Started as a day-long festival in 2011 honoring Jazz Appreciation Month, Jazzanooga evolved into an independent  and thriving, minority-founded,

nonprofit organization dedicated to using the arts to transcend cultural barriers and  to addressing the lack of diverse arts

and cultural programming in the greater Chattanooga area.

As Jazzanooga expanded its services, providing an array of cultural arts programming and initiating new opportunities 

for creative experimentation and community transformation, we were extremely fortunate to garner local

and national attention for our arts and cultural programming.

As we continue to evolve aesthetically and programmatically to better serve our community,

the organization’s message and brand must evolve as well. We have taken great pride in working directly in the community

and giving voice and opportunities to those that may been overlooked and underserved.

We are proud to share that we will continue our mission and vision with the name of RISE (Responsive Initiatives for Social Empowerment).

This name is more reflective of the work we do and more aspirational - like the people, communities, and the city we serve.

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Peace & Blessings,

Shane Morrow, Executive Director / Co-Founder