Chattanooga values public art, employing it to help transform its downtown and neighborhoods, bring people together, and celebrate its spirit of creativity. Thanks to the leadership of several forward-thinking mayors, community leaders, and design professionals, Chattanooga has reinvented itself as one of the country’s most livable mid-sized cities.

Outdoor sculpture displays abound including the Bluff View Art District’s River Gallery Sculpture Garden, the Hunter Museum’s outdoor sculpture collection, Sculpture Fields, and the Chattanooga Sculpture Biennial, which attract visitors from around the world. Since the early 1990s, the City, in partnership with the private sector, has completed more than 100 permanent and temporary outdoor public art projects.

The development of the Tennessee Aquarium in 1992 included a remarkable integration of art and landscape by S.I.T.E. architects with artists Jack Mackie and Stan Townsend at Ross’s Landing. Chattanooga completed a public art plan in 2003 resulting in several key initiatives, with the 2005, 21st Century Waterfront project as the most prominent. Dedicating 1.2 million towards public art, the waterfront project included "Luminous Light Masts" by James Carpenter, "The Passage" by Team Gadugi, and the First Street Sculpture Garden. Since the completion of the waterfront project, public art has continued to play a critical role in revitalization efforts and in the creation of a distinct sense of place. Key projects include:

2005: “The Passage” by Team Gadugi, a living tribute to the resiliency and vibrancy of the Cherokee culture – and those of other tribes removed from this region during the Trail of Tears.

2005: “Luminous Light Masts” by James Carpenter, the iconic light masts on the Chattanooga Pier.

2005-2015: Biennial Sculpture Exhibition, a rotating sculpture program along First Street, Chattanooga Green and the waterfront.

2008-Present: Art in Neighborhoods program, engaging residents and providing access to art beyond downtown.

2009: "The Four Seasons" by Daud Akhriev, a series of four sculptures placed at the Market Street Bridge and First Street in partnership with River City Company.

2009-13: Art on Main sculpture program on East and West Main Streets.

2011: Art in Motion Project, downtown artist-designed bus wraps in partnership with River City Company

2011: "Main Terrain" by Thomas Sayre, the transformation of a 1.72 acre vacant lot into an active, distinctive urban art and fitness park funded through a creative placemaking grant from the National Endowment of the Arts.

2013: Temporary artist installations and permanent artist designed bus shelters and benches at Glass Street in partnership with Glass House Collective.