Seven led collaboration efforts between six local neighborhood graffiti artists with the goal of cleaning up the alley by cutting the grass, clearing out weeds, and repainting walls to create a place where graffiti artists can paint. This was to prove the level of graffiti was beyond the typical gang tags and curse words.  With permission from building owners, Urban Artformz Institute pushed the skill level and delivered a few top-notch pieces.  The project is ongoing and a total of eight walls have been painted.

To see more of Seven’s work, visit his website  or his instagram and twitter profile at @theartistseven.

The mural “Flying Over the Rails” also symbolizes the community’s ability to break through the limitations of society, more specifically the glass ceiling of limitations created by a culture of inequality.  As a whole, the mural has brought a new sense of beauty, excitement, and creative energy back to Glass Street.

To view more of Seven’s work please visit his website or view his instagram and twitter profile at @theartistseven.

Thank you:

Timothy Moore and Dequan Smith for assisting with paint preparations and helping with operating the hydraulic lift.
HERTZ Equipment Rental for donating a week free of use for the lift.
Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise (CNE) as the building owner for permission to use the wall.

The poem surrounding the artwork makes reference to the perspective that life is like a dream and that once this is realized everyone has the power to do or create anything. This poem was written by Seven and shared during a Spoken Word event he hosted through the Urban Artformz Institute.

The World is Yours

Imagine that the world is yours
No! I mean in a real sense….
No glass ceilings nothing but open doors
You can have and experience
Any reality you please
Just by realizing that it is really
All just a dream…
Knowing that the moments you share
Are really moments that have past
We are all somewhere on the outside looking in
Peeking through the looking glass
Wondering if this part of us
That represents this grey mentality,
Will truly awaken to the power
Of our new actuality.

For more of Seven’s work, visit his website or his instagram and twitter profile at @theartistseven.

Thank you to Rondell Crier with Studio Everything (another artist-in-residence on Glass Street) for providing the scaffolding for this project.

Dancer’s Background: Chris started dancing at age 5 when he first saw Michael Jackson perform. He was fascinated by his movement and coordination and felt a strong desire to understand what he was doing. He remembers wanting to emulate Michael and his passion grew for the art form the more he practiced. Now Chris is pursuing  a career as a dance instructor, actor and model.

Dance Classes Offered: 
Intermediate/Advanced Hip Hop classes for ages 13 and up
Emote (emotional dance) classes for ages 13 and up

What to Expect: Chris’s Hip Hop classes are taught workshop style where students lean routines.  Each week he teaches a new routine and encourages his students to listen to music differently and explore different types of movement. His Emote classes are similar but are performed to acoustic or R&B music and encourage storytelling through expressive movement.

 When & Where: Thursdays from 6-7 pm at Moving Forward Dance Studio

Media:
YouTube Channel: Chris Flash (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvXsisE7JrdMKoVTl1X2UgA)
Twitter & Instagram: @chrisflashshaw

“Come join us and have fun, let dance be an open window for you to explore.” Chris Shaw

“Style Junction” will feature the work of 10 local artists and will reflect the idea of progressive change happening in many Chattanooga neighborhoods.

Seven is holding weekly street art sessions with participating artists unfamiliar with spray paint techniques.  These sessions are held Mondays at 3pm for those interested in joining the mural project.

For more information about Seven and his artwork, please visit his website at www.kingdom-graphica.com or call 423.402.0565.

More to come about the progression of the mural project soon!

Here’s a link to the video here.