Scenic Roots

(Nick Lutsko) Richard Winham shares a session from the fall of 2019 by the ever-inventive Nick Lutsko and his band, recorded live downtown at The Chattanooga Public Library - just before the release of his album “Swords.”

(Lost Art Stationary) What makes downtown Chattanooga special and unique? We’re talking with people and businesses who will tell you how - in a series of conversations we call “ We Are Downtown ,” in collaboration with River City Company. In this conversation, we hear from Mark McKnight and Chris Lykins of Lost Art Stationary.   Stay tuned for more conversations from “We Are Downtown.” For more in...

(MGHC) The Master Gardeners of Hamilton County host their Fall Garden Festival on Saturday here in Chattanooga. Suzanne Ford is president of the Master Gardeners.

(The BLVD Project) Along the Rossville Boulevard corridor, which runs from the I-24 overpass in Chattanooga south to the Georgia state line, there is now a taco tour highlighting Guatemalan and Mexican cuisine.   Seven restaurants are participating in the tour - which began last Saturday and runs through next Saturday, October 2nd - organized by The BLVD Project to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Mont...

(Kathy Sloane) Born here in Chattanooga, Ishmael Reed is a literary icon whose works range from poetry and prose to plays and novels. He’s author of the book “The Complete Muhammad Ali” - and here are just a few of his many reflections he shared with me about Ali’s life and career. Watch the Ken Burns film on Muhammad Ali online anytime through October 10th at our public media partner WTCI PBS: wt...

(Ironman Chattanooga) Ironman Chattanooga is back. Sunday’s triathlon - featuring a swim, a bicycle ride with two round trips between Chattanooga and Chickamauga, Georgia, and a run with two loops through downtown Chattanooga - begins and ends at Ross’ Landing.   Tim Morgan is chief sports officer for Chattanooga Sports, a division of the Chattanooga Tourism Company - and Brant Donlon is sports bu...

Ironman Chattanooga; Ishmael Reed on Muhammad Ali. A taco tour on Rossville Blvd.; MGHC’s Fall Garden Festival. We Are Downtown:  Mark McKnight & Chris Lykins. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”  

Richard Winham shares a conversation with Shandra Burnett, Dennis Parker and Mary Eliza Hendricks on “Love Letters" - premiering on Friday for the first of four shows at the Mountain Arts Community Center on Signal Mountain.         

(City of Chattanooga) What does it take to create, implement, maintain and refine public policy for a city the size of Chattanooga and its people? Joda Thongnopnua can tell you. He is Chief Policy Officer for the City of Chattanooga, now six months into the job with Mayor Tim Kelly’s administration.   Before his current role, he served at the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga as its Dire...

Joda Thongnopnua, the City of Chattanooga’s Chief Policy Officer. Talking Writing:  “Love Letters” for the Signal Mountain stage. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

(dirtylogic.net) Richard Winham presents a session by Dirty Logic - an all-star lineup of some of the best musicians in Asheville, North Carolina - performed for the Mountain Spirit Acoustic Series at the Isis Music Hall.   

(Scenic City Summit) For IT professionals in the Chattanooga area, the Scenic City Summit offers them the chance to connect and develop their skills. This year’s summit - all virtual - is on Friday, and participants can join for the entire day or for the sessions that interest them. Brandon Schwartz is founder of the Scenic City Summit, presented by the Chattanooga Technology Council - or ChaTech.

(Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga) Throughout this month, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga is holding what it calls “Signing Day” - encouraging people to sign up and mentor a kid. Shawnessey Cargile is with Big Brothers Big Sisters.

(CTC) The new season at Chattanooga Theatre Centre begins later this week with a romantic comedy by Neil Simon - a production sidelined when the pandemic hit in March of last year. “Barefoot in the Park” - about a young newlywed couple in New York City in the 1960’s - premieres Friday and runs through Sunday, October 10th. Erin Skelley Holderman plays Corie - and Scott Dunlap is the director.  

“Barefoot in the Park” at Chattanooga Theatre Centre. This month’s “Signing Day” for Big Brothers Big Sisters. Scenic City Summit - and Mountain Spirit:  Dirty Logic. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

(chrisrosser.com) Richard Winham shares a session by Chris Rosser - singer/songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer - from the Mountain Spirit Acoustic Series at the Isis Music Hall in Asheville, NC.

(Eskay Jr Photography via The Ed Johnson Project) At the heart of The Ed Johnson Memorial are bronze statues of three Black men:  Ed Johnson, who was lynched on the bridge in 1906 - and his attorneys, Noah Parden and Styles Hutchins. The lead artist for the Memorial is Jerome Meadows.   This afternoon, he visited with art students on our campus, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Last wee...

(SunSap / Facebook) Richard Winham shares a session by Chattanooga alternative blues rock band SunSap, recorded live downtown at The Chattanooga Public Library.

(Chattanooga Audubon Society) The Chattanooga Audubon Society protects four nature and wildlife sanctuaries in this area - each with its own ecosystem:  Audubon Acres, Maclellan Island, Audubon Mountain and Mackey Branch Wetland. On Saturday, September 25th, the Society will host its annual Torchlight Gala at Audubon Acres, starting at 6 PM. Darlene Carlson is the Society’s executive director - an...

(rootsrated.com) This weekend, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will observe the anniversary of the Civil War Battle of Chickamauga in 1863. Jim Ogden is staff historian at the Park.  

(Mayor Tim Kelly / Facebook) On Thursday, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly joined us for our monthly conversation, via Zoom, live here on WUTC.

Our monthly live conversation with Chattanooga Tim Kelly. Historian Jim Ogden on the Civil War Battle of Chickamauga. This year’s Torchlight Gala at Chattanooga’s Audubon Acres. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”  

(A Word on Words / NPT) Richard Winham shares the second part of a conversation with Margaret Renkl, author of “Late Migrations:  A Natural History of Love and Loss.”    This fall, Humanities Tennessee presents the 33rd annual Southern Festival of Books, free and online on October 9th and 10th.  More details here:  sofestofbooks.org .

(Stove Works & The Pop-up Project) Here's how one collaboration can lead to another. The adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet” - by WNYC Studios in collaboration with The Public Theater in New York City - sparked an idea on how to bring the work here to Chattanooga as an outdoor, immersive dance experience free for the public.      This weekend and next, “Romeo y Julieta” wi...

(The Ed Johnson Project) The community events that begin tomorrow culminating in Sunday’s dedication of the Ed Johnson Memorial here in Chattanooga will encompass history, art, storytelling and remembrance.      In 1906, Johnson - a young Black man - was lynched by a white mob on the Walnut St. Bridge. Tomorrow evening, artist Jerome Meadows - the sculptor of the memorial that will be dedicated ne...