New Kinley Chattanooga Hotel Celebrates Local Female Artists

Kinley Chattanooga Southside, a new 64-room lifestyle hotel developed by Vision Hospitality Group and managed by Humanist Hospitality. is celebrating local female artists with curated commissioned art found throughout the hotel. Located in the city’s Southside entertainment district, a walkable neighborhood where art and culture make up the community, the Kinley opened on March 4.

Handmade, locally curated paintings, weavings and prints can be found upon entering the hotel, in the hotel’s lobby, the hotel’s coffee and cocktail bar, The Exchange, and in each of the 64 guest rooms. Guests don’t have to go inside the hotel to enjoy the works of art. A large mural, a collaboration by Alecia Buckles and Briah Gober, on the exterior of the hotel can be admired by locals and visitors passing by.

“Chattanooga is a hip, cool and creative city," said Mitch Patel, president and CEO of Vision Hospitality Group. "We wanted to showcase the local work of some of Chattanooga’s talented female artists both inside and outside The Kinley Hotel - to help us create a truly one-of-a-kind experience. Sharing locally curated art celebrates Chattanooga and its talented female creatives. Creating a sense of arrival is important to us - it adds to the welcoming environment, inviting locals and visitors to escape the stressors of the outside world and safely relax and unwind. We like to say, at the Kinley Chattanooga, come as you are.”

Communal Kaleidoscope - Exterior Mural by Alecia Buckles & Briah Gober
A collaborative effort by Briah Gober and Alecia Buckles, this mural was developed with the theme of togetherness in mind. The large-scale mural explores a diverse and abstracted outlook through a kaleidoscope of color and shape, allowing the story to contribute to the viewers own narrative. This is the first time Ms. Buckles and Ms. Gober have collaborated together for an art installation.

"We really wanted this project to speak about community, diversity, and belonging,” explained Ms. Grober and Ms. Buckles. “We were both inspired by how many females were involved in the Kinley Chattanooga artistic process as a whole, so naturally we leaned towards the idea of quilt making and the history of stitching various fabrics together to create something unique. That is exactly what the Chattanooga community represents  and that is what you will find when you look at the details of the work. There are motifs scattered about that include traces of the city, connections between people, and a vibrant landscape that inspires all who encounter it." 

Tiny Blue Planetary Alignment - Location: Lobby
Located in the Kinley Chattanooga’s lobby, "Tiny Blue Planetary Alignment", created by local artist Janet Campbell, is one of the first pieces of commissioned art that greets guests upon entering the hotel. Tiny Blue is a monotype (a printmaking process where the artist paints a design using ink onto a metal or plexi type surface, which is then run through a printing press to emboss the ink into paper) work of art.

“Tiny Blue was part of a series of experimental works that used line, shape and color to evoke a sense of the way that events in life interplay and line-up in relation to each other,” explains Ms. Campbell.

The Magnolia Story - Location: The Exchange
At 6 feet high by 11 feet long, local abstract artist Anna Carll’s weaving was curated specially for The Kinley’s lobby and coffee bar, and is made from acrylic, alcohol inks and Irish linen waxed thread on 300 lb Arches Watercolor Paper.

“The Magnolia Story began with the tending of my 70-foot magnolia tree named Bella,” said Ms. Carll. “The pod images are based on the shape of the magnolia blooms center that drops from the tree after dispersing the bright red seeds like red rain. In creating the large-scale pod weaving for the Kinley Hotel, I was able to stretch the limits of my artistic practice to new heights. It was a pure joy to work on this project and become part of the Kinley’s artistic family that showcases the best of what Chattanooga can offer culturally to the greater world.” 

Abstract Art - Location: Front Desk
Curated by Amber Droste, a local abstract paint artist and stained-glass artisan, this current body of work began in 2016, amidst what she viewed as a societal shift in America. Ms. Droste’s paintings are detailed, densely layered abstract works.

“Highly worked canvases create a narrative using repeated forms, lines and colors,” explained Ms. Drose. “I work from multiple perspectives and vanishing points, creating a tornado of visual incident - reminiscent of layers of graffiti. They are distinctly modern images with modern narratives, executed in the traditional materials of pencil and paint. Though my paintings contain a lot of visual information, I try to be mindful to retain some semblance of calm and quiet. However, I don’t treat the canvas as a precious object.  I make mistakes.  I welcome them and embrace them.  I purposely make the canvas ugly to try and make it beautiful again.”  While this body of work is very simple and perhaps sparse conceptually, Ms. Droste explains that she hopes above all else that these paintings convey a sense of optimism.  “Solutions and beauty can come from disharmony.”

Show Me Love - Location: The Exchange
This abstract Mixed Media Mortar Series on insulation, by Cydney Parkes, is based on lyrics from the Song “Show Me Love” by Hundred Waters. Of the piece, she says “I wanted the piece to represent an open mind and carefree spirit.” 

Room Art Collection
Curated by Hollie Chastain, a local mixed media artist and award-winning illustrator, this collection of work is a combination of gouache painting and clipped vintage ephemera.

“I keep a plethora of magazines handy and finding the wild, playful images that I wanted was easy and then hard to narrow them down,” said Ms. Chastain. “Capturing the Chattanooga vibe through color and activities was important to me and I focused on our mountains and streams that we are so lucky to have.” Chastain’s artwork can be found throughout the hotel’s 64 guest rooms.

For more information on Kinley Chattanooga, visit www.kinleychattanooga.com.