Ellington

Nearly 700 artists applied, but only the top 143 were accepted to the 4 Bridges Arts Festival, which opens Saturday in First Tennessee Pavilion.

Artisans representing 26 states and the four corners of the country -- Washington, New Hampshire, California and Florida -- will fill the pavilion. About one-third of them will be new exhibitors to the show, said Jerry Dale McFadden, 4 Bridges artistic director, and 27 are residents of this area.

The nationally recognized fine art show is celebrating its 10th anniversary this weekend. The Association for Visual Arts, which produces the festival, is marking this milestone by fine-tuning the festival experience.

In addition to showcasing the best in visual art, 4 Bridges will feature culinary art. The festival foods of past years are being replaced with food samplings from popular local restaurants including 212 Market, Back Inn Cafe, FoodWorks, Good Dog, Public House, Hot Chocolatier and Yellow Deli.

McFadden said there will still be a barbecue vendor, lemonade vendor and Mayfield ice cream booth for those who prefer those foods.

"We've rented a 100-foot tent that will house all food and music," said McFadden.

The festival is also going green this year. The first three steps in becoming more sustainable are being introduced.

First, there will be a recycling program at every waste station. Second, the festival will offer free bike valet service to encourage biking to the site. Third, everyone bringing a reusable cup or mug for coffee or beer will be eligible for a discount on the price of a serving.

McFadden said five rising stars have been named the festival's Emerging Artists and will have their work displayed.

"There are two ceramic artists I think are phenomenal: Thaddeus Erdahl and Stephanie Stuefer," said McFadden.

"Amanda Brazier, a painter, moved here about a year ago. Katharyn Addcox is a photgrapher from Memphis who does documentation photographry and has great stories to go with her work. Glass artist Michael Ulschak, from Silver Point, Tenn., does blown and carved glass," McFadden said.

Jan Chenoweth and her husband, Roger Halligan, both sculptors, are making their second appearance at 4 Bridges.

"We are midcareer artists who normally show in museums and galleries," Chenoweth said. "We decided since we lived here, we might as well do the local thing and applied last year. This type of show was a first for us."

Chenoweth said she and Halligan loved the friendly, festive atmosphere and enjoyed the people they met.

"Artists always like sharing their work, and when someone cares enough to ask you about it, it's really wonderful," she said.

Brent Sanders has shown in 4 Bridges every year since 2003, when he was selected as the poster artist.

"It's my best show of the year, being that I'm a hometown artist. A lot of my subject matter is based on cityscapes," he said.

"I enjoy being in a place where you get to know such a vast amount of people. It's really a good way for the public to interact with artists one-on-one," he said.

If You Go

* What: 4 Bridges Arts Festival.

* When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.

* Where: First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Carter St.

* Admission: $5 ages 18 and older; $5 parking fee.

* Web site: www.4BridgesArtsFestival.org.

Regional Exhibitors

2-D mixed media: Lisa Norris, Shaun LaRose, Matthew Dutton

3-D mixed media: Michael Wimmer, Jan Chenoweth, Steve Terlizzese

Acrylic painting: Brent Sanders, Dana Shavin

Ceramics: Shadow May

Drawing: Jake Kelley

Fiber/wearable: Lisa Cutler, Traci Batchelor Paden

Glass: Thomas Spake

Jewelry: Susan Parry, Janet Campbell

Oil painting: Patricia DeLeon Alfonso, Rey D'Alfonso, Lawrence Mathis, Victoria Pearmain

Photography: Daryl Thetford

Sculpture: Roger Halligan, John Petrey, John McLeod

Wood: Phil Wallis

Metal: David Curles, Cecile Keith, Clay Binkley

VOTE FOR PUBLIC ART

As you're driving to the Southside this weekend, take note of the chain-link fencing in the area of Main Street, East Main, West Main, Rossville Avenue and Broad Street. Eight fences are displaying temporary public art, and Public Art Chattanooga is inviting 4 Bridges patrons to vote on a favorite.

The eight locations of temporary public art are:

* "Our Shared Home," by Battle Academy, intersection of Main Street and Rossville Avenue.

* "I Am Here: On the Fence," by Cat Collier, 401 E. Main St.

* "Rain Wash," by Matthew Dutton, 1701 Rossville Ave.

* "Natura Tectum," by Elemi Architects, 1701 Rossville Ave.

* "Procession," by Girls Preparatory School, 401 E. Main St.

* "Sunderwall," by Christian Rushing, 1400 Broad St.

* "Spare Parts," by Set in Stone, 301 E. Main St.

* "Rubber Forest," by Joe Thomas, 220 W. Main St.

Voting is also available online at www.onthefencedesign.com until April 24.