Programs included things like the Bessie Bus, In Your Face Neighborhood Portraits, Dance Alive, Art Works summer youth work program, painting, drawing, clay, making ornaments for the Mayor s Christmas party, and a mosaic tiled mirror class. In its fourth year, this summer dance program in collaboration with Ballet Tennessee teaches a variety of dance to 65 boys and girls in an intensive summer workshop that culminates in a public recital at Ballet Tennessee s dance studio located at the John A. Patten Recreation Center.
Youth participating in the program are auditioned city wide in the recreation centers.
Funded by Benwood Foundation, Ronald McDonald Foundation, Allied Arts and Community Foundation. Bessie Bus Bessie Bus, is a mobile music education program that places a core of four jazz and blues artists in three recreation each summer centers to conduct hands on music education with all ages. Since 1996, this has been a collaboration with the Bessie Smith Hall , and has been funded by Allied Arts of Greater Chattanooga. In 1999, we will be collaborating with the African American Museum . In 1997, this project received the state, regional and National Parks and Recreation Dorothy Mullen Arts and Humanities Award and has served over 300 youth from Tyner, Glenwood, East Chattanooga, McCallie Homes, Carver, Avondale, Inner City Ministries, College Hill, and Shepherd Centers.