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The power of placemaking: The impact of public art goes beyond the obvious

"The Passage at Ross's Landing," unveiled in 2005 on the site where the Cherokee's Trail of Tears began, incorporates public art that honors the Cherokee people. "The Passage at Ross's Landing," unveiled in 2005 on the site where the Cherokee's Trail of Tears began, incorporates public art that honors the Cherokee people.

By Joan McClane April 28, 2019 1 min read

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Placemaking

Lory Heron, left, and Jenise Gordon look at a sculpture titled

A jogger passes a sculpture by artist Albert Paley at the Blue Goose Hollow trailhead of the Tennessee Riverpark.

Hamilton County commissioners approved $100,000 toward the independent citizen-led movement to build a memorial at the Walnut Street Bridge to honor Ed Johnson, whose unjust lynching at the hands of an angry mob in 1906 led to a federal overhaul of the justice system's due process. / Contributed Rendering

The opportunities cities promise have almost always drawn very different people together. These tensions have no doubt birthed tragic histories. But they have also served to illuminate the unique beauty found in a diversity of cultures and identities.

All of this has been enormous fodder for artists, who are more and more being looked to by cities like Chattanooga to help create a shared sense of place, despite the cacophony of lived experiences.

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» The vibrant arts scene also encompasses a number of community theaters, galleries, events and classes. To keep up to date, visit timesfreepress.com/mychatt.

The city of Chattanooga, which adopted a bold, 10-year vision for public art in February, began to invest in public art and placemaking in the mid-1980s. Post-industrial cities were hemorrhaging residents and jobs. Yet, some cities were spreading the idea that public art and placemaking could make city grit more palatable and even lead to revival and reinvestment. In many cases, they were right.

Beyond the aesthetic, however, public art was also beginning to be seen as a locus of education and reconciliation.