Scenic Roots

(ArtsBuild) ArtsBuild - the nonprofit for the arts here in Chattanooga and Hamilton County - supports local artists of color that reflect the diversity of our community through a grant program known as REGIA. Melissa Astin is manager of grants and community engagement at ArtsBuild, which is preparing to offer a new round of REGIA grants for area artists. Jose Loza - a local photographer born in Pe...

ArtsBuild’s next round of support for diverse local artists. “Something Rotten!” at Artistic Civic Theatre in Dalton. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

RaSharon King, TVA Watershed Outreach Coordinator, meets with Tim Province, manager of Kenlake Marina in Hardin, KY. (TVA) Owners and operators of marinas who want to help protect water quality participate in a Tennessee Valley Authority program to stay clean and green. Our own Justin Turner tells us more. RaSharon King looks at dates on boating permits to make sure they are current - and for fire...

Cast of “Giant Steps: An Urbean Musical.” (Chattanooga Theatre Centre) Some seeds can take many years to grow - but when they do, oh, how what grows stands tall and reaches for the sky. On Friday, “Giant Steps: An Urbean Musical” premieres at Chattanooga Theatre Centre. “Giant Steps” reinterprets the story of Jack the Beanstalk into a new tale, set in the inner city, about Jermaine - or “J” - John...

Riverfront Nights at Ross’ Landing in downtown Chattanooga. (Friends of the Festival) Riverfront Nights is in full swing in downtown Chattanooga. The free concert series for this summer - which began on Independence Day weekend - features performances on Saturdays at 7 PM at the Riverbend site at Ross’ Landing on Riverfront Parkway. Mickey McCamish is executive director of Friends of the Festival.

Mickey McCamish on this summer’s Riverfront Nights concerts. Michael Dexter on “Giant Steps: An Urbean Musical” at CTC. Justin Turner on TVA’s Tennessee Valley Clean Marinas Initiative. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

Arche Twitty (Arche Twitty) Michael “Arche” Twitty is a storyteller who found his voice in poetry. A Chattanooga native, Arche is a poet, playwright, actor and educator who helps others to discover - and cultivate - their own voices. His work on stage and screen ranges from “The Pop-up Project” film “The Light We Share” to Muse of Fire to portraying James Baldwin at the Chattanooga Festival of Bla...

A rendering of the South Broad Street District shows a potential new multi-use stadium on the Wheland Foundry / U.S. Pipe property in Chattanooga. (Contributed Image via Chattanooga Times Free Press) What’s next for the proposed redevelopment of the South Broad District in Chattanooga - the old U.S. Pipe / Wheland Foundry site between Broad St. and I-24 - and the plans for a new stadium for the Ch...

David Floyd, reporter for The Chattanooga Times Free Press. Michael “Arche” Twitty, Chattanooga native and storyteller. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

For the tech sector here in Chattanooga, there’s a bridge that connects companies of all sizes with the resources they need to grow: the Chattanooga Technology Council - or ChaTech. I spoke with Walton Robinson, ChaTech’s executive director - ahead of next week’s Scenic City Summit - Friday, July 22nd at the Chattanooga Convention Center.

Troy Rogers speaks at the Kingdom Center in Chattanooga in October 2021. (Matt Hamilton / Chattanooga Times Free Press) Think of a job fair where the tables are turned. Business owners show up to meet with former felons who have served their time and are now entrepreneurs, building relationships with each other - and connecting with the community. That’s the goal of the Returning Talent Entreprene...

Troy Rogers on the Returning Talent Entrepreneurial Expo. ChaTech’s Walton Robinson on tech startups in Chattanooga. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

Grafted Culture (Grafted Culture) Richard Winham shares a conversation with Grafted Culture, the Dutch-American sister duo with an international indie folk-pop sound who now live in the Chattanooga area.

Hunter Museum of American Art As the Hunter Museum of American Art celebrates 70 years here in Chattanooga, there is room for fantasy. The summer exhibition at the Hunter is titled, “Enchanted: A History of Fantasy Illustration” - and one of the programs inspired by the exhibition is a hip-hop performance: “Hip-Hop Fantasy,” tomorrow night at 6 PM. Adera Causey is the Hunter’s curator of education...

LaDarius Price at a talk on gun violence at Brainerd High School in Chattanooga last month. (Olivia Ross / The Chattanooga Times Free Press) “No Smoke Sundays” is a free hangout for middle and high school youth here in Chattanooga. The event - Sundays this month from 6 PM to 8 PM in Miller Park - was created after the recent shootings in the city to provide fun activities and inspirational convers...

LaDarius Price on “No Smoke Sundays” in Chattanooga. Rhythms and moves at the Hunter’s “Hip-Hop Fantasy.” Talking Writing: the indie folk-pop sound of Grafted Culture. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

Emma-Jean Thackray (Philharmonie de Paris) Richard Winham shares a performance by Emma-Jean Thackray, British multi-instrumentalist and producer, from last fall’s Jazz a la Villette festival in Paris.

Erica Richardson, center, with a few young readers. (Culture Books) Erica Richardson is a former teacher who became a librarian. Her passion is books - and she founded Culture Books, a nonprofit to bridge the gap between culture and literacy, offering a more diverse representation of authors for children to read, learn and enjoy. On Saturday, July 23rd, Erica will host a Multicultural Book Festiva...

Louie, the Chattanooga Lookouts mascot, with a birthday candle for United Way of Greater Chattanooga. (United Way of Greater Chattanooga) United Way of Greater Chattanooga is celebrating a century of impact in this community with its 100 Days 100 Ways campaign. Next week - on Friday, July 22nd - the birthday party comes to AT&T Field, in partnership with the Chattanooga Lookouts. Terran Anders...

Erlanger Medical Center, on East Third Street in Chattanooga - from last year. (Robin Rudd / Chattanooga Times Free Press) Here in Chattanooga and Hamilton County, the next steps in Erlanger Health System’s transition from a local government entity to independent nonprofit organization are expected in the next month. Elizabeth Fite covers health care for The Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Elizabeth Fite, reporter for The Chattanooga Times Free Press. United Way celebrates with the Chattanooga Lookouts. Jazz A La Villette: Multi-instrumentalist Emma-Jean Thackray. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

Call Me Spinster (Call Me Spinster) Richard Winham shares a performance by sister trio Call Me Spinster, recorded live in The Woodshop on St. Elmo Ave in Chattanooga.

(Hamilton County Schools) Tomorrow night is the first of six debates - three this week, three next week - for candidates for the Hamilton County Board of Education. Chattanooga 2.0, the Chattanooga Times Free Press and Local 3 News are hosting the debates. Allison Shirk - digital and engagement editor at the Times Free Press - will be one of the moderators.

A cyanotype by Carmen Joyce (Carmen Joyce) Cyanotype is one of the oldest photographic techniques. The printing process - popular in Victorian England, where it was created in 1842 - uses UV light to produce what are known as “sun prints” in a dark greenish-blue. Carmen Joyce - a self-taught artist and photographer - will teach the process in a “Printing with Light” class - Saturday at 10 AM at Cr...

A few ingredients for an Āyurveda diet (Chattanooga Āyurveda) Āyurveda is the ancient and traditional medicine of the Indian subcontinent that takes a natural and holistic approach to health and wellness. Its practices range from diet and lifestyle to therapies and cleanses. In this country, the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine writes Āyurveda - properly taught and followed - can have “positive ef...