Exhibitons
The Chattanooga Public Library is committed to equitable access for all types of learning, not just books! We are proud to offer special exhibitions throughout the year at our Downtown Library, as well as )pop-up exhibits at our branches.
Currently On View
Curated by Historian Stefanie Haire, Through the Lens presents the life and work of Brazleton (1877-1956), the first African American to open a professional photography studio in Chattanooga.
Coming Soon
The Impressions: From the Big 9 to the World Stage (Opening March 2024)
Curated by Songbirds Guitar & Pop Culture Museum, this exhibit showcases one of the world’s most influential soul groups from their start in Chattanooga to becoming the soundtrack of America’s Civil Rights Movement.
Previous Exhibits
Politics of Yellow Fever in Alexander Hamilton’s America (January 9 – February 17, 2024)
Produced by The National Library of Medicine and curated by public historian Ashley Bowen, Politics of Yellow Fever explores how the yellow fever outbreak in 1793 Philadelphia influenced politics, future outbreaks, and the development of the nation’s public health infrastructure. Featuring companion displays about the 1878 yellow fever outbreak of Chattanooga, curated by the Library’s Local History & Genealogy Department, and a presentation about the Basilica of Sts. Peter & Paul‘s Cause for Sainthood of Father Patrick Ryan, hero of Chattanooga’s 1878 epidemic.
History Funhouse: The Wayne-o-Rama Story (July 27 – December 31, 2023)
Presented by The Shaking Ray Levi Society, National Parks Partners, and the Library’s Local History & Genealogy Department, History Funhouse showcased a selection of three dimensional puppets created by artist Wayne White for his 2016-2017 Wayne-O-Rama installation in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The exhibit included puppet heads, full-size puppets, and prototypes, as well as a series of narrative panels and an exhibition of local history artifacts and archival materials.
Voices + Visions: Chattanooga’s Homeless (June 20 – September 30, 2023)
Curated by artist Robin Howe, in partnership with Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition (CRHC), Voices + Visions used posters, a tarp, cardboard signs, and more to tell the stories of Chattanooga’s homeless community to promote understanding and empathy and to challenge stigmas.
Cultural Cross Ties (March 10 – April 29, 2023)
Curated by local artist, dancer and choreographer Ann Law of Barking Legs Theater, Cultural Cross Ties presented conversations between artists in Chattanooga and Sister City Giv’atayim, Israel. A second installation on this series is planned for Fall 2024, featuring Hamm, Germany.
Americans and the Holocaust (January 27 – February 27, 2023)
Curated by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, in partnership with the American Library Association, this special traveling exhibition addressed important themes in American history, exploring the many factors — including the Great Depression, isolationism, xenophobia, racism and antisemitism — that influenced decisions made by the U.S. government, the news media, organizations and individuals as they responded to Nazism.
