Mission statement: The mission of AVA Propeller (formerly AVA @ the INCubator) is to propel emerging artists toward growth in their respective work by offering mentorship, exhibition opportunities, and skill-building resources. Through collaboration, individualized guidance, and public engagement, we aim to elevate artists' practices, cultivate meaningful connections within the local arts community, and empower creative careers to thrive. At AVA, we believe that there are many paths to maintain an valid art practice, from the entrepreneurial, to the educational, along with casual engagement and enjoyment. All are valuable and essential to a thriving art community and to a broader culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to be an AVA Member to apply? - No, this program is open to non-AVA members as well.
Who is eligible to apply? This program is likely going to be most beneficial to emerging artists or early mid-career artists working to take the next step in their career or who are working to identify what that next step should be.
Does applying guarantee acceptance? Each cohort will be limited to four artists to ensure exhibit requirements are not overly burdensome to individual artists and so that the group of artists can learn from each other. Applications for the second and third cohorts of the year will open in March 2025 and we will schedule both groups together.
How much does it cost? The program is $100 once accepted. Starting in May 2025, the price will adjust to $175 for AVA members and $200 for non-members.
What is required for the application? Each artist should apply with whatever form they have of a current artist statement, bio, website, social media, CV or artist’s resume, images of up to ten examples of current work and some specific attainable, achievable goals for their time in the program. For example, “to become better connected in the local art community” is too ambiguous and for a goal.
Where is the exhibit going to take place? The exhibit portion of this program represents a new partnership with CHI Memorial's Arts Therapies & Well-Being Program and will take place in a dedicated AVA exhibition space at:
CHI Memorial
2525 deSales Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37404
Second Floor, near Elevator C
The second floor hallway is easily accessible from Entrance B, A, or F
Evening and weekend access is through the Emergency Entrance: Turn right at Imaging, then Left towards Elevator C.
What are the program expectations? The program will run on a four month cycle:
January-April cohort, May-August cohort, September- December cohort.
Month one: Introductory group meetings, core document review and planning the group show at the CHI Memorial Hospital. There will be required in-person meetings and communication via email and through Google Suite programs such as Drive, Docs and Sheets.
Month two: The group art exhibit will open at the beginning of the second month and artists will be responsible for helping install the show the week leading up to the opening. Artists will have an opportunity to learn about the process of exhibit planning. Participating artists will be required to attend the opening. Artists will also start meeting one-on-one with AVA staff to identify, target and begin working on their goals.
Month three: Mostly self-directed with individual check-ins with AVA staff during office hours for support on accomplishing goals.
Month four: Required group meetings to plan and prepare artist talk. The program will culminate with the public artist talk or presentation. At the end of the fourth month, the show will also be de-installed.
When will meetings for the program take place? AVA Staff will maintain dedicated weekly office hours on Wednesdays from 12-6 PM for Propeller artists and program work specifically. Group meetings will be scheduled during those times and artists can also schedule individual meetings with staff as well.
What will the culminating project at the end look like? The culminating project will be specific for each artist and will involve a public presentation of the artist’s work in the form of an artist talk or similar presentation/demonstration at AVA’s Frazier Avenue location. For the last couple of years, this has taken the form of a Pecha-Kucha artist talk, where artists presented a narrative of their work and overall art practice with 20 image based slides that played for 20 seconds each. Going forward, artists will be given an option for other presentation formats or they can also do a demonstration related to their work. For example, if the artist has a goal to build a website during the program, they will have to present the website. Each artist’s presentation will be approximately 10 minutes long and the event will be advertised and open to the public.
What if I am just looking for a way to display my work? While this program does include a public exhibition component at CHI Memorial, it also includes educational and programmatic requirements. When artists are accepted into the program, they will fill out a contract detailing expectations and requirements of the program, up to and including the exhibit, a public talk or presentation about their work, and projects around their objectives. Failure to participate in or complete these components may result in the removal of your work at CHI Memorial and the termination of your participation in the program.
Are there limitations to the kind of artwork that can be shown? While AVA and its staff value different expressions, traditions and movements of art, due to the nature of this partnership with CHI Memorial's Arts Therapies & Well-Being Program, for this program specifically, we will be unable to accept bodies of work or individual artworks that favor a particular political or religious affiliation or that include nudity, sexually explicit or violent content. Since the host organization is a hospital, artists should also be mindful of the emotionally fraught experience of being a patient, family or hospital staff in that setting.
