Summer Art Camp April 2013

Recipient: BRUSH Paint and Sip

BRUSH Paint and Sip is a painting part business based in Chattanooga.  The business is owned by John and Connie Tallman. John is an artist with over 20 years experience in art and teaching. Connie has over 20 years of experience in the business world. They offer classes to businesses, organizations, and individuals to folks that typically have no prior experience in art.

In coordination with the Glass House Collective, the UNFoundation funded BRUSH to offer a one-week summer art camp to some of the most vulnerable and under-served children in the Chattanooga community. It was free for participants and provided an opportunity for these kids to experience art in a way they had never before.

Edible Nature March 2013

Recipient: Beverly Bardin, a student at Ivy Academy

Beverly Bardin, a recent graduate of Ivy Academy, submitted an application to the UNFoundation to fund a cookbook that would be distributed to area students and community members. At Ivy Academy, students get a strong focus on the flora and fauna on the campus, giving the curriculum an emphasis on nature and biology.

For her senior project, Beverly created a cookbook of recipes from native plants that are indigenous to the North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy adjacent to the school’s campus. The cookbook consisted of ten recipes and a list of different teas that will educate readers on how to use local plants to enhance both their culinary skills and a broader appreciation for the environment around them. She wants to make an impact on 310 young people by doing field trips and publishing the book for others to read.

Environmental Connections February 2013

Howard High School Graduates involved with this program

Recipient: Lookout Mountain Conservancy

The UNFoundation funded the Lookout Mountain Conservancy, an organization funded in 1991 with the mission to protect Lookout Mountain’s resources of scenic, historical, and ecological value through Conservancy, Advocacy, Recreation, and Education. The project we funded allows the organization to engage and partner with The Center for Mindful Living to provide an outdoor classroom experience for the students of The Howard School.

The program has two parts. First, Environmental Education, which teaches students about invasive plant and proper treatment, issues surrounding erosion, and restoration of land with native plants. Second, Personal Growth and Leadership Development, which gives students a medium to learn about themselves, their environment, and their classmates. Students are able to feel safe enough to develop skills to work with each other in an outdoor, non-violent environment. Connecting kids to the lands they live on has been a rewarding experience for this organization and the UNFoundation was excited to fund such a successful program.

The Musical Tree Quilt January 2013

Recipient: David & Yang Welch

David is a recent MIT alumni and Yang is an artist and design engineer. Together, David and Yang came to the UNFoundation and pitched an idea: a musical quilt that honors the flora of southeast Tennessee. They’ve combined traditional quilting methods with e-textiles and open-hardware embedded devices, creating a quilt that sings to the touch. They’re using their research to further their endeavors in e-textile crafting, open-source music, and research.

The project uses conductive and piezoresitive fabrics that ultimately comes together to create a unique instrument. The goal is to create a 4×3 feet quilt, composed of 4 panels, with each panel featuring a tree of special significance to the Southern Appalachians. They’ve organized a talk with a class of fifth graders and plan to present to other local schools as well.