Bessie Smith Cultural Center of Chattanooga

Address: 200 East M L King Boulevard. Chattanooga, TN 37403  -  Phone: (423) 266-8658

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Featured News & Events

God’s Trombones

Event Dates:  Sunday, Feb. 2nd 2014

The Creative Underground and Bessie Smith Cultural Center presents James Weldon Johnson’s God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse on Sunday, February 2, 2014 at 6:00 pm. God's Trom…

PURCHASE 30th Anniversary tickets HERE!!!!

Event Dates:  Tuesday, Feb. 4th 2014

Purchase tickets for the Bessie Smith Cultural Center's 30th Anniversary Luncheon to be held on Tuesday, February 4, 2014, 11:30 am at the Doubletree Hotel with guest speaker Judy Smith by c…

Cancelled – Songbook: Divas of the 80s – Cancelled

Event Dates:  Sunday, Dec. 15th 2013

This event has been cancelled.…

Gallery Talk with Rosalind Withers

Event Dates:  Tuesday, Feb. 11th 2014

The Bessie Smith Cultural Center will welcome Rosalind Withers for a gallery talk on Tuesday, February 11, 2014 at 6:00 pm in the museum galleries. Wither's will talk about her father's lega…

Bessie Smith Cultural Center 30th Anniversary – New Date!

Event Dates:  Tuesday, Feb. 4th 2014

The Bessie Smith Cultural Center,  is turning 30 and to celebrate this milestone, the organization is hosting an Anniversary Luncheon on Tuesday, February 4, 2014 from 11:30 am – 1 pm at …

Crossings a new exhibition by James McKissic

Event Dates:  Jan. 12th 2013 – Mar. 2nd 2013

"Crossings" a new exhibition by artist James McKissic will be on display at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center in the Museum gallery through March 2, 2013. Artist Statement: My work is born o…

Backstage with Louis Armstrong

Event Dates:  Friday, Jan. 18th 2013

The UTC Music Department in collaboration with Bessie Smith Cultural Center will present Backstage with Louis Armstrong, featuring guest vocalist Danny Mullen. The performance will take plac…

Sneak peak of “Negro Spirituals” – A Solo exhibition by Aaron Henderson

Event Dates:  Mar. 11th 2013 – May. 4th 2013

Negro Spiritual Narrative: I have always known the spirits and they know me. The first generation of enslaved Africans brought to America had to fight to hold on to their sense of God.…

Friends of African American Art

Event Dates:  Saturday, Jan. 1st 2011

About Friends of African American Art: Friends of African American Art is an interest group formed by the Bessie Smith Cultural Center and the Hunter Museum of American Art for art lovers…

“The Bessie” Event Photos!

Posted:  Tuesday, Feb. 15th 2011 – 12:39pm

An Intimate Evening with Avery*Sunshine …

Current Exhibit

“Pictures Tell the Story’’ – The Work of Dr. Ernest C. Withers

From the 1940s to 1970s, Dr. Ernest C. Withers was the primary visual chronicler of the parallel society blacks occupied…

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Upcoming Events

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Welcome to the Bessie Smith Cultural Center

Located in the mecca of Chattanooga, TN, the Bessie Smith Cultural Center is a Chattanooga landmark and an educational resource that enriches the cultural life of visitors through renowned artistic exhibits, high quality musical events and performances, and historical educational and cultural programs.

Discover culture, history, art, and entertainment at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center!

The Bessie Smith Cultural Center is a funded agency of ArtsBuild.

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We depend on the generous contributions of our members and supporters to continue the important work of collecting and preserving African American history.

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Museum Hours

Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, Noon to 4 p.m.
Sunday, Closed

Admission Information