Chattanooga’s AIM Center: A Visual Feature

The works pictured here were created by participants of the Applied Arts program at the AIM Center. The AIM Center (Achievement, Independence, and Motivation) is a nonprofit organization that helps adults in the Chattanooga region live productive lives while managing serious mental illness. The AIM Center offers employment, education, housing, and social opportunities, as well as a community of hope.

The Applied Arts program provides participants the chance for self-expression in a safe, supportive environment. While their lives provide context and inform their artwork, the challenges often imposed on them due to their diagnosis evaporate in the art studio.

a painting of several pretty purple flowers growing with green stems and leaves against a yellow background, maybe in a field
"Fresh Growth" by Mark
a painting of a blue night sky and silver moon with a large white and black bird, possibly a heron, flying in front of it
"Flight Towards the Light" by DeMichael
A somewhat abstract drawing with oil pastels; appears to be trees, a yellow sun, and some buildings
"The Sun Still Shines" by David

Examples of other recent projects include:

  • “One Hundred Views of Chattanooga”: a coffee table book featuring original artwork by 21 AIM Center attendees. These personal interpretations of sights around Chattanooga were painted from plein air sketches created over a two-year period during numerous field trips.
  • “Positive Space”: a 12-foot-tall concrete and mosaic tile sculpture outside of the AIM Center offices. Incorporating tile work from 45 AIM Center artists and 15 individuals from partnering organizations, this public art sculpture was created in dedication to Bonnie Currey-Stamps, the co-founder and first CEO of the agency. This monumental work stands as a reminder of the power of art to animate the urban environment, as well as the vitality existing in those whose abilities and insights simply need an opportunity for expression.
4. Cover of "One Hundred Views of Chattanooga" coffee table book. Shows the title and a cover painting in oil pastels that shows a city skyline of Chattanooga, with buildings and other structures against a mountainous background of forests
"One Hundred Views of Chattanooga" coffee table book
a tall outdoor mosaic sculpture that surrounds an empty space of a human body – head, body, legs – and the surrounding mosaic tiles are in varying shades of blue and many other colors in the shapes of suns, moons, stars, butterflies, dragonflies, and similar figures
"Positive Space" sculpture
a detailed image of the blue mosaic sculpture depicting a sun, stars of differing sizes, waves and curls, etc.
Closer look at "Positive Space"

For more information, visit www.AIMCenterInc.org, call 423.624.4800, or email info@AIMCenterInc.org. The AIM Center serves Hamilton County and the surrounding area.

Follow AIM on social media:

  • FB: AIMCenterInc
  • IG:  aim.center
  • LinkedIn: The AIM Center, Inc.