Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassie Terpening.
Hi Cassie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I’ve been a life-long artist. One of my first memories of being alive was filling in the lines of coloring books. So it’s just natural people assume I got my degree in fine art at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. But parallel to my love of art is that I find fulfillment in taking care of people. Art had been a huge comfort to me in my life and I wanted to share it.
When I discovered the Hart Gallery, my whole trajectory changed. Here was a place that used art as a healing tool, a way to build your own chosen family, a way to give access to resources to those who need it, and the list just keeps going from there. I chose to get my Bachelor’s of Science in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management in hopes I could start a gallery-like Hart in another city or work there one day. That was eight years ago and now I am a full-time staff!
There is one story that really sticks out to me as the start of my love for Hart Gallery. It was the first time I ever volunteered. I had been going through a depression and went to the art expression class with people who are homeless at the Salvation Army’s Recreate Cafe. I remember sitting at the table silently making art, kind of nervous, and definitely sad. A guy walked by the door and asked me for a dollar. I told him I was a broke college kid eating ramen and Cheerios.
At the end of the class, a man that was silently sitting across from me handed me a sheet of paper. It was a list of all the places I could go to eat for free. He pointed to the place on the bottom and said that other college kids ate there too so I wouldn’t feel out of place. Let’s just say the generosity of people who have nothing struck me so deeply. I’ve been a part of Hart Gallery ever since. It’s healed me and so many others in ways I am so honored to witness.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It was very difficult for me being the first person in my family to go to college and on top of that in a brand new city.
Trying to pay for, work through, and survive being a full-time working student was hard. Felt like I didn’t sleep for four years. By my senior year, my GPA dropped from the 4.0 I had maintained my entire academic career. Outside of school, I was managing a restaurant, teaching a lass for Hart, and doing an internship at our local arts council Arts Build.
It proved to be worth the lack of sleep, the couple of missed essays, and losing a few points for the experience I gained. I guess you could say by the time I reached the second semester of my senior year, I was ready to use what I learned instead of just reading about it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My role at Hart is Gallery Attendant and Education Specialist. Much of what I do is place volunteers, manage the artwork, teach, and artist support.
I’ve been facilitating art expression with vulnerable groups in Chattanooga at area organizations such as the Community Kitchen, Salvation Army, Maclellan Shelter for Families, fixed senior income housing, and more. I also market classes/events/the gallery with fliers, calendar updates, website, social media, and press.
Alongside our therapist Brooke Montague who has used art as a therapeutic tool for over 20 years, I help model classes with a therapeutic benefit, pack supplies, and collect artwork for exhibits. I also plan events for fundraising and outreach. Like all other nonprofits, there are so many hats we wear on a daily basis, it’s hard, to sum up, what we do to support our artists!
What does success mean to you?
A successful day at Hart Gallery of course would be selling paintings, but there is even more that we do for our artists! We take the time to provide emotional support and what we call “light casework” making sure our people have access to the resources they need.
We can refer our artists to other partner organizations that can help with housing and all sorts of situations.
Contact Info:
- Email: cassie@hartgallery.org
- Website: hartgallery.org
- Instagram: @hartgallerytn
- Facebook: @hartgallerytn
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hart-gallery-chattanooga
