Scenic Roots

(Unveiled Bridal Studio / Facebook) Veatrice Conley is an author, playwright, podcaster - and now, an entrepreneur - here in downtown Chattanooga. A few months ago, she opened Unveiled Bridal Studio on Cherry Street, a business that unites her passions for fashion - and supporting Black designers.

Veatrice Conley on her Unveiled Bridal Studio in Chattanooga. Gather ‘round, bluebird lovers - and make a few nest boxes. Talking Writing:  Poet and teacher KB Ballentine, Part II. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”          

Richard Winham shares the first half of the public debut of The Premier Jazz Orchestra - featuring Alan Wyatt, Robert Crabtree, Nathan Warner, Landis Batts and David Schwab - from Barking Legs Theater in Chattanooga.

(Thom Benson / The Tennessee Aquarium) Here in Chattanooga, an effort to save the native Eastern box turtle has taken a step forward. It’s a partnership we told you about last year between the Tennessee Aquarium - and Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center.   Mark McKnight is Reflection Riding’s president and CEO - and Tish Gailmard is director of wildlife there.

(NewSouth Books) D.B. Tipmore came to a small town in central Alabama, because he wanted to make it his home. Moving into Marion, Alabama - home to a few thousand people - he knew he would be an outsider in more ways than one:  as a white Northerner, a journalist with bylines in The Village Voice and national magazines - and an administrator in higher education. (NewSouth Books) He tells his story...

Author D.B. Tipmore on his book, “My Little Town.” Building a colony for box turtles at Reflection Riding. Barking Legs Theater:  The Premier Jazz Orchestra, Part I. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”   

(isisasheville.com) Richard Winham shares a performance by Richard Bennett, singer / songwriter and flatpicking guitarist - and Shawn Lane, vocalist and instrumentalist - for the Mountain Spirit Acoustic Series at the Isis Music Hall in Asheville, NC.

(commonhouse.com) A week from Thursday, Common House opens in Southside Chattanooga. The home for the social club is a restored historic YMCA built in 1929.   Rob Praino is director of membership for Common House.

(ownyourhistory.us) A few months ago, eighteen middle school boys here in Chattanooga – nine from Chattanooga Preparatory School and nine from McCallie School – participated in an after-school program as a way to bridge their differences and prepare to become future leaders. The program is part of the “Own Your History” initiative, which poses this challenge:  What kind of America do we want for o...

“Own Your History” at McCallie School & Chattanooga Prep. UTC’s Mountain Opry Scholarship; Chattanooga’s Common House. Mountain Spirit Acoustic Series:  Richard Bennett & Shawn Lane. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

Richard Winham shares a session by Eric “E.T.” Turner - singer, songwriter and guitarist - recorded live in the studio downtown at the Chattanooga Public Library.

(Endeavor Elementary School / Facebook) The Arts-Based Collaborative on our UTC campus - abc@utc - transforms education in and around the arts - not only in and around the Chattanooga area, but also in and around communities such as Harvest, Alabama. Harvest is west of Huntsville in Madison County - and that is where you will find Endeavor Elementary School.   Jenny McAllister is the principal the...

(Josiah Golson / 800 Collective) I saw this question recently on social media - quote:  “How do we nurture the seeds planted by the Artists who bravely created the spaces and inspiration that feed us?” The question was posted on the Instagram of the 800 Collective - a diverse group of artists here in Chattnooga who use their art to spark civic engagement.   Josiah Golson founded it - and this spri...

(UTC) Madison Toone is a student in communication on our campus, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. This semester, due to the pandemic, she has been learning remotely from home in Memphis - and she has been interning remotely for us here on “Scenic Roots” and WUTC. Madison brings us the story of how Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports helped a Chattanooga restaurant - and how he connected vir...

(chatten-route.org) How should we reimagine the transit system here in Chattanooga, so CARTA buses are accessible and affordable for all who use them and need them - from downtown to underserved areas? Chatt En Route is one effort led by the Chattanooga Design Studio, partnering with the community, to answer one part of that question.   Christina Gibson is the Studio’s outreach and development coo...

Christina Gibson & Josué Carrillo on reimagining bus stops. How Dave Portnoy has helped Chattanooga - and UTC students. Josiah Golson on “800 Collective Journals”; abc@utc in Alabama. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”          

(kbballentine.com) Richard Winham shares the first part of his conversation with poet and teacher KB Ballentine, whose most recent collection - “Edge of the Echo” - was recently published.

(EPB) To celebrate this Earth Month - and tomorrow’s Earth Day - EPB here in Chattanooga recently launched a new service for customers called Energy Pros.   Scottie Summerlin with EPB explains - along with Jason Eldridge, one of the EPB Energy Pros.  

Tomorrow, the Latin American Dialogues Speakers Series here at UTC concludes for this semester. The virtual event - titled, “Anticolonial Theory in the 21st Century” - begins tomorrow on Zoom, starting at 5 PM.   The series organizers are Emma McDonell, visiting assistant professor of anthropology - and Edward Brudney, assistant professor of history - here at UTC. Zoom info for "Anticolonial Theor...

(Young, Black & Widowed) A young widow here in Chattanooga is helping widows and widowers across the country navigate their lives after loss during the pandemic.   Azuráe Redmond is the founder of the nonprofit Young, Black & Widowed - and she is a student in public administration and nonprofit management on our campus, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.    

AzuráeRedmond, founder of Young, Black & Widowed. The final Latin American Dialogues this semester at UTC. Talking Writing:  Poet and teacher KB Ballentine, Part I. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”          

(Barking Legs Theater) Richard Winham presents a jazz performance from The Kash Wright Trio - Kash Wright on piano, David Schwab on bass and Jim Crumble on drums - at Barking Legs Theater in Chattanooga.         

( hcde.org) Karitsa Mosley Jones of Chattanooga represents District 5 on the Hamilton County School Board. This semester at UTC, she was one of the community leaders who engaged with students in a series of virtual talks through the Department of History and the nonprofit RISE Chattanooga - titled “The Struggle for Racial Justice and Equity.”

(risingrock.net) It’s commencement week on our campus, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga - so we would like to revisit a class for storytellers called “Rising Rock.” Billy Weeks is the lecturer in communication who teaches it. Among his students in the class this semester:  Nessa Parish, Amanda Brooks, Kalie Shaw - and Ben Greenwell.   We look forward to sharing stories from this semester...

Next generation storytellers at UTC’s “Rising Rock” class. Hamilton County School Board Member Karitsa Mosley Jones. Barking Legs Theater:  Jazz from The Kash Wright Trio. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”