Storefront Paint-by-Numbers

Can coloring in the lines bring us closer to home? Kevin Bate, a local painter and muralist, led a project to animate a vacant storefront and showcase the Glass Street’s historic buildings. Up until the 1960s, locally-owned businesses dominated the Glass Street commercial corridor, which served hundreds of area residents in the East Chattanooga community. Establishments like the Hamilton National Bank, The Rivoli Theater, the Lakeview Café and Kay’s Ice Cream made the area uniquely engaging. To help bring some of that history back, Bate engaged kids from Hardy Elementary School, Girls Inc, and East Chattanooga Parks & Recreation in completing two paint-by-number works for 2437 Glass Street—home to Kay’s Ice Cream from 1937 to 1956. The result? A celebration of the past and a banner that says, this place has a future, too.Up until the 1960’s, locally-owned businesses dominated the Glass Street commercial corridor that served hundreds of area residents in the East Chattanooga community.

Outcome:
Engaged over 30 youth from the community in the production of two large-scale paintings that now animate the otherwise empty storefront located at 2437 Glass Street.

Media:
The Pulse Weekly , photo album of the project can be found here.

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