What this grant is for....

My grant is to bring to Chattanooga 3 well known American public artists for weekend workshops and public art planning sessions. These goals are

- To offer to myself and others opportunites to learnabout learning different techniques, methods, and the philosophical thoughts driving them to make collaborative public art

- To bring awareness to the general public that collaborative public art can create ownership and empowerment for those who create it while beautifying the city.

- To build on the present growing excitement surrounding public art started during the Corker administration and currently carried forward by Public Art Chattanooga.

The three artists will be in Chattanooga for three different weekends doing presentations and workshops. We would also work on how could their philosophy, methods and techniques be applied in a Chattanooga context.

I’d like to introduce these Artists:

Kauai Caleb Kaui or tag name "Aero" is becoming a household name as one of the most active and talented international aerosol artist of his time. Better known as the Walt Disney of graffiti Caleb Aero has broken the negative barriers surrounding graffiti with his universal artistic appeal. At the forefront of the aerosol age Aero is bringing this medium to new heights and audiences around the world. By introducing the vision of Aerosol Art Parks™ he has found a solution to help funnel our youth's curiosity with spray paint in a positive direction. Aero is also the first and only aerosol artist in America to have created his own personal line of ECO friendly spray paint called Blubber Colors Magic™. With over a thousand murals painted in the last decade Caleb Aero has established himself as a future legend in the aerosol art game. Whether its teaching an aerosol art workshops™ to high school students or organizing aerosol art events™ for other aspiring artist to gather. Aero is creating a difference that is opening doors for this street art form. Watch Aero Live every Saturday at Aerosolarts.com his new live stream show "AeroTV 2010™" which showcases Aero and friends teaching instructional aerosol art workshops for online viewers.

In 1995, Ed Massey and Bernie Massey founded Portraits of Hope, continuing their utilization of art and poignant visual imagery for large-scale projects of social consequence.

Portraits of Hope projects culminate in the visual transformation of public environments and have involved everything from blimps, buildings and tugboats to airplanes and NASCAR racecars. They are currently working on a series of lifeguard stands that will dot the California coast with their figurations and they have plans to partner with NASA to launch collaborative public art into outer space.To date, tens of thousands of children and adults across the United States and abroad have been involved in their educational activities and projects.

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Milenko Matanovic Pomegranate Center out of Washington state is an internationally recognized leader in developing neighborhood gathering places and is a leading nonprofit devoted to community-generated design and development.

Our mission is to facilitate the creation of meaningful, community-crafted gathering places. We do this by integrating social, artistic and environmental perspectives into:

· the creation of meaningful neighborhood gathering places

· constructive and inclusive community-based planning

· educational outreach, research and training.

There is a growing public consensus that neighborhoods are healthier, stronger and safer when they include public spaces where people can gather. Shared public spaces create opportunities for conversation, sharing information, performances, celebrations and play. In doing so, they create an increased sense of well-being, belonging and neighborhood pride.