The 4 Bridges Arts Festival, presented each year by the Association for Visual Arts (AVA), exists to support the advancement of original visual art and the artists who create it; to bring the ideas, materials, methods, and work of artists to downtown Chattanooga - a setting accessible to diverse local audiences and tourists; to create and nurture an atmosphere for the professional development of Chattanooga, regional and national artists; and to take leadership in promoting the arts as an integral part in the cultural life of the Chattanooga metropolitan area.