| Name | Paula |
|---|---|
| Last Name | Wilkes |
| Home Address | 147 Hilltop Drive Rossville, GA 30741 United States |
| Organization Name | Bessie Smith Cultural Center |
| Describe Your Role In The Organization | President of the non-profit organization. |
| Organization Address | 200 E ML King Blvd Chattanooga, TN 37403 United States |
| Website | https://www.bessiesmithcc.org |
| Best Phone Number To Reach You | 423-266-8658 |
| Alternate Phone Number | 423-505-2347 |
| Email Address | pwilkes@bessiesmithcc.org |
| Alternate Email Address | ecameron@bessiesmithcc.org |
| Please Describe Your Project In Detail | Our history has a big impact on us and understanding it can benefit us in many different ways. For you to understand how and why our present world is the way it is, you have to look to history for answers. Knowing our history allows us to understand where we are coming from, which in turn allows us to understand our present. It not only reveals the past, but it also helps us create a better future. An understanding of the successes and failures of the past is important if we are to grow and make progress going forward. If we do not learn from our past mistakes, we are bound to repeat them. “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” – Maya Angelou Through our programming, we want to positively impact our community through the education of African American history and culture. Art and human history go hand-in-hand. When we take the time to dive into art created in the past, we can learn about other generations and eras. We can study art to find out what those before us were facing and how they overcame it. In the same way, future generations will learn about our current events through the art we leave behind. As The Metropolitan Museum of Art puts it: “Looking at art from the past contributes to who we are as people. By looking at what has been done before, we gather knowledge and inspiration that contribute to how we speak, feel, and view the world around us.” Art is often controversial or groundbreaking. And when art creates a stir, it has the potential to spark healthy conversations that lead to improvements across a society. Rather than impassioned debate, art allows us to analyze, respond to, and create social change. Surveys show that high school students in the United States who engage in the arts at school are twice as likely to volunteer than those who don’t. They are also 20% more likely to vote when they become young adults. Beyond personal development, the overall social impact of the arts is essential to understand. Cultures big and small unite through the arts to build better and stronger communities. Big 9 Roots Festival is a 2-day community event featuring local musical entertainers as well as visual artists. It is scheduled for April 9 & 10, 2022. Estimated 4,500 guests to attend. The event is free and open to the public. This event will be held annually. Artists are contracted through the Bessie Smith Cultural Center and their artist fees are paid directly from the organization. Estimated Project Cost - $95,000 Bessie's Summer Music Series - This will be the first year for hosting this event and will include weekly performances on the lawn of the Bessie Smith Cultural Center and will include a visual artist expo as well as musical performances of various genres. All artists will be contracted through the Bessie Smith Cultural Center. The goal is for this to become an annual series. Estimated attendance will be 1,000 - 2,000 guests per week for an eight-week period. Estimated Project Cost - $75,000 The Bessie Smith Cultural Center will be offering live streaming of various programs for the community related to museum exhibits as well as art and culture. These are still being scheduled at this time, but the equipment has been purchased to allow the organization to professionally live-stream these programs. Through this initiative, we hope to partner with the City of Chattanooga and their 18 various community centers to after-school programming that will be simultaneously streamed to all centers and the possibility of summer camp sessions. This programming will be focused on African American history, culture, and art. A full-time Education Coordinator position is needed. Estimated Project Cost $100,000 |
| Please explain how your project meets the requirements of the American Rescue Plan | Address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency, including economic harms to workers, households, small businesses, impacted industries, and the public sector. We believe that a typical crisis plays out over three-time frames: respond, in which an organization deals with the present situation and manages continuity; recover, during which an organization learns and emerges stronger; and thrive, where the organization prepares for and shapes the “next normal.” We must consider all three-time frames concurrently and allocate resources accordingly. Receiving funds from the American Rescue Plan will allow us to not only continue to recover but assist us in thriving in our efforts and mission to preserve and celebrate African American history and culture through art, education, research, and entertainment. Receiving these funds would allow us time to continue to build a sustainable organization and ongoing programming for our community. It would be a true blessing to be able to enhance our current programs as well as add new additional programming and events. This in turn will create a more stable economy, a more vibrant community full of history, culture, and art. |
| Where would your project take place? | Bessie Smith Cultural Center |
| How much will your project cost in total? | 270000 |
| Do you have any matching funding sources from other local governments, private entities, non-profits, or philanthropic entities for your project? | Yes |
| Please describe the source and list amounts of any other funding. | We currently have $45,000 confirmed for the Big 9 Roots Festival. |
| What portion of the project are you asking the city to fund? | $150,000 as this would provide services for the community in conjunction with the city's community centers as well as provide free events for the community which will assist in economic growth as well as help sustain a vibrant and vital community. |
| If funded, when would your project start? | April 9, 2022 |
| How long would your project take to complete? | 1 year |
| What milestones would you use to measure your project’s progress? | BSCC will use a range of narrative to empirical evaluation methods to evaluate the effectiveness and relevancy of these events and programs. Onsite digital surveys and/or evaluation forms will be given to event attendees, volunteers, and BSCC staff to provide feedback. Comments from attendees will be collected verbally, through comment cards, via emails, and through social media outlets. All data received will be put into a report that will assist in measuring outcomes. Each program and event will have individual goals. Overall, we want to improve the economy, quality of life, and community vitality for not only Chattanooga but the region. |
| How would you ensure accountability and transparency throughout the project lifecycle? | Audit of BSCC Financials are performed annually and all data and reports would be shared with the city. |
| If successful, how would your project benefit the community? | Improve the economy, quality of life, and community vitality for not only Chattanooga but the region. |
| How will you attract community buy-in for your project? | Providing information to the community through our social media and community meetings. |
| Name | Erskine Oglesby |
| Contact Information | eoglesbyjr@chattanooga.gov |
| Is there anything else you would like us to know about your project? | We want to see our city thrive and any way that we can help achieve that we will. We thank you for your consideration. |