Chattanooga Pulse

Written by Aaron Collier
Tuesday, 30 September 2008 21:54
Artist Terry Cannon’s vision is transforming Rossville Avenue

“If we ever have a plan, we’re screwed,” read the sign hanging over the late Paul Newman’s desk when he started Newman’s Own. That quote is among Terry Cannon’s favorites, which might explain his knack for invention. “Things in my life come organically, and I’ve come to trust that,” he said. As an artist, Cannon gravitates toward moments of discovery and surprise, perhaps because little in his life is the result of planning. Life for the Chattanooga entrepreneur is about improvisation-that is, making something out of nothing. Or, in his case, junk. His art is largely comprised of sensational collage pieces crafted from found objects. And so far his greatest work of art is the Off Main Art Collective, housed in a previously abandoned and dilapidated building at 1800 Rossville Avenue.

Cannon acquired the 40,000-square-foot building in 2006. Since then, he has overseen its renovations, including his own studio/gallery, Loose Cannon. During the past year, he’s brought in artists and businesses to further ignite creative community in the Southside. Off Main Art Collective houses iGNiS Glass, Contrapasso, ImageWorks, Soirees, and soon, Atlantis Gardening and Organics, an Atlanta-based hydroponics vendor specializing in environmentally conscious methods of home gardening. [Editor's note: The building has also housed The Pulse for the past few months. We will shortly move to the Brewer Media building, 1305 Carter Street.]