Performers, artists, and innovative institutions have put Chattanooga on the map for creatives and art connoisseurs everywhere. The Scenic City has diverse artistic communities from muralists to musicians, and there are endless opportunities for artists to hone their crafts of all kinds. For art lovers, performance venues, festivals, museums, theaters, and galleries abound. 

A centerpiece of Chattanooga’s arts culture, the Hunter Museum of American Art has one of the most complete collections of American art in the Southeast, spanning from the 1700s to present day. Nearby, the Houston Museum of Decorative Arts houses a gorgeous collection of glass, ceramics, and textiles, and the River Gallery Sculpture Garden boasts an award-winning 2-acre space that includes a formal garden, meditation area, and a recycling mountain stream.

There’s no shortage of performance art in the area. The Chattanooga Symphony & Opera – the first (and one of the only) combined orchestra and opera organizations in the nation – holds dozens of concerts featuring a variety of genres each year. The Chattanooga Ballet Company and School is the only professional ballet company in the city and tours throughout the Southeast. One of the oldest and largest community theatres in the country, the Chattanooga Theatre Centre will be celebrating 100 years during the 2023-2024 season.

Another landmark arts institution, the Tivoli Theatre Foundation includes the Tivoli Theatre, Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium, and Walker Theatre. All draw crowds for a variety of nationally and internationally acclaimed touring and local performances. From Broadway at the Tivoli to the Bobby Stone Film Series, there’s always something going on at one of these venues. Each summer, the Chattanooga Film Festival celebrates the art of cinema with panels, workshops, parties – and of course, feature and short films. 

Public Art Chattanooga,
established by the City of Chattanooga, transforms downtown and surrounding neighborhoods with a permanent outdoor public art collection, including more than 100 indoor and outdoor works of art. Sculpture Fields at Montague Park, also supported by the city, is a 33-acre outdoor museum and park – the largest in the Southeast. It features more than 40 large-scale sculptures from artists all over the world. There are also more than 35 publicly accessible murals in and around the downtown area, and the number is always growing. 

Support for arts education in Chattanooga is a priority for several local organizations and nonprofits. ArtsBuild, a nonprofit investing in the arts in the Chattanooga community since 1969, supports local art organizations, programs, and education. ArtsBuild also holds the annual Holmberg Arts Leadership Institute, which offers opportunities to prepare leaders for roles within arts organizations. Chattanooga Neighborhood Arts Partnership (ChattaNAP) seeks to improve the quality of life for the residents of Chattanooga and Hamilton County with many different art programs and projects, from creating resource directories for artists to organizing arts festivals. 

The Association for Visual Arts (AVA) helps advance the arts community by supporting both professional and emerging artists as well as maintaining its gallery on Frazier Avenue and hosting the annual 4 Bridges Arts Festival. The HART Gallery is a creative home for underserved artists, offering a gallery space as well as community creative classes. A staple of the area’s literary scene since 1952, SoLit (recently known as Southern Lit Alliance) is a nonprofit that brings literary arts experiences to people of all ages. Signature events include the SouthWord Literature Festival and the Young Southern Student Writing contest. 

 The celebration of diversity is fundamental to the Scenic City’s arts community. The annual Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts & Ideas celebrates Juneteenth through contributions from artists of African descent. The Bessie Smith Cultural Center celebrates and educates visitors on African American heritage all year round. There are also events throughout the year showcasing German, Indian, Latinx, Native American, and Southern heritage.