Glass Street Public Art Seating Project

A key part of our mission at Glass House Collective is getting “feet on the streets.” We’re committed to drawing people out of their homes and cars, encouraging residents to engage in the Glass Street community. And it’s working. Thanks to some successful events and exciting projects, we’ve seen an increase in activity and foot traffic around the neighborhood.

So – channeling Dr. Seuss – we decided those feet on the streets needed (new) seats.

And thus, the Public Art Seating Project was born. In January, GHC and Public Art Chattanooga issued a cross-country call for artists who could design, fabricate and install sculptural and functional seating elements along the sidewalks of Glass Street. But we wanted more than a bench. We wanted concepts that were as vibrant and unique as the neighborhood where they’ll soon be built – structures that would attract and keep feet on the streets.

The response, we’re thrilled to say, has been overwhelming. Over the course of several weeks, we received 110 proposal submissions from artists across 34 states. The concepts varied, but each possessed a depth and thoughtfulness that made for a painstaking selection process by our ad hoc voting panel.

The panel, comprised of Public Art Committee representatives and Glass Street residents and leaders, gathered on March 21 and narrowed down the pool of artists to 12 semifinalists:

Nicky Falkenhayn (OR)
Jim Gallucci (NC)
Ted Garner (IL)
Gary Gresko (NC)
Weston Lambert (LA)
Gus & Lina Ocamposilva (FL)
Will Schlough (PA)
Nathan Smith (TN)
John Tagiuri (MA)
Cameron Van Dyke (MI)
Christopher Weed (CO)
Catherine Woods (FL)