In latest project, a Chattanooga artist asks, ‘Where do we go from here?’

The latest project by Chattanooga artist Kourtney Brown, known as 2$ON (pronounced: Tuscon) the Prince, asks the question: “Where do we go from here?”

The works in Brown’s project have a pop art influence with a political context. Several pieces incorporate imagery of Martin Luther King Jr. while also utilizing photos from a ’60s-era Howard High School yearbook. The central question of the project — “Where do we go from here” — is derived from a T-shirt Brown owns that depicts the civil rights leader, Brown said in an interview.

That central question, in conjunction with the pieces Brown has created, inspires many answers, but it is that dialogue that he seeks.

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“Blending in the identity of people from Chattanooga, from that time period as well, too, is very strong, and that’s a relationship that I’m trying to have between what that movement was and where we are today,” Brown said of his work. “I feel like we all are going through our own spiritual warfare, but there’s something deeper going on, on the political end. And having this conversation of ‘Where do we go from here’ is very important to have to find that answer.”

In latest project, a Chattanooga artist asks, ‘Where do we go from here?’

If there even is an answer to find, Brown said.

“Maybe it’s all about action right now and just showing up for one another,” he said.

The public will have the opportunity to see Brown’s work when his art exhibition opens Saturday in a gallery space on Glass Street.

Prior to this latest project, Brown has worked to platform the voices of East and South Chattanooga residents through a series called “Stories of Resilience,” which highlights the beauty and strength of the narratives that define, connect and inspire people, according to the series website. It is from working on this series that Brown had the opportunity, through Rise Chattanooga, to set out on this latest artistic venture.

In addition to the artwork, there is also a documentary component to Brown’s project. The documentary, like “Stories of Resilience,” features East and South Chattanooga residents in group discussions led by Brown, whose mission is to “foster community growth and social engagement through creativity,” he said by email.

“This documentary will share the stories of Chattanooga’s inner-city communities, featuring voices from both the youngest and oldest members,” Brown said. “It highlights the core mission through a narrative that is shaped by community engagement.”

Some footage from Brown’s community discussions will be shared at the exhibition, but a full-length documentary remains in the works, he said in the interview.

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Of the discussions Brown has conducted so far, one featured Larry “Bear” High of Bear’s Barber Shop in the Alton Park neighborhood. At the beginning of the discussion, High spoke on how he sees the country.

“We live in the United States of America,” High said. “The word ‘united’ means together, and we have never been together. And that’s our biggest problem. We live in the ‘Separated States of America.'”

Toward the end of the discussion, after touching on topics such as family, community, love and the youth, when the question came — “Where do we go from here?” — High had an answer.

“We got to teach them love, show them love and start training them,” High said. “These kids are not being trained, and they don’t know love. All they know is hate. So it’s up to us to train up them in the way they should go.”

Art is subjective, so Brown expects people to leave his exhibition with their own opinions of what the art means to them, he said. But the biggest takeaway will be the conversations had.

Contact Sam Still at sstill@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6579.