The public art mural on one of the walls surrounding EPB’s 10th Street substation is complete.
Drawing inspiration from Chattanooga’s MLK district, artists visualized “the heartbeat and soul of MLK in arts, music and culture.” A group of community stakeholders then selected the nine artists based on their work’s artistic value, clarity of thought, community reflection and relevance to the theme.
“In most cases, infrastructure is designed to deliver critical services without calling attention to itself,” says David Wade, EPB president and CEO. “But since this substation is located in the rapidly redeveloping MLK community, these walls are the perfect place to showcase this neighborhood’s rich cultural history and present-day energy.”
The artists included Jaclyn Anderson, Rondell Crier, Josiah Golson, Keelah Jackson-Harris, Julius Hubbard, Harlan Lovestone, Madison Myers, Lauren O’Neill and Rachel Veal.
Community partners included ArtsBuild, Association of Visual Arts, Bessie Smith Cultural Center, City of Chattanooga’s Public Art Chattanooga, Chattanooga Community Kitchen, MLK Neighborhood Association, RISE Chattanooga, River City Company, Urban League of Greater Chattanooga and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
ArtsBuild also supported the project by hosting a workshop for the muralists taught by Chattanooga artist Kevin Bate, who served as a consultant for the muralists.
This is the first year of a four-year project. EPB will take submissions to create a public mural on the second side of the substation wall this fall.
Source: EPB