Until this weekend, Chattanooga was just a city that artist Teresa Petersen of Detroit said she drove through on her way to Atlanta.
"A friend who does art fairs told me about 4 Bridges festival and suggested I apply. I liked its unusual name and researched it online," Ms. Petersen said.
Ms. Petersen's mixed-media collages are among the work of 143 artists being shown in the 4 Bridges Arts Festival in the First Tennessee Pavilion.
The nationally known showcase of fine art produced by Association for Visual Artists opened Saturday. It resumes today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To mark this 10th anniversary show, AVA has introduced several new features, according to Jerry Dale McFadden, festival artistic director.
First, festival foods have been replaced with entrees by local restaurants. All food vendors have been moved into a 100-foot tent to the rear of the children's art pavilion.
Festivalgoers who carry their own coffee or beer mugs to the festival site can receive a discount on the cost of a beverage's serving. That, along with valet parking and recycling stations, are new initiatives to help the festival become more sustainable, Mr. McFadden said.
Ceramics, acrylic and oil paintings, jewelry, textiles, blown glass and sculpture are among 16 mediums represented in the show.
Local artist Jake Kelley said that by noon Saturday he had sold 11 of the 16 paintings he brought to exhibit in the art show.
Chattanoogan Vanessa Hoffman said she "saw a lot on Facebook" about 4 Bridges, which motivated her to patronize the show.
Three generations of Alexis McDonald's family were browsing booths. Ms. McDonald carried 9-month-old daughter Sally while her stepmother, Deborah Henry, purchased earrings in a jewelry display.
"We come every year looking for gifts or art for our home," said Ms. McDonald, who is a jeweler. "I want to be a patron for the artists."
If You Go
* What: 4 Bridges Arts Festival
* Where: First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Carter St.
* When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today
* Admission: $5 ages 18 and older, $5 for parking
Did you know?
The 4 Bridges Arts Festival got its name from its former location in Coolidge Park, where the four bridges spanning the Tennessee River were visible to patrons.
Continue reading by following these links to related stories:
Article: 4 Bridges festival under way