Bicycle tire inner tubes, bamboo and slabs of concrete are creeping up fences along the Main Street corridor.
Eight unconventional works of art, all being erected on chain-link fences, are part of the “On the Fence” competition, funded and sponsored by the Lyndhurst Foundation and Public Art Chattanooga. All of the fences are around properties now for sale, and the yearlong installations are meant to enhance and transform the urban environment until the properties are sold.
“The ultimate goal is for the fences to go away completely,” said Peggy Townsend, director of Public Art Chattanooga. “This is sort of a nice temporary solution to really get the creative community involved.”
The competition is part of a larger effort to revitalize the Main Street corridor, she said. The artists or teams were chosen at the end of February, but most just began putting their work onto the fences last week.
Each artist or team was given $2,500 for parts and will receive another $500 upon completion of the installation. The final works will be unveiled at the 4 Bridges Art Festival on April 17.