ArtsBuild announces the selection of the inaugural 2023 class of Periscope Chattanooga: Artist Entrepreneur Training, a business development intensive created by the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville that empowers working artists to see their creative practice through an entrepreneurial lens. This inaugural Chattanooga class consists of 22 artists working in an array of disciplines including visual art, fashion, music, jewelry and more.
Artists are chosen for Periscope Chattanooga through a competitive application process and scored by a panel of community reviewers that includes leading artists, curators, musicians and creative entrepreneurs in Chattanooga’s arts, culture and business sectors. Selected artists participate in eight weeks of entrepreneurial training followed by six months of individualized mentorship by high-caliber business mentors. The program culminates at the Periscope Pitch + Artist Entrepreneur Showcase in May, during Small Business Week, where artist entrepreneurs unveil their creative businesses to the community.
“We are excited to welcome a group of diverse artists from a variety of disciplines who all demonstrate a high potential for business success in their creative endeavors to Chattanooga’s Periscope program,” said James McKissic, president of ArtsBuild. “We are empowering artists by treating them as the small business owners they are and by equipping them with the entrepreneurial skills to build successful businesses from their art.”
Participants in the 2023 Class of Periscope Chattanooga are:
Aaron “Cherokee” Ellison - Dance
Ashley Gazzola - Visual & Performance Art
Claudia Alexander - Visual Art
Corey Twitty - Multidisciplinary
Cortina Jenelle Caldwell - Multidisciplinary
Courtenay Cholovich - Drama/Public Art
Courtney Cox - Fashion Textile
Eric Kirkendoll - Music
Jeron Devonte - Music
Jessica Laliberte Bowman - Dance
Katheryn Hande - Fashion/Textiles/Visual Art/Multidisciplinary
Kevin Bate - Drama/Theatre Performance
Kristina Sanchez - Visual Art/Multidisciplinary
Laura Ter Beek - Visual Art
Macayela Blackhorse - Visual Art
Mary Ahern - Drama/Fashion/Literary Arts/Visual Art
Matthew Dye - Visual Art
Micah Chapman - Music/Literary Art
Sarah Mixon - Dance/Music
Shasta Mignon - Fashion/Textile/Film/Literary Arts
Tanqueray Harper - Drama/Theater/Performance Art/Photography
TJ Hanretta - Multidisciplinary
Periscope: Artist Entrepreneur Training is a program of the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville created in partnership with the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, Metro Arts: Nashville’s Office of Arts + Culture, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Mayor’s Office of Economic & Community Development.
Periscope Chattanooga is supported by ArtsBuild donors, The Nancy Lackey Community Education Fund, The Sankofa for Civic Engagement Organization, United Way, city of Chattanooga Office of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy, Benwood Foundation, and Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union. Those interested in volunteering as a mentor or coach with Periscope should contact Monica Kinsey at monica@caravantribe.com.