The entire month of September is set aside to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of In-Town Gallery. In 1974 founder Dorothy Gannon and 11 local artists created Chattanooga ’s first cooperative art gallery. It grew and thrived as a successful business for 35 years. On Friday, September 11, a public reception from 5:00pm to 8:00pm will be held to honor these charter members, with a special commemorative ceremony at 6:00pm. Five of the original dozen are expected to be present - Chattanoogans Dorothy Gannon, Sherry Caldwell, Dee West, and Joan Clark, plus Sandra Baker-Hinton, from Florida . Since 1974 almost 200 artists have passed through the doors of In-Town Gallery. The reception committee invites them all to return for this exciting reunion.

The gallery front wall will exhibit paintings from the charter members to “Honor the Past”. The work of the 37 current members throughout the gallery will “Celebrate the Present”. Another wall will feature the artwork of elementary school children as we “Look to the Future”. A special display of photos, newspaper clippings, and memorabilia spanning the 35 years will be shown. The pieces will be grouped in ten-year segments, representing the location of In-Town Gallery in three different buildings for a decade in each place - 1974-1984, The Read House and 1984-1994, Cherry Street. The exception is the current location on Frazier, which has continued for 15 years since the move “across the river” in 1994.

What does it take to keep a group of artists going for 35 years? Not just a commercial enterprise, a cooperative gallery is a unique entity. The member-artists are like a family running a business together. They contribute their monetary support, time, and specialized efforts. Their varied professional backgrounds are “behind the scenes” attributes that cover all aspects of the daily tasks involved. Applicants go through a screening process and must obtain jury committee and general membership approval, to meet the high standard of artwork and personal qualifications required for membership.

Credit: News staff photo by Jim Martin.
The caption: The official opening of In-Town Gallery at the Read House on Saturday, September 21, 1974. (from left): Sandra Baker, county judge Don Moore, Joan Bennett ( first president ), Mayor Robert Kirk Walker ( cutting the ribbon ), Robert Waller, Amy Stewart, Linda Ellis, Wendell Burns, and Dee West.