together. Miss Deborah said the whole day “felt like a big holiday celebration with friends and family!” Indeed.

Let’s do it again next year !

REVISIT THE DAY! Browse the photos here

New City Councilwoman for District 9

Tara Poole — Wed, 10 May 2017 16:27:27 +0000

We’ve shared our congratulations to Demetrus Coonrad, as she steps into the role of City Councilwoman representing District 9. In her heated run-off with Councilman Yusuf Hakeem, she stuck to her message supporting those hard at work to bring attention and a fair share of resources to all areas of her district. Hakeem has been a supportive partner in acknowledging Glass House Collective’s efforts to recruit needed city attention to improving the infrastructure in support of a healthy, vibrant neighborhood in the areas surrounding Glass Street. While GHC keeps its distance from any direct political involvement, our community hosts Good Neighbor Network meetings, where various City Council candidates did visit and introduce themselves and their platforms to neighbors.

We have been impressed with Demetrus Coonrad’s honesty and direct approach, as she has already supported collective efforts in the neighborhood like our East Chatt Highlight Festival, held on the Boone Heights property where she grew up. She has never shied away from speaking openly about the challenges and mistakes in her past, and the way her past launches her into a present intent on working to better her community. She returned the following day of the festival to welcome concert attendees at the 3rd Annual Gospel on Glass, sponsored by the Tennessee Arts Commission, and presented to share the joy and hope of Gospel music.

She was also supportive of the 2nd Beautification Blitz, lending clean-up and yard work support to local residents and business owners, although she was unable to attend in person. Regular Good Neighbor Network meeting attendees appreciated her visit to address concerns about the need to attract a viable grocery store to Glass Street.

Congratulations also to Anthony Byrd who won the election for District 8. Together these new representatives have the potential to bring new energy and revitalization to their districts.

Highlighting the Good!

Tara Poole — Wed, 10 May 2017 16:01:35 +0000

April 21-23 brought a three-day festival to the former Harriet Tubman housing site, also known as Boone Heights. Where neighbors have gotten used to a locked gate and an empty grassy expanse where the projects once stood, the weekend brought local music, dance, many curious neighbors, and a sweep of activities to engage whole families throughout the weekend!

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.

Singing Away the Rain

Tara Poole — Wed, 10 May 2017 14:07:08 +0000

Gospel on Glass was a hit this year in spite of the showers! This third annual free concert event was made possible once again by the Tennessee Arts Commission Folklife grant, and reflected the incredible talents of local musicians who regularly create gospel music for their churches right here in the neighborhood! This year’s event was in conjunction with the East Chatt Highlight Festival, a three-day event at the former Harriet Tubman housing site on Roanoke Ave. aiming to shine light on the good happening in this community.

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!

Year Three for Gospel on Glass!

Tara Poole — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 16:58:50 +0000

Musical talent abounds in and around East Chattanooga. We’re excited to welcome back favorite singers from previous years, while Marcellus Barnes has gathered a fresh pool of vocal talent we can’t wait to listen to!

Join us for our third annual Gospel on Glass on Saturday, April 22nd, from 3pm-7pm. This event is made possible by a grant from Tennessee Arts Commission, with additional support from Hope for the Inner City, SunTrust, Coca Cola United, New Blue Construction, and Elliott Davis Decosimo.

The concert, along with the whole East Chatt Highlight Festival, is free and family friendly. Food vendors will be on site, but pleas bring your own lawn chairs. Hope for the Inner City will also coordinate their annual plant sale and open house across the street.

Glass House Collective has partnered with Marcellus Barnes (former Orchard Knob Elem. Music Teacher) and UPAFC to celebrate the local gospel music talent in and around East Chattanooga. This year’s performers include The Dance Ministry of Ms. Kessala Dorsey, Comedian Trish Rutledge, Pastor Corey Prather & Hi Praize, Larry Hurston & Genuine, Trent Williams, Drummers!!! Jarrod White, Eddie Heyward, DJ “Big Bam” Gates, Ashley Brison from the Group Eddie James, Pastor Jo Foster and Team Judah, Darius Ware and IPM, Tiffany Coleman, Jarvis Menifee and Chozen, Carlos and Janelle Drake, Miracle Baptist Church Mass Choir, Rock Island Church Mass Choir, The Spiritual Highlights, Justin Radford (Clarksville, TN), and Pastor Marcellus Barnes & VOT.

Upcoming East Chatt Highlight Festival

Tara Poole — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 20:24:07 +0000

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

Lights, Color, Music-“The Pool” HERE!

Tara Poole — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 21:59:17 +0000

We have a new exciting art installation making its debut on Glass Street this April! “The Pool” by Jen Lewin is going to make its rounds throughout various Chattanooga neighborhoods served by Empower, the residential energy conservation and education branch of green|spaces. You can find more info about making this exhibit HAPPEN in Chattanooga neighborhoods by visiting Empower’s website.

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.

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

Gospel on Glass 2015

Teal — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 15:12:26 +0000

On September 27, 2015, Glass Street came alive with bustling activity.People of all ages (over 300!) came to experience Glass House Collective’s second annual Gospel on Glass sponsored by Tennessee Arts Commission. And the event did not disappoint. Thanks to event organizer Marcellus Barnes of Unity Performing Arts Foundation of Chattanooga the crowd was treated to an all-star collection of Chattanooga’s thriving gospel community. The line-up featured 17 African-American performers! Glass Street’s own Trish Rutledge was the emcee and comedian and musical guests included Larry Hurston and Genuine, Marcus Price-Gospel Rapper, Pastor Jo and Team Judah, Tiffany Coleman, Orchard Knob Baptist Church Male Chorus, Hawkinsville Mass Choir, Antoine Boynkin-Poet, Trent Williams and Renewed, Eula Gipson, Virtuous Church Praise Team, Jarvis Menifee and Peculiar Praise, Marcellus Barnes and VOT, Darius Ware and IPMC, Pastor Corey Prather and High Praize, and G3.

The event also featured fun for the whole family. Glass Street’s Studio Everything and 100 100’s hosted a t-shirt screen printing station, kids enjoyed themselves in the bounce house, and many children got to create art with Josiah Golson of The 800 Collective. Further, the crowd was treated to the down home cooking of the Glass St. Breakfast and Lunch House and Ashanti’s.

Gospel on Glass on May 24th

Teal — Wed, 14 May 2014 21:33:27 +0000

Join us in celebrating local gospel choirs on Saturday, May 24th from 11:30-4:30 at the corner of North Chamberlain and Glass Street in the community space.

Live performance schedule includes:

12PM: Mt. Canaan Baptist Church, Voices of Triumph
1PM: Olivet Baptist Church
2PM: Orchard Knob Missionary, Men’s Choir
3PM: Terra Vista Baptist Church
4PM: Worlds Church of the Living God

Gospel sets will last 30 minutes each.

Urban Artformz Institute will perform a live painting and poetry reading in between gospel sets.

Food Trucks will be on site. RSVP on Facebook here.