Art returns to North River Civic Center in Hixson

One of the North River Civic Center’s major programs in years past has been exhibitions of local artists. However, the pandemic brought it to a halt in 2020, as in-person classes and meetings went virtual or took a pause to ensure everyone’s health and safety.

“Artists didn’t want to bring in work to display if no one was going to be there to see it,” North River Civic Center Director Linda Rugina said during a phone interview.

Now, after two years, art exhibitions have returned to the center.

“We feature local artists from across the Chattanooga area and even into Ringgold and North Georgia,” Rugina said. “Every quarter, we’ll bring in new individuals or a new group for showcasing and fill up the wall space in the building.”

She said the center began the art program about 15 years ago, and its absence has been felt.

“We’re just really, really happy to get it back in the center and have people have something to enjoy seeing, whether they’re coming in for an exercise class, line dancing or just want an outing to enjoy beautiful artwork,” Rugina said.

The summer’s showcase will run through August and feature work by artists in the Regional Art Alliance, including John Alvis, George Bethel, Garren Hall, Ginger Jordan, Eddie J. Laney, Cindy McCashin, Brent

Templeton and Jody Whttemore.

Guests can visit the center any time between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to view the exhibition.

“The theme for this one is really just freedom to at last be able to get out and share some of our paintings,” John Alvis, coordinator for this quarter’s show, said in a phone interview. “We’re so thankful to be able to share it again.”

Most paintings in this exhibition, Alivs said, are oil canvases, with a few watercolors mixed in, too. There’s a variety of sizes and subjects as well, from nature, landscapes, animals, vintage cars and tools and much more.

“It’s a large facility, so we were able to get more than 60 paintings there this time,” Alvis added.

Artwork can also be purchased from the center. Each painting holds a tag next to it that details its title, artist and price, with 25% of sales going back to the city of Chattanooga, Alvis said.

Interested artists looking to display their work in exhibitions later this year should complete an application available at the center and send in samples of their work.

“From there, we have a committee that votes and says who goes up at each event,” Rugina said.

To learn more, contact the center at 423870-8924. The center is at 1009 Executive Drive, Suite 102, in Hixson.