Chattanooga native Austin Center makes his living in the business world, but he hopes to make a mark in the art world as well. A painter and sculptor, Mr. Center, 36, is helping lead a movement to draw young professionals into a growing Chattanooga arts scene. After earning a degree at the College of Charleston, Mr. Center lived in New York City, where he taught art, before returning to his hometown.

Your passion is art, but what's your 9-to-5?

I'm director of corporate acquisitions for a venture-capitalist investment group. It's the exact opposite of art, but I think the art has enabled me to understand the process and follow a project. ... I like new things, projects and puzzles. After living in New York, teaching art, doing painting and sculpture for several years, I've realized that everything is a marathon, not a sprint. Everything's give and take.

Do you enjoy your work?

I love it. It's something new every day. It might open up an opportunity to where if I wanted to have my own gallery, this enables me to understand the business side, raising capital, how to put all that stuff together. It may later give me the opportunity to not have to have a nine-to-five (job).

What inspires your art?

I've always found inspiration in people or what I'm doing in the world. I feel like no matter what, my artwork is related to the people I interact with and the things I do. For instance, you walk into a party, and you can carry on conversations easily with some people, and others you struggle to do so. I've always been fascinated by this. I can relate it to painting. There are paintings that I'll do and things will just flow. I step back, and they're done. I relate that to someone who's easy to talk to. I love those paintings. They flow, they fit, I don't have to think too much with them; I just react. But then a lot of times there are paintings I struggle with, where there are layers and layers, and it doesn't work, and then there are so many people who love those.

Talk about your work in the Chattanooga arts community.

One of the groups I've helped start -- and (I) am chair of right now -- is called Avant Art. It's a young-minded, contemporary group at the Hunter Museum. We want to get young professionals involved in arts and the art community. Now that Chattanooga's growing so much with a lot of under-40 younger professionals and more things going on, it's just the perfect time to start this outreach group and involve them in certain things. We plan events throughout the year, like Hunter Underground, a yearly fundraiser.

Quick Bites:

Favorite painting: "Rain, Steam and Speed" by William Joseph Mallard Turner.

Favorite sculptures: Works by Alexander Calder and Frank Stella.

Education: College of Charleston, studied abroad in Florence, Italy.

Hobbies: Golf, travel, exercise, time with Dad, wine tasting, exploring good restaurants.

Place you'd like to visit: Israel, Greece.