Dave Salerno’s plein air painting of a waterfall in the Gorge, which he painted last Monday.
Dave Salerno’s plein air painting of a waterfall in the Gorge, which he painted last Monday.
Scott and Molly Cooper watching live plein air artists, Ann Currey and June Teuscher, at the 2014 event.
Rick Huffines, executive director of the Tennessee River Gorge Trust, regularly uses this quote by world-renowned naturalist E.O. Wilson to highlight the common thread that connects all of us to the natural world, whether we’re aware of that connection or not: “The love of complexity without reductionism makes art. The love of complexity with reductionism makes science.”
“We all love nature for the art,” says Mr. Huffines. “Chattanooga is a beautiful place to live with incredible views from many vantage points. Some people leave their love of nature at that – the beauty. Others, like me, want to take that beauty a step further, to reduce it and break it down, to understand what keeps nature healthy.”
The correlation between art and science in the natural world, as illuminated in Mr. Wilson’s quote, inspired a creative partnership between the Tennessee River Gorge Trust, a local community-supported nonprofit that has been protecting open spaces in Hamilton and Marion County for 34 years, and the Townsend Atelier, a local art school on Williams Street that offers workshops for artists of all levels.
Ten local artists will be painting en plein air during the cocktail hour of the Tennessee River Gorge Trust’s 5th Annual “Another Gorgeous Evening,” the organization’s largest fundraising event, on Thursday, May 7. All works will be for sale during a silent auction at the end of the night.
The event will begin with a cocktail hour at 5:30 p.m. featuring specialty cocktails by 1885 Grille and Tremont Tavern. Guests will enjoy smooth jazz by the Ben Friberg Trio while artists paint. A dinner on the lawn courtesy of Lee Towery Catering will follow, with iced coffee available from Velo Coffee Roasters and toe-tappin’ bluegrass music by the Dismembered Tennesseans.
“The venue makes our event so special,” says Sarah Quattrochi, development director for the Trust. “Tennessee RiverPlace is truly the 'Gateway to the Gorge,' and we wanted to connect guests to the lands we’re working so hard to protect. Our hope is that while watching the artists, people will also pay close attention to the view being painted. These spaces are not protected by accident. They remain intact and unchanged because of the hard work of many people, including our donors, volunteers, and the vision of our founders more than 30 years ago.”
Over the past few weeks, the artists have also been given the opportunity to attend field trips into the Gorge in order to capture varied iconic spots.
“It’s like another world out here,” said artist Dave Salerno. “I am so happy to be here to paint in such a serene environment, and the fact that the sale of my painting will help support the Trust is icing on the cake.”
All of the money raised during ‘Another Gorgeous Evening’ will help the Trust continue its mission of land protection, education, community engagement and land stewardship. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Trust’s website at www.trgt.org or call 266-0314