Cultural Cross Ties: Conversations to inspire radical understanding on a human-to-human level
Cultural Cross Ties is an experimental partnership between Chattanooga-based artists and artists in each of Chattanooga’s sister cities, matching new pairs from a different location each year.
As the inaugural cohort with four artists from Giv’atayim, Israel has come to a close with the unveiling of an installation at the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, Barking Legs will now begin the second year of Cultural Cross Ties partnering in Hamm, Germany.
This year, we’re trying something new. We’re looking for a police officer, librarian, firefighter, visual artist, and performing artist from Chattanooga and Hamm.
2023 Hamm, Germany: NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
Cultural Cross Ties
Cultural Cross Ties
Creating a Global Arts Community
In November 2020, after a long period of isolation and uncertainty still ahead, artists were ready to engage in cultural conversations that would stimulate a global understanding, challenge us artistically, build cultural relationships, and inspire artistic collaborations.
We turned to our branch of Sister Cities International and decided to pair four artists from Chattanooga with four artists from our Sister City of Giva’tayim, Israel to create a documentary of their journeys.
Every year, we will continue the conversation and art making with Chattanooga’s other Sister Cities which include: Tono, Japan; Hamm, Germany; Wuxi, China; Nizhny Tagil, Russia; Gangneung, Republic of Korea; and Wolfsburg, Germany.
This project is inspired by President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s vision of creating partnerships with foreign cities to develop friendships, deepen cultural understanding and encourage world peace.
We believe in the Sister Cities International mission to create global relationships based on cultural, educational, information and trade exchanges. We want to encourage innovation and prosperity throughout Chattanooga by strengthening relationships built upon this system, that began in 1956.
Barking Legs is grateful to have the support of The Osborne Foundation, Humanities Tennessee, ArtsBuild, CoPAC, Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, and private donors for Cultural Cross Ties. Through the arts, we are able to communicate the difficult, important, and beautiful things in life.