Allied Arts, a Chattanooga-based arts advocate and funding source, held a press conference last week to reveal a transformation the organization will be undergoing. The nonprofit announced it will be rebranded, including a name change, and will now be referred to as ArtsBuild.
“As a name, ArtsBuild speaks more to our mission and describes the arts foundation the organization has established in the community,” said Dan Bowers, president of ArtsBuild. “ArtsBuild has helped build the value of the arts in the city’s collective mind, and the arts have helped to build Chattanooga into the haven of creativity and culture that it is recognized today across the South – and nation at large.”
The organization also announced the 23 recipients of the Community Cultural Connections Grants. This new pilot program will fund up to $6,000 per arts project aimed at benefiting art experiences in social service agencies, neighborhoods, and municipalities in Hamilton County. Community Cultural Connections Grants are a result of “Imagine Chattanooga 20/20,” Chattanooga’s cultural plan that created strategies to improve the community through arts and culture.
One of Arts Build’s main focuses in the coming year is to foster widespread support for the arts and encourage collaboration among the many arts-centered entities and diverse interests that exist within the city. Additionally, the organization hopes to engage a younger audience that will be the next generation tasked with continuing the arts’ legacy in Chattanooga.
“The rebranding effort of ArtsBuild represents a positive shift in thinking for our community,” said Jim Kennedy III, chair of ArtsBuild board of directors. “With cultural tourism on the rise, many now see the importance of developing a strong local arts identity. For years, art in various forms has proven to be a vital driver of economic growth. In 2010 alone, the arts boosted Chattanooga’s economy with an influx of more than $106 million.”