Formal Mission Statement
Mark Making's primary objective is visual arts education: promoting problem solving and
creativity building skills for children and non-working adults. The latter includes adults
with physical and mental disabilities, adults with degenerative diseases, and homeless
persons.
- The art education takes the form of creating public art projects offering these artists a
sense of ownership and accomplishment and engages them in civic life. Likewise these
public art projects beautify the community which offers clients inexpensive art.
- Mark Making seeks to partner with governments, other non profits, corporate sponsors
and individuals to receive donations and grants and the opportunity to bid on art
projects.
- Mark Making also creates job opportunities to community artists and others who
facilitate their programs.
What are public art projects ? Examples include permanent, site specific or portable
murals on outdoor or indoor walls of public buildings, embankments, construction
boards, banners; relief and three dimensional sculptures in a variety of materials such
as paint, wood , concrete, recyclables ,mosaic...
Examples of past projects in Chattanooga (see childrenpaintchattanooga.com) that
serve as models for possible MM activites:
Market and Main Sts: This transitional neighborhood has been graced with several
mural projects.
Once empty buildings protected by construction boards were painted with murals of
trains. A major tourist venue, the Chattanooga Choo Choo is located across the street.
Two schools fourth grades were the artists on this block long project. Neighboring the
train station is an old hotel whose windows' protective boards were painted with life size
self portraits of artists waving; these were painted by another schools third grade. Six
months later, the same children created 25 huge heads on cloth that hung in empty
storefront windows of an adjacent building. Schools provided the artists, parent and
teacher volunteers, transportation, and facility use. These three projects were funded
by private donations matched by Allied Arts grants.
Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabitiltion: Siskin wanted art programming for its physical
rehab patients in wheelchairs, mostly stroke victims. They had wall space in the physical
therapy room. These artists chose words of encouragement for future Siskin clients and
developed imaginative ways to write/draw and create images that described the
word/feeling. These efforts were executed on wall paper and then collaged to the wall at
eye level in a meandering composition. The approximately 20 artists also retouched and
visually tied the images together which necessitated them to work standing! This mural
was funded by Siskin.
The AIM Center, psychiatric services for people with mental disorders wanted consumer-
generated art for their meeting hall. Artist participants were asked to figurate three
animalson paper whose qualities would help them lead a more independent life. The
animals, plus initials and symbols, were collaged resulting in personal coats-of-arms.
The maquettes and the banners hung were exibited in the AVA art gallery, and have
been hanging since in the public areas of the Center. (AIM subsequently decided to
initiate a fine arts center.) This project was funded by Allied Arts.
The City of Chattanooga was seeking large portable indoor/outdoor murals. About 80
artists (4-15 yrs old) from five recreation centers created twelve 20 x 4 foot pieces
describing scenes from Chattanooga and its Sister Cities. These paintings have been
placed in several venues and are currently hanging at the City's Development Resource
Center. This project was funded by the City of Chattanooga.