Don Aho Named to GSA Art in Architecture Panel for New Chattanooga Federal Courthouse Project
Miller & Martin Litigation Attorney Don Aho has been appointed to serve on the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Art in Architecture Program panel responsible for art commission in conjunction with the new construction of the Chattanooga U.S. Courthouse project in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Art in Architecture Program commissions American artists (citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents or Permanent Workers of the United States) to create publicly scaled and permanently installed artworks for Federal buildings nationwide.
Mr. Aho and other panelists will evaluate artist applications based on the following criteria: the media, materials, content and style of the artist’s past work, along with the artist’s past performance and experience with commissions or projects similar to the one for the Chattanooga Courthouse.
According to the published SAM.gov contract opportunity, GSA considers art as a vital part of cultural heritage, embodying the history, values, identity, and natural environment of a community serving as a bridge between generations, preserving unique traditions and stories. The artwork ultimately selected for the Chattanooga Courthouse should reflect the community it serves, capturing its people, its history, and its surroundings. The art should also confirm the federal presence in the community and the court’s role in ensuring the rule of law. The pieces should be figurative and allegorical, conveying deeper meaning through recognizable forms and symbolism. The artist should also use materials and media that are familiar and meaningful to the local community, ensuring the work resonates with those who experience it.
GSA will design and construct a new federal courthouse to replace the outdated Joel W. Solomon Federal Building. The courthouse, once complete, will consist of seven courtrooms, nine chambers, and 40 secured interior parking spaces. The facility will also provide space for the District Clerk, Bankruptcy Clerk, U.S. Marshals Services, U.S. Probation Office, U.S. Attorney’s office, U.S. Trustees, Congressional Offices and more. The new courthouse will meet the long-term needs of the courts providing separate circulation for the public, judges and prisoners thereby improving security and the efficiency of courts’ operations as well as accommodating the 10-year space requirements of the courts and court-related agencies and expandable to meet the 30-year housing needs.
