One of the big reasons Chattanooga is such a wonderful community for the benefit of all of our people, has such a rich culture and is economically vigorous even in times of recession, is the diversity of the opportunities it offers our people.
In addition to our very important industries, businesses, educational institutions, hospitals and varied service organizations, the Chattanooga community is rich in cultural opportunities.
For example, for more than 40 years, Allied Arts has been a unifying organization making possible varied artistic expressions that enrich our people of all ages and our whole community.
Just consider the list of participating organizations: The Arts and Education Council, Association for Visual Arts, Ballet Tennessee, Bessie Smith Cultural Center, Chattanooga Ballet, Chattanooga Boys Choir, Chattanooga Girls Choir, Chattanooga History Center, Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Choral Arts of Chattanooga, Creative Discovery Museum, Hunter Museum of American Arts and Shaking Ray Levi Society.
What a varied array of artistic expressions and experiences these local organization provide our people!
They work together to benefit participants and spectators, promoting jobs and generating income for our economy.
For example, when Chattanooga was eagerly seeking to attract the big, new Volkswagen plant and its more than 2,000 good jobs, plus many thousands of other jobs for suppliers in our area, our local arts organization played an important part in showing that Chattanooga is an attractive choice.
Allied Arts is financially supported by local foundations, corporations, the Tennessee Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, Chattanooga and Hamilton County and state governments, endowments — and many local citizens. It takes the contributions of them all to have the valuable cultural, enjoyable and economic benefits for all of our children and adults.
This fine organization and its many participants obviously merit the support and encouragement of our generous givers and audiences.
Allied Arts’ theme that “The Arts Are for All” is quite accurate. That’s why Allied Arts deserves enthusiastic support by everyone in our community.