Jaime Barks grew up roaming the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. Those countless hours she spent wandering the woods as a child are evident in her work. After nearly a decade working in the non-profit world, Jaime decided to pursue her childhood love of art. She seeks to bring her passion for the natural world to people by reminding them to stop and experience their surroundings. Her work is based on places she has been, she uses a combination of reference images and sketches done on location to capture the feeling of a place. Living in Chattanooga’s North Shore provides her countless opportunities to experience nature from running on the walking bridge to hiking on Stringer’s Ridge. Since making the leap into the life of a full-time artist Jaime has shown work at various art festivals, gallery shows, juried events, and public art displays. Her paintings are in both private and public collections. She has also had the opportunity to be an artist in residency with the US Forest Service in Alaska, Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, Stone River National Battle Field in Murfreesboro, TN, and Shennandoah National Park in Virgina. 

Mary Tomás is a contemporary fine art painter who creates ethereal, meditative and metaphorical works using nature as her muse. Her work may be seen in local, national and international private and corporate collections. With over 40 years experience in the business of art, husband and wife team, Mary and Alberto successfully owned and operated Mary Tomás Gallery in Dallas, Texas where we represented over 30 local, regional, national and international diverse artists that included the work of Mary Tomás. In August of 2020 we relocated to the Chattanooga, TN, area where Mary continues her personal art practice that includes special commissions and creating works for gallery representation.

Frances is the founder of Mark Making — We seek to inspire and provide opportunities for Chattanooga’s marginalized populations to amplify their unique voices and engage in community projects that promote a more equitable future.

We strive to challenge underserved youth and adults, including inner-city youth, teens in foster care, the homeless, people with mental and developmental disabilities, and the incarcerated, to recognize their talents and abilities to affect change in their lives and communities.                                                   

Though each project is different from the next, Mark Making aims to develop innovative arts-based programs that cultivate essential life skills, foster civic engagement, and challenge assumptions of perceived abilities.

We seek to promote the understanding that in expressing ourselves through visual art, we cultivate a stronger reliance on our instincts- the ability to synthesize input and make appropriate choices.

We believe that the process of creating art encourages the development of soft skills, like patience, resilience, critical thinking, effective communication, and the ability to see the whole picture.

We believe in promoting better representation of minority populations in leadership positions, supporting artists, facilitators, and youth leaders in order that they become strong mentors.

We believe that everyone can make art regardless of age, race, level of education, income, or any other challenges. The creation of art is a universal language that can elevate impactful messages, challenging stigmas and assumptions of both the creator and the viewer. At our core, we believe the building blocks of a strong community are it’s people and investing in them is the forerunner of a brighter, more equitable future- everyone has a mark to make.

Just a girl being creative with paint, expressing internal emotions outwardly on mannequin torsos.

After many years of admiring and collecting kaleidoscopes, in 2017, I had the opportunity to take a week long class at John C. Campbell Folk School in the creation of kaleidoscopes. After a week working with Marc Tickle, I was totally committed to learning as much as I could about designing and making kaleidoscopes. I have been a wood carver for most of my life and wanted to use this skill, along with working in stained glass, to build unique works. Since then I have designed and made many original pieces. In June of 2019, I attended the Brewster Society International Kaleidoscope Convention in Scottsdale, AZ, to exhibit my scopes and unveil one of my hand carved. I exhibited again in 2022 at the Convention in St. Louis and the Foundry Art Center exhibit in St. Charles, MO. I currently exhibit my kaleidoscopes at Reflections Gallery in Chattanooga, TN, and with the Association for Visual Arts in Chattanooga. In the past, Hunter Museum of Art has displayed pieces.