A powerful figure that has recurred in local artist Charlie Newton's paintings over the last 20 years will take the form of a sculpture to be unveiled Saturday during the Big 9 Art Bash on the lawn of the Bessie Smith Cultural Center.
Titled "Sister," this latest sculpture from Newton was created especially for the Art Bash, a joint celebration of public art and the M.L. King Boulevard district.
The ghostly, spiritual image represents African-American culture and "the indigenous voices from MLK who haven't really been able to tell their own story," according to Newton.
"To have my work displayed in my own community is pretty important to me, so I'm honored and excited about it," Newton says. "I just feel the need to tell my own story because I think I can tell it better than anybody else."
Newton, who grew up on Ninth Street, now MLK Boulevard, says Chattanooga "has been good" to him, but he remembers feeling like he was invisible as a teenager and as an African-American artist for a number of years, which is some of the inspiration behind his sculpture.
"'Sister' is my statement about the fact that maybe we appear to be invisible," Newton says. "She's almost like a spirit or a ghost, but her presence is undeniable. She's not rich, she's probably poor, but she is powerful, monumental and heroic, but not overbearing."
"Sister" will join four other sculptures by artists from Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia and Illinois featured at the MLK District Sculpture Exhibition, which is part of the transformation occurring on the street.
Along with the wraparound mural on the AT&T building that was dedicated in January 2016, the sculptures will help "contribute to the neighborhood's unique identity, draw attention to the Big 9's rich cultural history and promote economic growth of the boulevard," according to a news release from Public Art Chattanooga.
"Our call for artists for this exhibition was we wanted work that would pay tribute to that great music era of the Big 9 and the liveliness of that neighborhood," says Katelyn Kirnie, director of Public Art Chattanooga.
If you go
› What: Big 9 Art Bash, featuring music, food and visual art.› When: 7-10 p.m. Saturday.› Where: Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 E. M.L. King Blvd.› Admission: Free.› Email: publicart@chattanooga.gov.
Kirnie says the MLK Sculpture Exhibition will be on display for two years, the same time as other exhibitions around town on First Street, Main Street, Renaissance Park and the Riverfront.
Newton explains that "Sister" is a representation of African-American culture that he believes is necessary. He says he's afraid that the rich history on MLK could get lost because "other people are telling stories for [African-Americans]."
Still, he says, "Sister" has always been around for him.
"'Sister' is an image that I grew up with," Newton says. "Every time I went to a house party or family came over or I played on the playground, 'Sister' was there. Sometimes when I walk in my studio, I think somebody's in there and it jolts me sometimes, and it's 'Sister.'"
Newton says he knew he wanted to be an artist at age 5 and art is all he's ever done. He was encouraged early on by his parents and inspired by his baby sitter's drawings of Batman and Superman.
Newton graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a Bachelor of Arts in 1975 and went on to graduate from Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University in 1986 with a Master of Fine Arts degree.
He has exhibited in London, Italy, New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C, and Virginia. His work can be found in public and private collections in the U.S. and abroad, including the Hunter Museum of American Art.
Newton and his wife, Iantha, also an artist, founded an art school called Splash in 2012 to provide free art classes to urban youth. He currently works full-time in his Chattanooga art studio.
Viewers can download a free app from the App Store called OtoCast for a tour around all the sculptures at the Cultural Center. The app includes photos of the pieces as well as recordings from the artists focused on their inspirations and process of creating them, according to Kirnie.
Contact Kimberly Sebring at ksebring@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6315.