Scenic Roots

Southside Juneteenth Jubilee in Chattanooga’s Alton Park. Obvious Dad’s “Sagittarius Ponderosa” - on stage at UTC. A festival passion for protecting the pollinators around us. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

This majolica pitcher, featuring the Tennessee state flower, is part of the Houston Museum’s collection - and it was part of a larger series that featured different flowers from around the world, made in France by Onnaing pottery in the early 1900’s. (Houston Museum of Decorative Arts) In the Bluff View Art District in downtown Chattanooga, you’ll find the Houston Museum of Decorative Arts. Within...

(Conasauga Shakespeare Coalition) “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” is this year’s production from the Conasauga Shakespeare Coalition. The professional theater nonprofit - dedicated to staging the works of William Shakespeare in Northwest Georgia - will present the comedy this Friday and Saturday at Prater’s Mill in Varnell, and next Friday and Saturday at Burr Performing Arts Park in Dalton. Lane Da...

William Isom (International Storytelling Center) The Black in Appalachia Project - based here in East Tennessee - highlights stories and contributions of African-Americans throughout the Appalachian region, the Mountain South in particular. On Thursday, the Project’s director William Isom comes to Chattanooga for a presentation at Stove Works, starting at 6 PM, as part of this year’s Chattanooga F...

William Isom, director of the Black in Appalachia Project. Rockabilly Shakespeare: “The Two Gentlemen of Verona.” Kris Bespalec, artist-in-residence at the Houston Museum. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

Denise Adeniyi, The Divine Poetess (Denise Adeniyi (The Divine Poetess) / Facebook) This week, the Divine Poetess - and friends - come to the Hunter Museum of American Art here in Chattanooga. On Thursday, starting at 6 PM, their program for the Vision + Verse series will explore works by African-American artists in the Hunter’s contemporary galleries through their performances and a discussion wi...

(Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts and Ideas) With Juneteenth a week away, dance will soon be on display at this year’s Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts and Ideas. On Friday, starting at 7 PM, the Juba Dance Ensemble will present its inaugural performance at Chattanooga Theatre Centre: a journey through the history of dance created by Black people. After the performance, around 8:30 PM, the ens...

The Juba Dance Ensemble’s journey through Black dance. “Vision + Verse: The Divine Poetess” at the Hunter Museum. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

(SoundCorps) Each month, SoundCorps - the music nonprofit here in Chattanooga - showcases five locally-produced songs in “SoundBites,” which supports our own musicians. Stratton Tingle - executive director of SoundCorps - shares the latest SoundBites with us.

Flags of the Americas on display in Chattanooga. (Culture Chatt) June Fest is a celebration of Central and South American culture in this city. The fiesta is Saturday, from 1 PM to 8 PM, at East Lake Park. Kamila Hall - who is from Brazil - is with the nonprofit Culture Chatt. Malisha Carter is with the City of Chattanooga’s Department of Parks and Outdoors. Marta Ordonez - from Guatemala - is one...

A painting by Tom Farnam, part of the arts exhibition for “Jews, Blues & All That Jazz.” (tomfarnam.com) “Jews, Blues and All That Jazz” is a summer collaboration across cultures here in Chattanooga. It begins on Sunday, starting at 2 PM, at the Jewish Cultural Center with the opening of an art exhibition and a CD release. The series continues with Jazz in the Lounge concerts at Barking Legs T...

A summer for “Jews, Blues & All That Jazz” in Chattanooga. The fiesta in Chattanooga’s East Lake Park: June Fest. Stratton Tingle with the latest SoundBites from SoundCorps. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

Jack Endelouz and Jessie Knowles, on their way to WUTC. (Ray Bassett) Chateau del Endelouz is a fantasy music video series. Among its projects: music videos, live streams and episodic comedy adventures - featuring Chattanooga talent such as Jack Endelouz, Ryan Oyer, Rosie Graber of Call Me Spinster, Matthew Paul Revere and Jessie Knowles. This Saturday, Chateau del Endelouz will host a video night...

Eric Atkins, at right, holding the Juneteenth flag. (Unity Group of Chattanooga) Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans after the Civil War. This month, Juneteenth will be recognized as an official holiday - this time for the first time across four levels of government all at the same time: the Federal Government, the State of Tennessee, the City of Chattanooga and...

Jennifer Stanley (McKinsey & Company) DIVERSIFY is an annual summit hosted by the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. The summit returns next Wednesday - June 14th - at the Chattanooga Convention Center from 11:30 AM to 1 PM, presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee. The keynote speaker: Jennifer Stanley, a native Chattanoogan who is based here as a partner with the global consulting...

Lorne Steedley & Jennifer Stanley on the DIVERSIFY Summit. Juneteenth Commemoration Week around Chattanooga. Video adventures of Chateau del Endelouz at Wanderlinger. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

(La Paz Chattanooga) This weekend, La Paz Chattanooga - the nonprofit serving the Latino community in this city - hosts its neighborhood block party. La Fiesta de Vecindario is Sunday from 1 PM to 4 PM at La Paz - 809 S. Willow St. Lily Sanchez is with La Paz - and Irene Magana is senior talent acquisition partner with Kenco.

John T. Wilder (Library of Congress) A stone watchtower stands at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. The Wilder Brigade Monument - or Wilder Tower - honors the Lightning Bridge, led by John T. Wilder, of the Union Army during the Civil War. In September 1863, during the Battle of Chickamauga, the brigade fought Confederate forces on the land where the monument now stands. Maury Ni...

“Forging the South” explores the life of John T. Wilder. Celebraciones - y Oportunidades - en La Fiesta de Vecindario. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

(South Chattanooga Community Association) Plant a tree. Build a bench. Grow a community. Those are a few goals for a series of community workshops this month in Chattanooga’s Alton Park. The workshops by the Trust for Public Land take place the next three Saturdays - June 10th, June 17th and June 24th - from 9 AM to 12:30 PM - at Southside Community Park, 3501 Central Avenue. Daniela Paz Peterson...

(ArtsBuild) He won his first Tony Award - for Best Actor in Musical - for his role twenty-five years ago as the Emcee in the Broadway revival of “Cabaret.” Alan Cumming will visit Chattanooga - and our campus - on Thursday, September 14th as the headliner for “InterMission: A Celebration of the Arts in Chattanooga” in the Roland Hayes Concert Hall at UTC’s Fine Arts Center. “InterMission” is a new...

(Chattanooga Theatre Centre) August Wilson wrote a collection of ten plays on the African-American experience in the last century. Think of “Fences,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” or “Gem of the Ocean,” to name a few. Each play represents a different decade of the 20th Century - and all but one of the plays in what is known as “The Century Cycle” is set where Wilson grew...

August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson” cycles its way to CTC. Coming to UTC: ArtsBuild’s “Intermission” with Alan Cumming. Building with - and for - community in Chattanooga’s Alton Park. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

(UTC PodLab) Students here on our campus - the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga - have produced a podcast series of edited conversations between people of differing views and backgrounds in this area. The series - “Tennessee Valley Across the Table” - premieres next week here on WUTC, with one episode airing each week on Tuesdays during “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered,” as well...

Kreneshia Whiteside-McGee (krenthecurator.com) The story of Chattanooga is one of many chapters in the story of Appalachia, a region that stretches across thirteen states from southern New York to northern Mississippi. The Black experience in Appalachia is one of the highlights of this year’s Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts and Ideas - starting with the first event, on Friday at 6 PM at Stove W...