The Pulse 13.33 » August 18, 2016

AUGUST 18, 2016

CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE

STATE OF THE ARTS 2016 CHATTANOOGA UP & COMING TWELVE CREATIVES WHO ARE PUSHING THE BORDERS AND BOUNDARIES OF THEIR RESPECTIVE CRAFTS

CHORAL ARTS • GENKI GENKI PANIC • FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS

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Contents

CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE

EDITORIAL

Managing Editor Gary Poole Editorial Assistant Brooke Dorn

August 18, 2016 Volume 13, Issue 33

Music Editor Marc T. Michael Film Editor John DeVore Contributors Maggie Behringer • Rob Brezsny Steven W. Disbrow • Robyn Wolfe Fogle Daniel Jackson • Matt Jones Beth Miller • Tony Mraz Ernie Paik • Rick Pimental-Habib Ward Raymond • Stephanie Smith Callie Sprague • Jenn Webster

Features

Editorial Intern Hillary Eames

4 BEGINNINGS: Health Dept. expects to see more travel-related Zika cases.

Cartoonists Max Cannon • Rob Rogers Jen Sorenson • Tom Tomorrow

7 JUST A THEORY: Could Tabby’s Star be hiding an alien megastructure?

FOUNDED 2003 BY ZACHARY COOPER & MICHAEL KULL

ADVERTISING

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Director of Sales Mike Baskin Account Executives Chee Chee Brown • Rick Leavell Libby Phillips • John Rodriguez Logan Vandergriff • Joseph Yang

CONTACT

Offices 1305 Carter St., Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone 423.265.9494 Website chattanoogapulse.com Email info@chattanoogapulse.com BREWER MEDIA GROUP Publisher & President Jim Brewer II THE FINE PRINT: The Pulse is published weekly by Brewer Media and is distributed throughout the city of Chattanooga and surrounding communities. The Pulse covers a broad range of topics concentrating on music, the arts, entertainment, culture and local news. The Pulse is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. No person without written permission from the publisher may take more than one copy per weekly issue.

The Pulse may be distributed only by authorized distributors.

Contents Copyright © 2016 by Brewer Media. All rights reserved.

Chattanooga Up & Coming

The Chattanooga area is blessed with a seemingly endless supply of talented artists, filmmakers, musicians, and creative people of all types. This year, for our annual State of the Arts issue, we're profiling twelve creatives who are pushing the borders and boundaries of their respective crafts

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A Familiar Voice, A New Direction

In an issue chock full of profiles on artists, we would be remiss in not sharing the latest news relating to one of the oldest art forms in the world: the art of the voice. Choral Arts of Chattanooga, one of the premier vocal organizations, has a brand new conductor.

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Russian Surf Rockers Arrive

There is a soft place in my heart for local bands that play an underrepresented genre. On the plus side, you’re the only ones doing what you do. On the negative side, you’re the only ones doing what you do. See, if you’re the only Slovakian folk band in town and people want to hear Slovakian folk music, they come see you.

49 DINING OUT: The 212 Market offers a home for local art and artists.

52 ARTS CALENDAR 57 DIVERSIONS 61 REVIEWS: Greenberger gathers stories of the aged, Aaron & Brochu get unsettled.

62 MUSIC CALENDAR 66 SCREEN: Florence Foster Jenkins shows how those without talent can still succeed.

68 FREE WILL ASTROLOGY 69 JONESIN’ CROSSWORD 70 MIXOLOGY: Our resident Millennial digs into the history of the toast.

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BEGINNINGS

NEWS • VIEWS • RANTS • RAVES

UPDATES » CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM FACEBOOK/CHATTANOOGAPULSE EMAIL LOVE LETTERS, ADVICE & TRASH TALK TO INFO@CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

Zika Virus Comes to Hamilton County Health Dept. expects to see more travel-related Zika virus cases Now that it’s confirmed two locals contracted the Zika virus after traveling to Zika-prevalent areas, the Hamilton County Health Department is relying on residents’ individual efforts in trying to prevent the spread of the virus to the area.

DANIEL “The best way to prevent Zika is to prevent mosquito bites,” said Bev Fulbright, epidemiology manager for the health department. The goal is to stop a local transmission, to keep a Chattanooga-bred mosquito from biting an affected individual and

spreading Zika to another person.

In the neighborhoods where the two individuals live, the health department went door to door educating residents on dealing with mosquitoes.

The health department told the indiJACKSON viduals with Zika the same things their neighbors heard: Ensure window screens are in good repair. Wear long-sleeved shirts, socks and closed-toe shoes. Comb the yard to “tip and toss” bodies of standing water even as small as a soda-bottle cap. Apply bug repel-

HEALTH

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lant.

The health department declined to name the neighborhoods in which it was going door-to-door.

The education campaign comes at a time when the Hamilton County Health Department expects the number of travel-related Zika cases here to grow. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention assumed in its interim response plan for Zika that “local summer transmission may occur in limited areas” in the states before a vaccine could be developed.

According to the CDC’s plan issued July 31, Hamilton County is in the second level of response to the virus. There are four levels.

At this level, the mosquitoes that could carry the virus live in the area. Travelers returning to the area are found carrying the virus. And Zika may be sexually transmitted from one human to another.

For one out of five people who have Zika, symptoms are mild. Most don’t show signs they have the virus. But according to Fulbright, “For pregnant women, it’s a tremendous concern,” for the virus can lead to birth defects such as microcephaly.

Zika worried some of the customers of Brad Ledford, the owner and operator of Mosquito Squad, a company that sprays for the buggers in Hamilton and Bradley Counties. Most of

the people contacting Ledford this year simply wanted to enjoy their outdoor spaces mosquitofree. But Ledford wrote in an email, “Earlier this year, with the Zika reports, I had several new customers with concerns about Zika and pregnancy.”

The heat wave Chattanooga had over the last few days, combined with any standing water, was a boon for the mosquito population, Ledford said. Mosquito activity usually ends in late October when the first frost hits.

If there is a local transmission of Zika between now and then, the health department will consult with the Tennessee Department of Health to learn exactly how to respond. Still, the message of preventing bites and reducing standing water would remain the same.

Besides, taking these steps makes good sense, according to Dan Walker, an epidemiologist for Hamilton County. “There’s this focus on Zika, but there are other mosquito borne diseases too.”

EdiToon

by Rob Rogers

Grab A Glass At The Southern Brewers Festival For the past 22 years, the Southern Brewers Festival has brought the gifts of beer and live music to Ross’s Landing, and this Saturday, from 2 p.m. to midnight, the tradition continues.

Over 50 breweries will be represented at the Southern Brewers Festival, ranging from local favorites like The Terminal Brewhouse and Chattanooga Brewing Company, to bigger names like Guinness, Sam Adams, and Blue Moon. A ticket will get you one beer token, equal to half a beer,

and additional tokens will be available for two dollars each.

The beer will flow until 11:30 p.m., only half an hour before the festival ends, so you’ll have plenty of time to sample the multitude of breweries present on the riverfront. And if beer isn’t your thing, not a problem. Soft drinks and water will also be available.

This year’s lineup for live music includes the fearless performer JJ Grey & Mofro; the anthemic rock and dazzling light show of Perpetual

IN THIS ISSUE

Gary Poole Managing Editor Gary Poole is the mad scientist behind the scenes who put this entire issue together. Aside from a love of all things caffeinated, Gary has been a longtime presence in Chattanooga media and entertainment. Over the years, he's been a radio

Groove, back from a two-year hiatus; and Chattanooga’s very own Nick Lutsko, who is quickly making a name for himself with his funk-folk indie rock-pop, his high-energy live shows, and puppets.

Proceeds for this event will go to benefit Chattanooga’s Kids on the Block, a program that uses puppetry to further children’s education, and the CraftWorks foundation, a charitable branch of CraftWorks restaurants and breweries.

The event takes place at historic Ross’s Landing, right on the riverfront.

Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and set yourself up for a night of music, beer, and fun. — Hillar y Eames

Brooke Dorn disc jockey and talk show host, a television assignment editor, a performing musician (both in various bands and as a solo artist), and has held just about every job here at The Pulse at one time or another. In his spare time, he is also a science fiction book editor and recently published an anthology of zombie apocalypse stories—“Black Tide Rising”—which he co-edited with New York Times bestselling author John Ringo.

A lover of books, pizza, and all things happy, Assistant Editor Brooke Dorn joined The Pulse earlier this year after she graduated from UTC with an English degree and an unyielding desire to correct grammar, leading her to an editorial position with

her former intern family. She likes to spend her time reading fiction novels, pinning home décor ideas on Pinterest, perusing Netflix with her fiancé and their Australian Shepherd-Border Collie mix, Hank, and inserting oxford commas everywhere she sees fit. Brooke is currently in the process of learning to cook things other than pre-mixed cupcakes.

And did we mention she really really loves pizza?

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COLUMN JUST A THEORY

This Could Be BIG. Astronomically Big. Could Tabby’s Star be hiding an alien megastructure?

STEVEN DISBROW

“

Going back and looking at old photographic plates that included Tabby’s Star actually showed that the erratic dimming has been going on for at least a century now.”

Steven Disbrow is a programmer who specializes in e-commerce and mobile systems development, an entrepreneur, comic-book nerd, writer, improviser, actor, sometime television personality and parent of two human children.

About 1,500 light years from here is a very unusual star. Its official designation is “KIC 8462852,” but it’s more colloquially known as “Tabby’s Star.” It’s called this because it exhibits some very strange behaviors that were first noticed by a team led by astronomer Tabetha Boyajian.

The thing that’s unusual about it is that during the time we’ve been observing it (about 100 years), Tabby’s Star has been getting dimmer and dimmer. But, it’s not a slow, steady dimming. Instead, it will dip up to 20 percent in brightness temporarily and then go back to full brightness. Almost as if something were passing between us as it orbits around the star.

Of course, that’s how we’ve been detecting planets all over the galaxy for the last decade or so. You watch a star, and look for a dip in brightness. Then, you wait for it to happen again and again, in a regular fashion. Once you’ve got a regular series of dips, you can be pretty sure you’ve found a planet.

The problem with Tabby’s Star is that the dips aren’t regular, and they aren’t uniform, and they are getting “worse” over time. Almost as if some random assortment of gigantic, bigger-than-aplanet-sized things are circling the star, dimming it at random intervals that have no relation to any knowns phenomena.

(A planet, even one the size of Jupiter, will only dim it’s host star by about one percent. The 20 percent dips seen at Tabby’s Star are inexplicable and unprecedented.

So, what could it be?

Well, the first guess was faulty equipment or bad data. But, that was ruled out pretty quickly.

In fact, going back and looking at old photographic plates that included Tabby’s Star actually showed that the erratic dimming has been going on for at least

a century now.

Another theory was that a different star had passed through the equivalent of Tabby’s Oort Cloud and had driven a massive number of comets towards Tabby’s Star. But, the massive amount of dimming seems to rule that out.

This amount of dimming could happen if Tabby’s Star was a young star.

That would mean it’s surrounded by dust, which would give off excess infrared light. But, that isn’t happening, so, we’re pretty sure Tabby’s Star is a mature star.

So, what does that leave us with? Well, how about aliens?

That’s right….“aliens” is actually being bandied about as a (very) lowprobability cause for this weird behavior. Specifically, aliens that are building a mega-structure around Tabby’s Star.

The mega-structure in question is probably some variant of a Dyson Sphere. A Dyson Sphere is a hypothetical construct that allows an advanced civilization to “cage” and capture 100 percent of the solar output from their home star.

Basically, you dismantle every single planet in your solar system (including your home world), and you use the raw

materials to build a sphere around your star. Once you have the star enclosed, you can harvest 100 percent of its energy output.

How much energy is that? Well, our star, good old Sol, puts out 3.83×10^26 Joules per second. Compare this with the total energy consumption of the United States for the entire year of 2009, which was a paltry 1.4×10^19 Joules, and you’ll see that caging a star is a great way to solve your energy crisis.

So, while it’s unlikely, it is possible that what we are seeing around Tabby’s Star are giant sections of an in-progress Dyson Sphere. As these sections, larger than any planet, whip around the star, they are causing these dramatic dips in brightness that we see here on Earth.

While this is highly unlikely, at this point, nothing we’ve seen rules it out.

As a result, more and more telescopes are being turned towards Tabby’s Star in an attempt to catch our Alien neighbors in their home improvement project.

Who knows? Maybe in a decade or so, we’ll have the proof that we aren’t alone after all.

But, even if it’s not aliens, whatever it is is new and interesting…and that’s what Science is all about!

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STATE OF THE ARTS 2016 CHATTANOOGA UP & COMING

Devon Kronenberg Combining a love of art and a love of skateboarding

By Tony Mraz

Devon Kronenberg’s mixed media paintings walk an ocular tightrope, balancing between complexity and simplicity. “Rhythm is not only musical, it’s also a visual thing. Pattern is rhythm. The same way there’s swing in music, there’s swing in art. I want to be able to control the chaos, to be loose at the same time, and have improvisation with a structure behind it.”

Devon comes from a family of artists—his parents, Heidi Hefferlin and Craig Kronenberg, are the architects behind the Wheelhouse. Growing up in their studio, Devon was given art supplies, and has been making art ever since. His aunt and uncle, Melissa Hefferlin and Daud Akhriev, are well known fine artists, as is his cousin Timur Akhriev.

When Devon turned 15, Daud recognized that he was an artist and took him to Italy, where Daud was teaching painting courses in Anghiari and at the Florence Academy. “That’s when it really started. As soon as I got back to Chattanooga, I was in Daud’s studio every day after school; he

taught me how to paint. Everything I do is influenced by my aunt, uncle, cousin, and my parents—my aesthetic vision is a culmination of my whole family.”

Painting with his uncle taught Devon how to see. “When Daud paints, he’s accurate without being meticulous. He absorbs the world, catching the feeling of where he is. He doesn’t project himself onto the world, he just knows what’s going on.”

In High School at CSAS, Devon won a silver medal at the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts competition in Miami—after that, he went to college in Baltimore for four years.

After college, he limited his palette to black & white to explore his ideas. After establishing that foundation, he began expanding his horizons visually. “In the past, I would observe color, and I would figure out how to recreate that color. The color of a shadow on a cloudy day, the color of a shadow on a sunny day, the sky could be a million different colors of blue on any given day. I continued on page 10

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“I love art—but for the past four years, in order to develop my own voice as an artist, I have basically stopped looking at art.

Whenever I go into the studio, it’s reacting to life.”

was very objective about it, but now I’ve kind of picked up on color as emotion, color as a vibrant decorative element, color for color’s sake.

Now I’m creating color.”

Devon’s philosophy of art reflects in his pursuit of skating. He sees skating as a vehicle for creativity— the challenge is to figure out what to do with the obstacles that are the city; how to figure out a way to do something that is awesome with what is there. “We’re not in Long Beach where the schools all have ledges to skate on—this is Chattanooga. Skating has style involved; it’s not what you do, but how you do it. It’s how fast you went when you were doing it. Doing a kick flip when you’re going fast is different than if you’re going slow. How graceful was it, and how unique? Everyone skates differently. Like art, skating is about creativity, style, and uniqueness.”

Devon is on a quest for originality. “I love art—but for the past four years, in order to develop my own voice as an artist, I have basically stopped looking at art. Whenever I go into the studio, it’s reacting to life. What I create is a combination of life and what I choose to do creatively, instead of being a comment

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on the art world. There was a period of time when I tried to paint like Cezanne. Now it seems silly, but I had to stop looking at his art. I’m a sponge, and I’m aiming it at life—so I’m absorbing life, and recreating it as art, instead of absorbing art and recreating it as art. I want my art to be influenced by life, not by other art. That way I can have something original to say.”

In addition to being a skilled visual artist and skater, Devon is also a composer, producer, and DJ (DJ Southtek). When he is playing music he sees himself as a scholar— presenting the creations of others.

He throws in his original tracks too when playing house music. He produces his tracks using Ableton, a midi keyboard, sampler, and controller. He doesn’t give his original music to anyone, and doesn’t post it online, so the only way you can hear his creations is to see his DJ set.

“I’m excited about the future. I have a body of work that I’m working on in studio, but my main project right now is getting married. I’m really excited about it, because I feel like that will be the beginning of my adult life. My fiancé is the best person in the world.”

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STATE OF THE ARTS 2016 CHATTANOOGA UP & COMING

Hollie Berry

An artist with a growing hoofprint...and a torch

By Robyn Wolfe Fogle

“Most recently she was nominated and selected as the featured artist for the 75th Annual Iroquois Steeplechase in Nashville.

As featured artist, her commissioned piece was the race’s official art used on invitations, programs, T-shirts, posters and more.”

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” The truth of Pablo Picasso’s words ring true as most of us look back and recall the treasured childhood artwork we were once so proud of, and find that artistic side of us has slowly faded. But there are those rare few who have overcome this “problem” as Picasso put it, and remained artists.

Local artist Hollie Berry is one. Drawing and painting since she was old enough to hold a pencil, Berry says art “has always been my first passion and interest.” While relatively new to Chattanooga, this talented young artist has already made her mark in the city.

“Book Flock”, one of her first marks on the city, was a collaboration with her engineering husband created in response to the River City Company’s call to artists to invent interactive art installations to go into empty store fronts downtown.

While these installations were meant to be temporary, Berry said “after the oneyear contract was up, they liked (Book Flock) so much that they paid us to move it and reinstall it at the downtown library.”

Curious, I asked her if it was a painting. A mischievous grin spread across her face as she shook her head “no.” Her de-

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scription of this work of art doesn’t do it justice though, (and my retelling certainly wouldn’t) so you will simply have to make a trip down to the library to see it for yourself. We all know pigs can’t fly, but what about books?

Other notable local art projects Berry has been involved in include the McCallie Walls Mural Project in which she painted her first mural—“Four Horsewomen” located at 1411 McCallie Ave. She was also chosen as team leader for the ML King District Mural Project— one of the largest murals in the country.

Most recently she was nominated and selected as the featured artist for the 75th Annual Iroquois Steeplechase in Nashville. As featured artist, her commissioned piece was the race’s official art used on invitations, programs, T-shirts, posters and more. For someone whose passion has always been equestrian art, a commission like this was the perfect launch towards her goal of becoming the go-to equestrian artist in the southeast.

“My focus is making legitimately good pieces that happen to be of horses,” she said. “I’m passionate about horses and I find it’s the only thing I can paint consistently and never get bored of.” This passion for equestrian art used to frustrate her art teachers who would direct her to

draw a landscape or something more traditional. “I would always cheat and draw a little horse in that landscape,” Berry said with a laugh.

Now a full-time artist putting in 40+ hours per week at her studio at Chattanooga Workspace, she says, “I am for the first time finally embracing what I’m really passionate about which is not just art, but equestrian art.”

As I watched her paint, we discussed her process and inspiration. She begins with a photograph. “I really like taking my own pictures because while I’m there, I’m thinking about the colors and the feel.

You lose a lot in photographs,” she says. “A lot of color subtlety especially.”

She might come back with

hundreds of photos which she then whittles down to a dozen or so that she believes might make good paintings. She uses her computer to construct the image she wants to paint. “I can make the technology help me,” Berry said, using features like contrasts, filters, and copy and pasting multiple photos into one to get a working imagine of what she wants to paint.

While the scope of her art is already expansive, she is never satisfied with the status quo and continues to challenge herself in new ways. “I never stop learning,” she noted. “Right now I’m doing a mentorship with Mia Bergeron. Having someone you admire that can coach you and give you advice is one of the fastest ways you can improve...deliberate practice.”

Mia Bergeron said she has been proud to guide Hollie.

“I’ve watched her grow enormously in the past year, and her tireless exploratory nature not only makes her a brilliant painter now, but also someone to keep an eye on in the future.”

Bergeron is not the only one with this opinion, as Berry was recently selected by AVA be one of only 13 emerging artists represented in their upcoming FRESH 2016 exhibition which showcases emerging artists from the Southeast. This exhibition runs through September 30 with an opening reception on September 10 during the Gallery Hop. Berry also shows her completed pieces at her studio at Chattanooga Workspace and hopes to be represented by a regional gallery soon.

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STATE OF THE ARTS 2016 CHATTANOOGA UP & COMING

Allen Hampton Turning scrap metal into quirky creatures

By Daniel Jackson

“Metalmorphosis,” the title of Allen Hampton’s show at Area 61 Gallery from May to June, could be a word to describe the artist’s whole creative process.

For 17 years, Chattanooga-based Hampton has used chop saw, forge, and welder to piece together scrap metal into figures inspired by the natural world. A fire extinguisher becomes the body of a fish. A guard for an industrial-sized fan becomes a spider’s web on a garden gate. A plow blade is the body of a spindlyarmed creature.

“It surprises me,” Hampton said.

“It’s a journey for me and that’s what makes it interesting.”

Look, and you can see Hampton’s work across the city. It can be found at Area 61 Gallery and the Chattanooga Market. He designed the brick sculpture of the truck on Market Street. Root Restaurant commissioned several pieces from him.

Hampton begins his process at a small scrapyard on 11th street, searching for unusual pieces of metal. He usually takes all the rebar he can find, as he uses a lot of that material.

He then returns to his workshop

off Workman Road. It’s a place Hampton describes as “A junkyard with a shed roof.”

According to pictures of the space, the lot is filled with odd and ends of metal. Fire extinguishers lie in a pile. Chopped up pieces of pipe in the shape of ‘O’s, are laid out underneath the roof, where his welder also sits. Pieces of metal rest on square wooden boards. For example, one board contained a spring and two large square nuts.

These are Hampton’s “sketches.”

He’ll wander among the metal, picking up one interesting piece, pairing it with another. He fits them together, imagining what creature might emerge, testing, experimenting.

The next day, he’ll come back and work on the most promising sketch.

“A lot of them get thrown back into the scrap pile,” Hampton said.

“It’s a flow,” he said. “I don’t like to completely lock myself into a concept.”

As for the art that inspires him, he terms it “outsider art,” the creations of native people, children, primitive art. “They’re not trying to sell it,” continued on page 16

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“Hot summer days and a house that needs renovating has kept Hampton simply trying to keep up inventory by working mornings. When he does return to creating, he’ll start by looking through old sketches, making new ones, noticing what gets his attention.”

he said, adding it is “Pure expression at the moment with the materials that they have.”

Hampton was always a visual person.

Growing up, he loved drawing. His father was in the military and moved to California, where Hampton took a lot of craft and art classes.

When his family moved to Tennessee, the school didn’t allow him to take any more art classes. So he took drafting. When his dad asked him what he was going to do with his life, “I told him I was probably going to go into architecture.”

After graduating from University of Tennessee Knoxville’s School of Architecture, Hampton took some time and hitchhiked through Europe. That changed his perspective. He returned, and worked at an architecture firm in Memphis for only a few months. “I couldn’t sit behind a desk,” Hampton explained. In 1982, he went out and tried to make it as an artist. A few years later he met his wife at an art show and they moved to the edge of the Cherokee National forest where they built a house and lived for 25 years.

Hampton first made pottery but it wasn’t satisfying. Turning out 20 mugs was repetitive, a trade instead of an artistic process.

In the late ‘90s, Hampton planned to go to a technical school to learn CAD. The school, however, canceled the class. “Well, I’ll just take welding,” Hampton thought.

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“I’ve always wanted to learning welding.”

And that’s where he first started making his creations.

Eventually, the economy went bad. He felt an artist had a better economic chance of success in a city rather than isolated in the mountains. Seven years ago, he and his wife moved to Chattanooga.

He used to travel to art festivals to display his creations, but there were traveling costs. These days he sets up at the Chattanooga Market. His bread and butter there is welded words like “Chattanooga” and “Nooga.”

He’s also on Etsy and he’s done commission work, such as garden gates, balusters of staircases, figures.

As for a piece he’s most fond of, there isn’t one. He can’t identify his metal Mona Lisa. “My best piece is always the next one,” he said.

With pushing himself and “Metalmorphosizing,” if you will, as a crux of his work, then where will Hampton go next?

Hot summer days and a house that needs renovating has kept Hampton simply trying to keep up inventory by working mornings. When he does return to creating, he’ll start by looking through old sketches, making new ones, noticing what gets his attention.

“It will be my style but where I pick up, I’m not sure right now,” he said.

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STATE OF THE ARTS 2016 CHATTANOOGA UP & COMING

Anna Carll Rebirthing her work in a magnificent fashion

By Jenn Webster

“Delightfully, Carll’s paintings are touchable— smooth here, rough in other places. In front of them, you want to dance, to mimic the motion.”

“What I’m about is reinvention,” says Carll, who began her career as a graphic designer in Atlanta, then became a successful figurative painter before the Recession. Unlike many artists, she says, she met success early in her career and came to know difficulty later. From Atlanta, she moved to Blue Ridge, Georgia, and then to Chattanooga, where she found a true artistic home.

“I came to Chattanooga to be reborn,” Carll says. “When I bought this house”—a beautiful Craftsman in Highland Park with a spacious front room and a huge magnolia visible through the window—“it came with this tree. She is very busy year-round.”

The tree inspired Carll’s focus at the moment, her Erosion paintings.

“I had started the Erosion series in Blue Ridge,” she says. “My mother had dementia and I was recognizing the beauty in the life cycle and in decay. I built an aesthetic around it, and it helped me grieve for my mother. Now I’m experiencing the other end of the cycle.”

In Chattanooga, Carll began a new chapter in her art. Not only did she delve into the Erosion paintings, she participated in public art, contributing to the mural on the AT&T Building. She began a series of weavings, using materials recycled from other projects. She is also creating hand-

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made books. As her reputation for her new, organic style grew, she was featured in Art Galleries & Artists of the South in 2015.

The Past, Always Present Carll’s Erosion series reflects her process of self-creation. The paintings depict pods from a magnolia tree—Bella, the tree outside Carll’s window—tumbling down the canvas. Typically, the point of view is tight, with pods disappearing off every side.

There’s a movement in the paintings, and Carll says the process of creation is similar.

“With acrylics, you have to work fast,” she says. Painting, she ponders in stillness a while, then blitzes her canvas in a flurry of movement.

The Erosions canvases reflect the stratifications of nature. The background is acrylic house paint—Clark+Kensington, from Ace Hardware. The top layer is fine art paint. Carll scrapes the canvass with a tile paste scraper for texture. She sprinkles gold and bronze dust, like glittery sand, onto the surface.

Other portions echo the swirl of marbleized paper. The result is loamy as a forest floor in some places, slick as light on a wet magnolia leaf in others.

Delightfully, Carll’s paintings are touchable—smooth here, rough in other places.

In front of them, you want to dance, to mimic the motion. Or you might run a palm over the surface, or sing, or meditate.

Such a painting would be companion to interact with, similar to the magnolia that Carll lovingly calls She. The blend of deep history and immediate tactile connection is even more present in Carll’s books and weavings.

“My mother was a seamstress,” she says. “I feel close to her as I work.”

An Artist’s Home In Chattanooga, local creators have made her feel welcome, Carll says.

“I was overwhelmed with camaraderie,” she says, noting the public art projects, critiques at Townsend Atelier, and Friends of Local Artists and Galleries gatherings. “This didn’t exist in Atlanta! Chattanooga is just

the right sized town.”

The tight community leads to rich cross-pollination between artists.

“Seeing all the influences, being around artists, looking and talking—it influences everything you do,” Carll says.

She’s especially drawn to emerging artists.

“Over the last few years, I really understand what it is to struggle with your art,” she says. “At 55, I have a camaraderie with younger artists—[like them] I’m struggling and having to rebuild my career.”

At the same time, she says, “The older you get, you just change: you have less time ahead than behind you. I pursue public art as part of this change within me. I want to give back to my community.”

You Should Meet Anna If you don’t know any art-

ists—fear not! Carll is delightfully approachable. In person she looks smaller and more delicate than her self-portrait.

She paints in comfy black leggings and T-shirt, her spiked hair quivers when she gets excited, and she could pass for a Wendy Froud fairy. Her manner is lucid and direct. Her home studio is cluttered but airy, full of paintings and plants.

Message her on social media and she’ll correspond with you about a studio visit.

Visit her paintings in Chattanooga. Stroll by the AT&T building, or look into Gallery 1401 on Market and Main.

Online, you can view her paintings and read more about her creative process at annacarll. com, browse her pictures on Instagram, reach out to her at facebook.com/AnnaCarllArt or email her at annacarllfineart@ gmail.com.

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STATE OF THE ARTS 2016 CHATTANOOGA UP & COMING

Brit Sigh Cameras, robots, plumbing all come to whimsical life

By Ward Raymond

Robots sitting. Robots posing. Robots lounging around. Robots holding...light bulbs?

Who doesn’t love a cute robot?

When Brit Sigh was a kid, he was a big fan of the Short Circuit movies. Today, this multitalented artist makes fantastical artworks that bring a touch of whimsy and a gust of steampunk style into our homes, offices, and even a Hollywood movie.

Robots figure heavily in his artistic vision. These small metallic friends are constructed of galvanized plumbing pipes and joints for arms, legs, and torso, and often an antique camera or another odd device for a head. The effect is pleasantly anthropomorphic; you find yourself almost talking to them, like you would a dog or cat.

“I’ve always been a sci-fi geek,” Brit says, “so I definitely think some of that bleeds into my creations. I think people— and myself—are taken aback by these little guys, because they are so cute and the kid in us is like, ‘oooh, sweet, robots!’ “ I asked him for five words that describe his artistic style, and he responded: industrial, original, upcycle, futuristic, eclectic.

In addition to groovy lighting fixtures from pipes and cameras, Brit uses rotary phones, faucet parts, bicycle components, workshop clamps, air gauges, tractor gas tanks, and copper tubing to re-envision

and re-manufacture a variety of practical industrial fixtures: towel racks, wall sconces, toilet paper holders, magazine stands.

His customers use them to outfit their loft spaces, “man caves,” office common areas, VRBO apartments, garages, and workshops. He even made special order lamps for the set designer of an upcoming movie to star Naomi Watts, and he’s hoping his work will be spared from the fate of the cutting room floor.

How much is new material and how much repurposed or found objects? “It definitely depends on the piece,” Brit says, “because I do construct some pieces that are strictly from found objects, but I would say 60 percent is new and 40 percent is old materials that I try to bring new life to.”

Brit is a visual guy, very much scanning his universe for inspiration. “I always have ideas circulating in my mind, but I definitely get inspired when I see other artists’ work,” he says. “I also love searching Pinterest for pictures of loft spaces and warehouse conversions. I like to picture how my creations can fit into those unique spaces.”

He and his “beautiful wife, Amber, whom I met at church,” wanted to make some extra money for a nice wedding continued on page 22

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“Brit uses rotary phones, faucet parts, bicycle components, workshop clamps, air gauges, tractor gas tanks, and copper tubing to reenvision and re-manufacture a variety of practical industrial fixtures: towel racks, wall sconces, toilet paper holders, magazine stands.”

and honeymoon (“awww”) about 18 months ago, so Brit started making and selling his work on etsy.com, an upscale website for handmade arts and crafts, under the trade name of The Clever Raven. (The name comes from Brit’s all-black pug.) He quit his day job in February, so he’s officially launched his “craft” now onto the Stormy Sea of Making a Living at Art. Etsy is surely cutesy, but if you prefer to see Brit’s handcrafts close at hand and to handle the handiwork before buying, he shows his creations for sale at the Chattanooga Market each Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. He will customize his craftwork with special colors or finishes, and imaginative special touches such as faucet handles in place of conventional light switches.

“I also make industrial style desks, tables, and shelving,” he says. “I usually make these for local customers who have asked me for a custom order.”

Brit received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Union College, but a good deal of his craft skills have come from the university of trying-it-out.

“I’ve always been one to try to learn something new or pick up a new trade every couple of months,” he says. “I have had training in painting, sketching, and graphic design, but the other

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trades like pipe fitting, carpentry, and welding, I just picked up along the way.”

Brit comes by his artistic ken both naturally and nurturally. “I’ve always been drawn to and inspired by art,” he says. “Growing up, I was lucky to have a mom who was very artsy and craftsy, and a dad who was very handy and mechanically inclined. I think I inherited a little bit of both from them. My dad always taught me to be a jack-of-alltrades. As a kid, I would draw my own comics, and I still actually sketch a super hero every once in a while.”

Those parents had an influence in another way, moving Brit around the country during his childhood, from his birthplace in Kansas City, Missouri, to Texas, where he grew up, to beaucoup other places he’s lived: Iowa, Minnesota, Alaska, Colorado, Nebraska, D.C., and Illinois. “I wasn’t a military brat either, my parents were just adventurous,” he says. “I’ve visited every state except for Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Montana.”

So is Brit handy around the house, beyond just changing a light bulb in one of his robot lamps? “I would like to think of myself as pretty handy, but you’ll have to ask my wife, Amber.”

I’ll bet she would say yes.

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STATE OF THE ARTS 2016 CHATTANOOGA UP & COMING

Denice Bizot

One man’s trash is another woman’s artwork

By Beth Miller

“Bizot pilfers through scrapyards to locate rusty relics of yesteryear, old car hoods and shovels, and gives them new life in her studio.”

What kind of artist gets Cs and Ds in art class? Denice Bizot chuckles as she takes me down memory lane during her time at Loyola University in 1998.

As with most introductory art classes, students are required to work in every medium, which typically begins with 2D. She admits she is not a 2D person, however, once she graduated into the more advanced art classes, she had her “ah-ha” moment when she discovered 3D—and a plasma torch, which she taught herself to use. It is here where she found her calling as a metal sculptor.

Sitting in her backyard, it is pretty obvious where she gathers most of her inspiration for her artwork. Horsetail grass grows in large swaths here and there. Each terrace of the lawn is lined with rocks of all shapes and sizes and tiny pieces of metal that are either part of a previous work or are about to become a new work. The yard offers up more about her life with toys strewn about and a jungle gym for a little one.

There’s something different about her work. I’m not sure describing her artwork as “upcycled” fully encompasses the amount of work and imagination that goes into her pieces. Perhaps something more along the lines of “reincarnated” is more appropriate. Bizot pilfers through scrapyards to locate rusty relics of yesteryear,

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old car hoods and shovels, and gives them new life in her studio. Currently, she is giving a 1956 Dodge Coronet hood a makeover. She even works with woks.

The delicate shapes cut into each piece, she admits, “are inspired by something in nature.” It is this melding of the natural world with the manmade world that produces such unique and curious pieces.

Many of the designs are leaf or floral patterns or some combination of both. And some patterns are simply something pulled out of Bizot’s deep imagination such as the crinkled 55-gallon drum that adorns her yard. The drum is cut full of holes and resembles a large, lace doily made of rusty metal that has been dropped onto the floor.

Bizot smiles as she talks about her earliest memories concerning her artistic inclinations not realizing, at such a young age, she was already seeing art in day-to-day things, “I used to take paper napkins... they would be those napkins that were floral embossed, and I would paint those.”

She pauses trying to remember her age, thinking she was around 10 years old, “I think I actually started painting them with fingernail polish. I would take my mom’s old empty fingernail polish bottles.”

Bizot’s family has called New Orleans home since the early 1800s. Bizot called

it home for 25 years but traveled between New Orleans and Chattanooga for a number of those years. She grew tired of the long trek and decided to sell her house in New Orleans and officially call Chattanooga home approximately two years ago, drawn in by Chattanooga’s central location and the beautiful mountains. Bizot’s backyard backs up to the base of Lookout Mountain in St. Elmo, where she says the flowers and trees greatly influence her work.

Interestingly enough Bizot tried out several other career options before finally settling on her role as an artist. Following graduation from college, she took a job working as a drafter for the petroleum industry do-

ing cartography work. After putting in 10 years, she grew bored with it and moved on to something else. At around 30 years old, she decided she wanted to be a drummer in a ‘60s cover band. She stayed with it for another 10 years and called it quits.

Once she made the decision to commit to her artwork, she went full steam ahead into the art world as an award-winning artist with pieces all over the globe from Amsterdam to Manhattan. While car hoods and shovels seem to be her first choice, Bizot also works with flat sheets of aluminum, copper and brass that are turned into wall adornments that are then sold to hospitals, restaurants,

and corporate collections. Currently, her work is on display in both Area 61 and In-Town Gallery in downtown Chattanooga.

Bizot still turns her nose up at 2D artwork. She enjoys the fact that her pieces were once used to fill another role—they have a story, a history. She chooses old car parts due to their “personality,” explaining that new cars just don’t have the same qualities.

Of her experience, she remarks, “I’ve found along the way it’s easy to make good stuff.

It’s very hard to make excellent stuff. It’s very hard to make work that makes someone turn their head twice, and that’s what you want to put in a gallery.”

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STATE OF THE ARTS 2016 CHATTANOOGA UP & COMING

Shelley R. Williford Local filmmaker channels passion and personal belief

By John DeVore

As much as the Chattanooga film scene has improved for film fans over the last few years due to Mise En Scenesters and the Chattanooga Film Festival, it’s easy to overlook the strides that have been made for filmmakers in the area.

With opportunities like the Chattanooga State Professional Film and Television Program and The Backlot, a monthly open space for all filmmakers and actors in the area to meet and collaborate, a growing group of filmmakers are creating films and sharing them with audiences all around the region.

Shelley R. Williford, is one of many, a director with DGM Video Productions who is close to finishing a short film entitled Jagged Little Pill. For the State of the Arts issue, we caught up with Shelley to talk about her recent project and about the state of film in Chattanooga.

Like most filmmakers, Shelley’s love of film began during her childhood. “I’ve always been an artist since I was a little girl,” Shelley says.

“I’ve always had a big imagination.

I think I made the crossover from drawings and paintings into film because of my love (and addiction!) to

video games. I’ve always been ‘show me’ type of person and I feel that I can express ideas or stories better by showing someone, rather than telling.”

Filmmaking in particular came “after some pretty bad early life experiences” which led her to her chosen craft. “I found solace in my games and films like Star Wars,” she says.

“I became absorbed and enamored with fantastic stories and wanted to create my own. I started making my very first shorts around age 14. I was able to start college at age 16 and immediately started taking video production and broadcast classes then and I’ve been hooked ever since!”

Her recent project, Jagged Little Pill, is twisted horror film about “a young woman who believes she is involved in a sick case of mistaken identity with a shutter-happy serial killer until she realizes he wants something from her.” Shelley says that “Some elements of Jagged Little Pill I had rolling around in my head for a long while. They were elements that I didn’t know I wanted to make a film out of. I love horror and psychology so it wasn’t hard to continued on page 28

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“I believe that local groups are a big answer to getting more projects filmed in the Greater Chattanooga area. Talent comes to wherever projects are being shot…smaller film groups in the area should join forces to learn and grow from each other.”

explore some dark places for this film.”

The impetus for the film, it seems, came from a conversation with her boyfriend about mental illness and suicide. “I’ve dealt with those elements personally and they feel like second nature to me sometimes.”

Her boyfriend, however, had never felt those feelings. She says: “I wondered, ‘What would make someone who never wanted to die, never battled bad thoughts, (sic) what would have to happen to them to push them that far?”

In November of 2014, she felt like she had a “skeleton” of a story, but was “frustrated” because she had an idea with no clear direction forward.

“My biggest challenge with the screenplay was dialogue,” she says.

“My advice for anyone that wants to write a script or even a story, be honest with yourself about your weaker areas and find someone that can help out that you trust. I definitely have a better appreciation now for filmmakers that try to do it all. Those that consistently write, direct, produce—I salute them.”

Many of the projects she worked

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on previous to Jagged Little Pill weren’t quite as involved—she worked with broadcast news, or just as part of a crew where “the story wasn’t my problem—capturing it was.” She says: “This time around, I have put myself through the ringer in a wonderful way - I wrote (and rewrote!), directed and am currently editing the film.”

Shelley has a lot to say about keeping film projects local. She says that with “the excitement and sheer amount of projects in film and television that shoot in Atlanta, Nashville and Knoxville, I will admit I have felt the pull to relocate for more production work. However, Atlanta is very saturated and this industry is very much ‘who you know’ and not necessarily ‘what you know.’

She says: “I believe that local groups are a big answer to getting more projects filmed in the Greater Chattanooga area. Talent comes to wherever projects are being shot… smaller film groups in the area should join forces to learn and grow from each other.”

The key to filmmaking in Chattanooga, Shelley believes, is “lot of passion, belief, and networking.”

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STATE OF THE ARTS 2016 CHATTANOOGA UP & COMING

Christina Renfer Vogel Finding the art in the spaces in between

By Ernie Paik

“Sometimes, what is omitted can be just as important as what is included, as some body parts are purposefully left undeveloped with some figures seemingly dissolving into their blank surroundings.”

A person might see the FedEx logo numerous times over years before realizing the brilliance of its design, which features a hidden-in-plain-sight arrow symbol in the logo’s negative space.

Similarly, space isn’t merely an absence in the paintings of Christina Renfer Vogel; instead, it is rich with meaning when observed between the ordinary yet mysterious figures that populate her work.

“I think of the spaces in between as psychological spaces, and the physical distance plays a role that is just as important as that of the figures,” said Vogel, an Assistant Professor in the University of Tennessee Chattanooga Art Department since 2013.

Sometimes, what is omitted can be just as important as what is included, as some body parts are purposefully left undeveloped with some figures seemingly dissolving into their blank surroundings.

“I’ve removed specific information about the environment in these paintings, so the figures are placeless,” said Vogel.

Providing a minimal amount of guidance for the viewer, Vogel takes a neutral position and clarifies that she is “more comfortable on the sidelines” regarding interpretations of her work.

With her exhibition “Encounters” at the University of the South in Sewanee earlier this year, Vogel said she “was interested in

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creating situations that have a kind of tension within everyday encounters.”

“I heard an interview with the writer Junot Díaz a few years back who said, ‘One’s reading of your work is their own; make work that makes multiple readings possible,’” said Vogel. “‘Encounters’ is more narrative, but I tried to allow room for the viewer. So on one hand, the work is very straightforward, but I have heard very different reads, which makes me feel like I achieved that balance—that the work is open enough to allow for different interpretations.”

“One of my favorites came from Shelley MacLaren, Director of the University Art Gallery at Sewanee, who expressed concern for the woman in ‘A Near Miss,’” said Vogel. “She felt a sense of something sinister. I loved that interpretation, and it helped me arrive at the title for that work.”

“I worked from my personal snapshots as a starting point for this work, so all the situations have an element of ‘truth,’” said Vogel, about her “Encounters” paintings.

“However, I removed and simplified information, and collaged things together at times, so there is an element of invention, too.”

Vogel’s careful perspective choices in her paintings allow viewers to be passive observers who may behold small groups

from afar or have a limited view of the back of a person’s head, sometimes evoking Gerhard Richter’s famous realist painting “Betty.”

In fact, Vogel’s 2011 painting “Tana (After Richter)” is her homage to that piece, and she has cited artists such as Édouard Vuillard, Henri Matisse, Balthus, Fairfield Porter and Giorgio Morandi as some that have been influential, alongside contemporary artists that excite her, including Katherine Bradford, Nicole Eisenman, and Kyle Staver.

“Observation is at the heart of my practice,” said Vogel. “I haven’t thought about this work

as a social critique directly, but I have had conversations about this work in relationship to social media. Perhaps this speaks to a greater sense of feeling isolated, even while many of us are working so hard to stay connected.”

“Some have talked about a sense of loneliness in this work, which I can certainly see,” said Vogel.

This summer, Vogel participated in the creative residency program at the Hambidge Center for the Creative Arts & Sciences in the mountains of north Georgia in Rabun Gap, where she explored approaches that are quite different from the

ones used for “Encounters.”

The output of her fruitful residency was a series of small paintings in and around her cabin of just landscapes and interiors—no figures—often dominated by engulfing flurries of green foliage.

“It’s too early for me to know where this work will lead, but I have been interested in thinking about this new work in relationship to my recent paintings of people gathered,” said Vogel.

“I think that both series have a kind of directness to them that has always interested me, and both series reflect my interest in the mundane, as well as a shared sense of stillness.”

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STATE OF THE ARTS 2016 CHATTANOOGA UP & COMING

Susan Cresswell Helping the disadvantaged express their artistic talent

By Stephanie Smith

Susan Cresswell has art running through her veins. It’s a part of her makeup; it’s just, as she tells me, who she is and she’s proud of her work and where she is today as an artist.

“My art background is I’m just a fourth generation artist,” Susan explains. “My grandmother was a fashion illustrator for The Denver Post in the ‘30s. I come from a whole family of artists. My maiden name is Flieger which is German.

It is interesting throughout history how people have treated artists with German last names. Planet Altered did a show for me called “It’s in the Genes”, which was displays of artwork from my family.”

She adds, “I get my inspiration from nothing or everything. It’s just the way I’m wired—it’s what I do.

It’s just there; I can’t help it.”

Other than the show at Planet Altered you would be hard pressed to find Cresswell’s work on permanent display at a gallery. Her house, on the other hand, is a treasure trove of artistic riches with every piece in an appointed place, from the sculptures on the deck to the paintings and photographs on the walls to the

jewelry in the bedroom.

A retired hairdresser, Cresswell now has enough time to juggle three or four projects at once. She is constantly creating and repurposing materials often given to her by friends who just couldn’t bear to throw something out and knew if they gave it to her she could make something beautiful out of it.

A few years ago Cresswell was driving by the Hart Gallery and saw their Christmas tree and asked if she could work with them. Now on the board as the Art Director, she is able to contribute her time and resources to the homeless population of artists who create and show their work there.

What she wants to do is own her own gallery so she can get the stuff out of the house. But in the meantime she shows her artistry in the window displays for the Hart Gallery. “They’re quirky usually; most of the things I do art-wise are humorous. I use everything from instruments to stuffed animals to glass to photography to paintings. What’s fun for the Hart Gallery is it’s inexpensive. I can make something out continued on page 34

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“Some of the artists are blind, some of them are deaf, and there are so many with mental illnesses. Sitting around the table with them you realize how much in common you have with them.”

of nothing and it’s fun.”

And the fun doesn’t stop there.

Cresswell teaches art classes inside the space, from composition to blending of colors to how to twist wire to make earrings to sell.

“I do what I have to do to get them inspired. There used to be a lot more people sitting around the table. Maybe a year ago I would sit them down and teach them how easy it is to tear construction paper and make faces. You can do a lot of fun things with tearing paper and twisting wire,” she explains.

“At Christmas we made angels with broken records for trees. It’s all about getting people to make projects to fundraise for the Hart Gallery. Some of them don’t have a clue what to do and I set them down with five materials and show them what I expect out of them. A lot of the things we use are donated. It’s all about utilizing and repurposing. Donations inform what we do.”

Preparation is as important as the creation process itself. “I do preparation at home and show up to do a three-hour project. Some of the artists are blind, some of them are deaf, and there are so many with mental illnesses. Sitting around the table with them you realize how much in common you

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have with them. We have the same struggles—their outlet is art.

“It’s really amazing to see a lot of the artwork that comes out of these people. They’re dramatic—it’s not a landscape. There’s a lot of pain and suffering. I see it bringing people out of their shell. It’s so rewarding to see them do a piece and somebody buys it because they connect with it. That is the heartbeat. Seeing people hurting and living and growing together.

“On Wednesday and Thursday we do classes. They want to come back the next week and see it framed and hanging in the gallery. It gives them a purpose that they mean something.

I don’t know any other venue where you can do that—instant gratification is where you have a pen in your hand and maybe you draw a bleeding heart.”

Asked what she thinks about the state of the arts in Chattanooga Cresswell says, “Chattanooga is really a cool place to live. I’m excited about it. I want to be a part of it. Artists reach out to other artists. We all know each other and support each other. Hanging out with artists make you feel less crazy than with people who are left brained. I am humbled and honored to be included in this group of artists.”

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STATE OF THE ARTS 2016 CHATTANOOGA UP & COMING

Steven Llorca

Combining photography and painting in artistic exploration

By Maggie Behringer

Steven Llorca has a joke: when what he terms the “economic implosion” happened, he did what everyone did—he became an artist. Like any good joke, that’s only part of the story. What that quip fails to reveal is the shrewd business sense he brings to his career and through work within the Chattanooga community, other artists’ careers.

In 2006, Llorca, then working as the Director of Creative Media for Buckaroo Communications, relocated with the company to Scenic City. He and his wife had lived in Los Angeles since 1999. The move got them closer to family in the Atlanta area. As the company downsized, the East Coast journey also proved opportune timing to turn his focus toward a lifelong hobby: photography.

Llorca has fond memories of the trade’s more old school techniques. The apprentice-like dedication required for learning the balance of temperatures and chemicals in developing film, the slight adjustments in aperture, carry for him an “aspect of behindthe-curtain magician-ship.” However, in the 1990s, he also recognized the craft’s direction toward digital and expanded his professional skills to commercial photography.

Fast forward to the recession. Llorca applied for available positions, but either was overqualified or heard nothing. His hobby become more and more of an attractive, fulltime alternative.

“I felt like I owed it to myself to do this,” he said. “Even if it messes up my retirement,

I needed to try to be a content 80-year-old. If I didn’t, I knew it would be a life regret.”

Llorca started at the Chattanooga Market, selling his photographs. A two-part business at stevenllorca.com has evolved since. The practical arrangement combining creative services and fine art both nurtures his own artistic exploration and provides a living. For the commercial clients, some of whom he’s worked with for decades, he is a jack of all trades photographer, copywriter and graphic designer. He also offers commercial and portrait photography services ranging from family sessions to headshots.

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tanooga adhered to his love of landscape.

Viewing his portfolio is a tour of the Scenic City you’ve always seen, but never noticed: the classic shots of the downtown bridges, the mountain bluffs and the Tennessee River’s curves all pictured in stunning color and fervent movement, an energy in the art that matches its subject.

“It’s a good mix of frozen in time aspects and geographically,” Llorca said of Chattanooga. “It’s situated in a unique spot. It’s perfectly aligned for sunsets and sunrises.

The other thing is, people are just passionate about it.”

Strategically nodding to that passion, Llorca applied a nano-business philosophy to his work, branding his fine art as part of the niche, hyper-local market. He sells greeting card and even cell phone case reproductions of his Chattanooga images. Though his most recent show, “Artist in Transit” at the Chattanooga WorkSpace Gallery, which included photographs stretched on canvas from a 30days trip to the Grand Canyon, demonstrates a departure in subject, it rings true of his arresting style. The shift in style appears in Llorca’s growing use of mixed media.

“I’m in my own version of grad school,” he explained. “I don’t feel like I need to spend a lot of money to further my career, but I know I need to spend all the time that people in [grad school] put into it. Part of what I’ve done is use the opportunities in this town.”

Beyond the Chattanooga Market, those opportunities include the Chattanooga WorkSpace and Friends of Local Artists and Galler-

“The community nature has helped accelerate and broaden my learning. Everyone here has a different story for how they’re making their art.” ies, or FLAG. As one of the first in the West 6th Street building, he and fellow early members helped shape its direction, namely including professional amenities such as gallery space and participation in First Friday events.

Like any good grad student, he also leans on his cohort to hone his craft. Llorca is currently concentrating on paints—how they mix and dry and what layering acrylic paints and glazes on manipulated photographs creates.

He discovered a few of those new techniques thanks to fellow artists in the Chattanooga WorkSpace building.

“The community nature has helped accelerate and broaden my learning,” Llorca said.

“Everyone here has a different story for how they’re making their art.”

The exchange of ideas extends to the more practical aspects of art, like strategies for showing consistently, classes they’ve taken and helping promote each other’s work. The same impetus led Llorca to FLAG, a collec-

40 • THE PULSE • AUGUST 18, 2016 • STATE OF THE ARTS • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

tive project aimed at helping Chattanooga artists couple their craft with the same kind of business savvy he brings to his own career.

The two-year-old organization connects gallery owners and artists and welcomes anyone interested in art curation. In addition to hosting pop-up shows, group critiques akin to workshops and social events, FLAG was instrumental in the creation of September’s Artist Appreciation Week.

“We wanted to create a movement in the community that fosters artists and the business of art as a sustainable economy. Artists’ careers should be considered viable small businesses and not just the old school stereotype of starving artists or ‘be an artist in your free time.’ There an actual, viable business model.”

That model includes understanding the basics of taxes, how to maintain two separate bank accounts and income streams, how to use reproduction of original work to build an audience—essentially, how to execute a creative goal within a financial structure. It’s a job Llorca has done for clients for 20 years, but he notices the thicker skin he’s grown since those first Sundays at the Chattanooga Market.

He has another joke, this one about direct sales to the public. Looking at his photographs, people often ask what kind of camera he has. Almost as often, people will hear the answer and think out loud that they could what Llorca does if they had the same camera.

“The truth is, you could,” he said. “You just have to learn.”

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • STATE OF THE ARTS • AUGUST 18, 2016 •THE PULSE • 41

STATE OF THE ARTS 2016 CHATTANOOGA UP & COMING

Claire Bloomfield Scanning the world around her to create unique photographs

By Tony Mraz

“Every photo represents an idea. I’m layering what I’m thinking about that day—it might be psychology, the mind, the subconscious, pop culture, and toxic culture all at once.”

While in art classes at Brentwood High School in Nashville, Claire Bloomfield took a picture of a barn and made a painting from it. Finding joy in recreating the image she captured, she became obsessed with going on walks and looking for beautiful things. She would take photos, then go home and paint from the pictures.

In art school at UTC, she wanted to see how far she could push herself. She enjoyed painting, but as she began to delve into the ideas behind the art she was studying, she realized that painting was not an efficient way to express her ideas. Photography got her closer to sharing her vision, so she made it her major.

Claire is a quick-minded person whose thoughts and ideas evolve rapidly. “What was difficult with painting was the duration of painting time—by the time I finished a painting, I was thinking something different. Every photo represents an idea.

I’m layering what I’m thinking about that day—it might be psychology, the mind, the subconscious, pop culture, and toxic culture all at once.”

Her need for a means of spontaneously generating imagery caused her to seek out a new medium, and what she discovered is a most interesting photographic tool; a flatbed scanner. “The images look like they are from a foreign universe, a strange world,

42 • THE PULSE • AUGUST 18, 2016 • STATE OF THE ARTS • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

different from where I am. I’m genuinely surprised and impressed every time I make a scan. I might put down something artificial and something natural, and then capture the interaction of those two materials.

50 percent of the time it looks good, the other 50 percent of the time it’s awful—I experiment with various materials, playing with chance—and select my best ones to edit and print.”

The ideas behind her recent work are as technological as her creative tools. “I’ve been thinking about the internet, information technology, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, etc. With all of these, we are constantly connected to each other in this alternative world. My photographs are part of that cyber world.”

Claire has created a series of landscapes with the scanner. “I’ll be thinking of water, then an image will emerge as a digital version of water. I will draw on it using Photoshop, adding wires, energy, as if it were actually alive in a digital space. With this process, I have to work quickly - the scanner bed only takes about 30 seconds to make a scan, so I will be painting as it scans, maybe using the movement of my hand to make a mark—then I might crack an egg on the scanner, or pour something on it. When you make the scans, it happens really fast, but then the images look

paused, in another time.”

This brilliant approach to photography isn’t without its pitfalls. “I currently don’t have a scanner because I dumped milk on it. I used to lay down plastic sheets and tape the edges to protect the scanner, but I’m a spontaneous person. Luckily the local thrift stores will sell scanners for around $5 to $20.

The cost of a canvas is $20 to $50, so I think of it as buying a new canvas every time I buy a scanner. I have gone through four scanners since December—I try to go for the same brand, HP printer/scanner combo, super hires. Right now I’m on the lookout for a film scanner—they scan on the negative, produc-

ing bizarre colors that one wouldn’t normally get.”

You can see this stunning series of photographs at Claire’s solo show at Cine-rama’s Swine Gallery. For the show, entitled “Cooking Up The Universe,” she casts herself in the role of Oz the Creator. “I feel like a god— I’m at this table, throwing food into a bowl, telling a story of how I think the universe was created. It is symbolic, not literal or religious.

These are like Native American sand paintings, medical paintings where you have a shaman come over and bless the painting, erasing the painting to release the energy—that’s what the scanner is to me—the scanner bed

is an altar piece. What is on it gets sent to this other world, the digital world, then I erase it, like a ritual. The scanner becomes a holy space. If I crack an egg and pour ink on it, it might be symbolic; I might be using food and plants to make a political statement. If I were to be using people as models, it would be more of a bold statement.”

Claire’s art jumps like a spark between the real world and the digital world, echoing the work of her heroes. It makes you feel fulfilled when you walk away, like you just watched a movie or read a book. “I appreciate technical art, but at the end of the day I like the artists that make me change my way of thinking.”

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • STATE OF THE ARTS • AUGUST 18, 2016 •THE PULSE • 43

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STATE OF THE ARTS 2016 CHATTANOOGA UP & COMING

Katie Hargrove Harnessing collective energy and creativity

By Ernie Paik

The “law of the instrument” offers the observation that “if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail” for those who favor a certain tool or method over others because it is familiar.

In the case of artist and educator Katie Hargrave, her versatility is more like a Swiss Army knife with a willingness to work with many different media types and materials, ranging from sculpture, video, audio, photography, textiles, print and even food, at the center of various fascinating installations and performances.

“My work is research driven. A kernel of interest pops up, and I get drawn in,” said Hargrave, an Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, regarding how an idea develops into a new work. “I have to learn as much as I can about that topic. Somewhere along the way, a material will also start to make sense.”

One of Hargrave’s projects is “Reading White Pines,” about an obscure law in the colonial history of the United States that banned cutting down white pines, since those were reserved for use as ship masts for the English navy; Americans would chop down these trees and mill them into boards as a form of protest.

“This story is represented in our his-

torical record through a series of flags which became public representations of anti-colonial sentiments,” said Hargrave. “As a way to make this history relevant to the politics of today, I remade the flags and gave them to young Americans, who I asked to document their experiences with the flags.”

Another project entitled “How to Unmake an American Quilt” let participants meticulously take apart a discarded hand-sewn quilt.

“The project was originally intended to ‘take apart’ notions of gendered labor, but I was surprised at how much time it took to deconstruct the quilt, how much each participant learned about how to make a quilt by looking at its insides, and how much we honored the original maker,” said Hargrave. “It was a humbling experience.”

Several themes run through Hargrave’s work, including symbology and flag-making, geography, rebuilding (in both natural and urban spaces) and deconstructing, debunking myths and examining historical figures.

“I am interested in both art and education because they are powerful,” said Hargrave. “The power of both fields is diminished when the maker is the excontinued on page 46

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • STATE OF THE ARTS • AUGUST 18, 2016 •THE PULSE • 45

“I think of myself as an educator that teaches my students how to learn rather than what to learn.

Rather than telling them what something means or how to do something, I give them tools to ask questions and find answers.”

pert and the audience is asked to receive the information (artwork or knowledge).”

In line with this, Hargrave often asks her audiences to become cocreators in projects and collaborates with community organizations and other artists, including Chicagobased artist Amber Ginsburg and Hornell, NY artist and educator Brett Hunter.

“By opening up the creation of an artwork everything gets messier, but it also becomes more dynamic, more alive, more interesting for me—and hopefully for viewers as well,” said Hargrave.

“In terms of education, I am interested in the liberatory possibilities of education,” said Hargrave. “I think of myself as an educator that teaches my students how to learn rather than what to learn. Rather than telling them what something means or how to do something, I give them tools to ask questions and find answers.”

Currently, Hargrave is working on a series of projects dealing with the upcoming presidential election, which will be exhibited at Nashville’s Ground Floor Gallery next month.

“I’ve been making posters of GOP

46 • THE PULSE • AUGUST 18, 2016 • STATE OF THE ARTS • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

candidate speeches that are edited to remove all duplicate words (titled “History Repeats Itself ”), a custom karaoke that includes only songs that the candidates have been banned by the bands from using, videos of the edited debates that only include the candidates taking breaths between words and a giant Jenga set with Donald Trump on top of it,” said Hargrave. “The work is about both the GOP and the DNC, poking fun at the whole process.”

No matter what form Hargrave’s work takes, she is always interested in including participatory elements, in order to harness collective energy and creativity.

“We all have power, but we have to be taught how to use it,” said Hargrave. “We have been trained to not touch the artwork in a museum.

I make work that is interactive, so I need to give the viewers clues so that they know that not only they can participate but also that the artwork won’t be successful unless they participate. Culture and society have trained us how to behave, but sometimes it is important to break those rules to create meaningful change.”

Learn more about Katie at her website at katiehargrave.us

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212 Market Restaurant (and Art Gallery) Fantastic farm-to-table restaurant embraces the local arts community If you know 212 Market, you know that it’s an establishment that prides itself on community and incredible food, but you may have missed one very important detail concerning 212: the art.

BROOKE “We want art wherever we are,” says co-owner Susan Moses, speaking of herself and her sister as well as their family’s strong love of art. “It’s part of our life.

That ambiance is something we value, and so do our customers.”

As Moses said, creating art is something that has always been a part of their lives, passed down throughout their family, specifically from Moses’ mother as she was a painter. Moses says her mother was talented on her own, but took classes for a short while from a gentleman who, “smoked a lot of cigarettes and told her she needed to be the painting.”

A painting of her mother’s of a cluster of mushrooms can be found upstairs at 212. Downstairs, locked in a glass case by the front door is a collection of art, created by Moses herself.

“These are sugar pieces I made,” says Moses. Sugar flowers and spindles fill the case.

She points to what looks like a very real (albeit hopefully dead), very heavy lobster. I wonder if he is real and as if reading my mind, Moses says, “He’s sugar too!

DORN Even that coral behind his tail is sugar. Only his feelers are real. I spray painted him so he’d have the right coloring.”

Beyond Moses’ incredible sugar-spun art, currently on display at 212 Market are the works of local artists Durinda Cheek and Cam Busch, who traveled abroad together, documenting their travels through France in oil paintings and photography. In their collection called “French Holiday,” Busch wielded the camera, snapping still-life photos of French cafes and such, while Cheek focused on capturing her moments in oil on canvas.

Take a journey with Cheek and Busch through the glorious, red poppy fields of Provence, down a cobblestone path to a quaint,

Dining Out

212 Market Restaurant Ranked Tennessee's Top Farm To Table Restaurant by Travel & Leisure Magaine.

A solar & bicycle friendly business 212 Market Street • (423) 265-1212 www.212market.com

“A wonderful addition to an already wellknown establishment, featuring local artists has brought an even greater sense of community to the 212 atmosphere.”

French boutique, or to the breathtaking Luberon Valley.

“I love this one,” says Moses of “Luberon Valley.”

“It reminds me of something from a dream.” Her description is accurate as Cheek depicts a hazy vineyard of French grapes ready and waiting for their time on the vine to end as they continue on in their journey of becoming some of Provence’s most delectable wines. The mountains beyond the rolling hills of the vineyard seem shrouded in mist, as if on the edge of your dream, waiting for you to reach them.

212 used to feature their

family’s personal collection of art in the back, with regional art in the main room, but began featuring local artists after they were approached by such local artists who were interested in perhaps showing their work there. A wonderful addition to an already well-known establishment, featuring local artists has brought an even greater sense of community to the 212 atmosphere.

Russian artist Daud Akhriev’s work was featured for a while at 212.

After emigrating to Chattanooga in 1991, Akhriev met his wife Melissa Hefferlin, a skilled painter in

her own right, and settled down here in town. “We’ve probably sold twenty to thirty paintings for him, but we take no commission,” says Moses, ringing true to that whole sense of community thing we were talking about earlier.

Speaking of “French Holiday,” Moses says the paintings and photos bring a brightness to the space it didn’t have before.

I must agree as sitting down with a piece of pie and a glass of wine under “Luberon Valley” would be the perfect night out for those of us who have an eye for art and a stomach for delicious, Chattanooga-made cuisine.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • STATE OF THE ARTS • AUGUST 18, 2016 •THE PULSE • 49

ARTS SCENE

A Familiar Voice, A New Direction Darrin Hassevoort takes the reins as Artistic Director of Choral Arts

I

Two of Our Favorite Things Cocktails in Color at the Hunter Museum of American Art The Hunter Museum of American Art has firmly established itself as the cultural hub on the riverfront, with a multitude of events and exhibits open to the public. This week, curators of the Hunter Art Museum and cocktail creators at the Flying Squirrel are teaming up once again to bring you an event that combines two of Chattanooga’s favorite things: art and alcohol. This Thursday, Flying Squirrel and the Hunter Art Museum present Cocktails in Color.

Bartenders from Flying Squirrel will choose a painting that speaks to them and create an inspired cocktail. Participants will get the opportunity to try at least one specialty drink while learning more about the exhibit. Any additional drinks can be purchased at the cash bar.

“We love being a part of this

event,” Kaleena Goldsworthy from Flying Squirrel stated. “It is such a unique and fun way to bring the art and cocktail world together.” She adds, “On the night of the event, the museum does an exceptional job creating a discussion about the painting with all of the attendees, and then we explain our thoughts and how we went about creating the cocktail.”

In addition to the opportunity to see some of the Hunter’s best seasonal exhibits, participants get the chance to sample cocktails from a bar and restaurant renowned for its use of local, fresh ingredients to create delicious drinks.

Tickets are $15 and gain you entry and one specialty drink. Tickets are required for entry, and they sell out fast, so get yours now at huntermuseum.org — Hillary Eames

FRI8.18

FRI8.19

SAT8.20

KUROSAWA COOL

TIN ROOF, RUSTED

PARK DRAMA

Japanese Movie Night

"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"

Hamlet

Come see Akira Kurosawa's classic Rashomon.

6 p.m.

Jazzanooga Arts Space 431 E. MLK Blvd. #100 (423) 402-0452 jazzanooga.org

Tennessee Williams' classic.

7:30 p.m.

Historic Ringgold Depot 155 Depot St. (706) 935-3061 cityofringgold.com

It's time for Chattanooga's Shakespeare in the park.

8 p.m.

Coolidge Park 150 River St. (706) 996-8350 backalleyproductions.org

50 • THE PULSE • AUGUST 18, 2016 • STATE OF THE ARTS • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

N AN ISSUE CHOCK FULL OF PROFILES ON ARTISTS, we would be remiss in not sharing the latest news relating to one of the oldest art forms in the world: the art of the voice. Choral Arts of Chattanooga, one of the premier vocal organizations in the city, has a brand new conductor and is looking forward to a season marked by musical excellence and educational outreach.

Arts CALLIE SPRAGUE

“

Many high school and college students participate in school choirs, but after graduation they matriculate out of the choral community.”

Established by Dr. John Hamm in 1985, Choral Arts has been a premiere choral ensemble in Chattanooga for more than three decades. It was founded on the cornerstones of vocal excellence and quality choral literature.

Darrin Hassevoort, who has taken the reins as artistic director for the group from conductor Michael Divine, who recently moved to Atlanta, plans to tap into the ensemble’s deep roots while branching out to extend the organization’s reach.

Hassevoort, who also conducts the CSO Chorus and leads the Chattanooga State choral program, is no stranger to Choral Arts. He sang with the group for several years and contributed to several of the choir’s recordings, including one with jazz great David Brubeck.

“I’m just really thrilled to have the opportunity to come and work alongside the singers and the board,” Hassevoort said. “I have always been a big supporter of Choral Arts.”

Auditions for the 2016-17 season are scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 23, with rehearsals to start a week later. For the first concert of the season, Hassevoort is planning a slate of inspirational pieces, incorporating a wide variety of styles and eras.

“I think it’s great way to say, we’re

“It is my heart and my passion to figure out a way that, along with the choir and board, we can accessibly help build the future of choral music in our city,” Hassevoort said. fulfilling the mission that John Hamm set out years ago,” he explained.

The group will perform two concerts this fall, and may have the opportunity to premier a contemporary choral work.

Board president and choir member Kim Thompson says there has been a renewed energy in the organization.

“An exciting season lies ahead for lovers of great choral music this year, with Choral Arts of Chattanooga under the leadership of Darrin Hassevoort and Chattanooga’s talented singers accompanied by John Wigal,” he said.

But ambitions for Choral Arts reach far beyond programming a concert season. According to Thompson, the board of directors is currently developing plans for potential collaborations with other arts organizations in the area, including school music programs, in an effort to strengthen Chattanooga’s arts community.

Hassevoort believes an education program is vital. “It’s the future of choral music,” he asserts. “When we look at the median age of church choirs, and even a lot of civic groups, the average

age is 60 or higher.”

Many high school and college students participate in school choirs, but after graduation they matriculate out of the choral community. And too few are finding their way into local choirs to sustain choral music long term. Along with choirs like the CSO Chorus and the Chattanooga Bach Choir, Choral Arts offers a vehicle to keep young vocalists involved and singing, ensuring the continuation of great choral performances for years to come.

“It is my heart and my passion to figure out a way that, along with the choir and board, we can accessibly help build the future of choral music in our city,” Hassevoort said.

Auditions are open to all trained singers, from advanced high schoolers to professionals, and donations to the non-profit organization are welcome, as well. For more information, contact Kim Thompson at (423) 605-6068 or via email kthompson052@gmail.com.

And whatever you do, be it on stage on in the privacy of your own home, never stop singing.

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ARTS CALENDAR

Dog Daze Skydiving Festival

THURSDAY8.18 Aquarium Adventures: The Quest for Colors 9:30 a.m.

Tennessee Aquarium 1 Broad St. (800) 262-0695 tnaqua.org My Man Godfrey 2, 7 p.m.

Heritage House Arts Center 1428 Jenkins Rd. (423) 855-9474 Ooltewah Farmers Market 3 p.m.

Ooltewah Nursery 5829 Main St. (423) 238-9775 ooltewahnursery.com Signal Mountain Farmers Market 4 p.m.

Pruett’s Market 1210 Taft Hwy. (423) 902-8023 signalmountainfarmersmarket.com St. Elmo Farmers Market 4 p.m.

Incline Railway 3917 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 838-9804 lookoutfarmersmarket.com Homebuyer Orientation 5:30 p.m.

Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise 1500 Chestnut St #102 (423) 756-6201 cneinc.org Art Alive: Exploring Race and Violence Today 6 p.m.

The Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org Japanese Movie Night 6 p.m.

Jazzanooga Arts Space 431 E. MLK Blvd. #100 (423) 402-0452 jazzanooga.org Cinematics: Design Disruptors 6 p.m.

The Edney Innovation Center 1100 Market St. (423) 413-8978 theedney.com Photographer John Wilhoff 7 p.m.

Gallery at Blackwell 71 Eastgate Loop (423) 648-8001 blackwellautoinc.com Chattanooga Lookouts vs Montgomery Biscuits

PULSE PICK: CEE JAY JONES

One of the hottest, freshest comics to hit the comedy scene. He's been on BET’s Comic View, Showtime At The Apollo, and if you've taken a cruise, you've probably seen him.

Cee Jay Jones The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com

52 • THE PULSE • AUGUST 18, 2016 • STATE OF THE ARTS • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

7:15 p.m.

AT&T Field 201 Power Alley (423) 267-2208 lookouts.com Cee Jay Jones 7:30 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" 7:30 p.m.

Historic Ringgold Depot 155 Depot St. Ringgold, GA (706) 935-3061 cityofringgold.com RiffTrax Live: Mothra 8 p.m.

Carmike East Ridge 18 5080 South Terrace (423) 855-9652 carmike.com

FRIDAY8.19 Dog Daze Skydiving Festival Noon Chattanooga Skydiving Co. 300 Airport Rd. Jasper, TN (855) 776-5867 chattanoogaskydivingcompany.com Chattanooga Lookouts vs Montgomery Biscuits 7:15 p.m.

AT&T Field 201 Power Alley (423) 267-2208 lookouts.com Cee Jay Jones 7:30, 9:15 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" 7:30 p.m.

Historic Ringgold Depot 155 Depot St. (706) 935-3061 cityofringgold.com Nickajack Bat Cave Guided Canoe Tour 7:30 p.m.

Outdoor Chattanooga 200 River St. (423) 643-6888 outdoorchattanooga.com

SATURDAY8.20 Scenic City Mud Run 7:30 a.m.

Greenway Farms

ARTS CALENDAR

Scenic City Mud Run 5051 Gann Store Rd. sceniccitymudrun.com Superhero RACE 8 a.m.

Enterprise South Nature Park 8015 Volkswagen Dr. (423) 842-6265 chattanoogatrackclub.org Chickamauga Battlefield Bike Ride 9:30 a.m.

Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park 3370 Lafayette Rd. Fort Oglethorpe, GA (423) 752-5213 nps.gov/chch Master Gardeners Free Class: "All About Rain Gardens" 10 a.m.

UT Extension Office 6183 Adamson Cir. (423) 855-6113 hamilton.tennessee.edu Historic MLK Blvd.

Walking Tour 10 a.m.

Miller Plaza 850 Market St. (423) 402-0452 jazzanooga.org Brainerd Farmers Market 10 a.m.

Grace Episcopal Church 20 Belvoir Ave. (404) 245-3682 facebook.com/ BrainerdFarmersMarket Chattanooga River Market 10 a.m.

Tennessee Aquarium 1 Broad St. (423) 265-0695 chattanoogarivermarket.com

Northside Farmers Market 10 am.

Northside Presbyterian Church 923 Mississippi Ave. (423) 266-7497 St. Alban’s Hixson Market 10 a.m.

St. Alban’s Episcopal Church 7514 Hixson Pike (423) 842-6303 facebook.com/ StAlbansFarmersMarket River Market Yoga 10 a.m.

Tennessee Aquarium Plaza 1 Broad St. (423) 648-2496 chattanoogarivermarket.com Teddy Bear Check Up 11 a.m.

Chattanooga Zoo 301 N. Holtzclaw Ave. (423) 697-1319 chattzoo.org Art Buffet Noon The Houston Museum 201 High St. (423) 267-7176 thehoustonmuseum.org Dog Daze Skydiving Festival Noon Chattanooga Skydiving Co. 300 Airport Rd. Jasper, TN (855) 776-5867 chattanoogaskydivingcompany.com Yarn Bombing Meetup Noon Downtown Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattlibrary.org

Artful Yoga: Heating Up the Summer Sweat 1:30 p.m.

The Hunter Museum of American Art 10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org Southern Brewers Festival 2 p.m.

Chattanooga Riverfront 101 Riverfront Pkwy.

(515) 244-2771 southernbrewersfestival.com Introduction to Meditation 2 p.m.

Movement Arts Collective 3813 Dayton Blvd.

(423) 401-8115 movementartscollective.com AnimeBlast Matinee 3 p.m.

Downtown Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattlibrary.org Senior Play 6 p.m.

Creative Discovery Museum 321 Chestnut St. (423) 756-2738 cdmfun.org Scenic City Chorus Presents ACAFest2016 7 p.m.

Girls Preparatory School 205 Island Ave. sceniccitychorus.com Chattanooga Lookouts vs Montgomery Biscuits 7:15 p.m.

AT&T Field 201 Power Alley (423) 267-2208

lookouts.com Cee Jay Jones 7:30, 9:15 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" 7:30 p.m.

Historic Ringgold Depot 155 Depot St. (706) 935-3061 cityofringgold.com Hamlet 8 p.m.

Coolidge Park 150 River St. (706) 996-8350 backalleyproductions.org

SUNDAY8.21 Chattanooga Market 11 a.m.

Chattanooga Market 1829 Carter St. (423) 402-9957 chattanoogamarket.com Dog Daze Skydiving Festival Noon Chattanooga Skydiving Co. 300 Airport Rd. Jasper, TN (855) 776-5867 chattanoogaskydivingcompany.com Chattanooga Lookouts vs Montgomery Biscuits 2:15 p.m.

AT&T Field 201 Power Alley (423) 267-2208 lookouts.com

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • STATE OF THE ARTS • AUGUST 18, 2016 •THE PULSE • 53

ARTS CALENDAR Cee Jay Jones 7:30 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com

MONDAY8.22 Red Bank Farmers Market 4 p.m.

Red Bank United Methodist Church 3800 Dayton Blvd.

(423) 838-9804 lookoutfarmersmarket.com

TUESDAY8.23 East Brainerd Farmers Market 4 p.m.

Audubon Acres 900 N. Sanctuary Rd. (423) 838-9804 lookoutfarmersmarket.com Intro to Mountain Biking: Core Skills Builder 6 p.m.

Outdoor Chattanooga 200 River St. (423) 643-6888 outdoorchattanooga.com RiffTrax Live: Mothra 8 p.m.

Carmike East Ridge 18 5080 South Terrace (423) 855-9652 carmike.com

WEDNESDAY8.24 Middle Eastern Dance

54 • THE PULSE • AUGUST 18, 2016 • STATE OF THE ARTS • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

RiffTraxx Live: Mothra 10:30 a.m.

Jewish Cultural Center 5461 North Terrace (423) 493-0270 jewishchattanooga.com MAKEANOOGA 4 p.m.

Downtown Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattlibrary.org Main Street Market 4 p.m.

325 E. Main St. mainstfarmersmarket.com Party in the Passageways 5:30 p.m.

Miller Plaza 850 Market St. passagewayschattanooga.com Rapid Learning Intro to Kayak & Roll Practice 6 p.m.

Chester Frost Park 2318 N. Gold Point Cir. (423) 643-6888 outdoorchattanooga.com Wednesday Night Chess Club 6 p.m.

Chattanooga Downtown Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattilibrary.com Multiple Maniacs 8 p.m.

Cine-Rama 100 W. Main St. (423) 521-1716 thecinerama.org

Map these locations on chattanoogapulse. com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com

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56 • THE PULSE • AUGUST 18, 2016 • STATE OF THE ARTS • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

Diversions

Consider This with Dr. Rick

by Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D.

“To make a difference in someone’s life you don’t have to be brilliant, rich, beautiful or perfect. You just have to care.”

—Mandy Hale I’ve always been inspired by Mother’s Teresa’s philosophy about how important it is to create a life that has room for, perhaps even prioritizes, helping others. She reminded us that something as simple as a smile can make a world of difference in someone’s life, and that if we cannot help many others, just help whom we can…even just one other person.

I’m not suggesting you walk around like some kind of a one-person United Way, or a wealthy philanthropist who, actually, eats Ramen every night. Helping usually doesn’t even involve money. It involves caring. Kindness. Awareness.

Consider this: Today, make a commitment to help one person you do not know—in your own way, according to your style, your talents, your heart.

Then see what happens…to you.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • STATE OF THE ARTS • AUGUST 18, 2016 •THE PULSE • 57

MUSIC SCENE

Hopper Will Steal Your Heart Young singer/songwriter headlines Puckett’s this Friday Callie Hopper hails from Columbia, Tennessee, and is another example of the young talent blossoming in the Tennessee singer/songwriter music scene. Hopper got her musical beginnings early, playing the violin since age six and guitar since age eleven.

Eleven was also the age at which she began dabbling in songwriting, and since then, she’s written candid, passionate music drawing from her life experiences.

While she was knee-deep in the songwriting game, Hopper fell in love with performing as well, and she’s racked up an impressive number of performances at The Bluebird Café, Mcfaddens, The Well, and Meridees, to name a few. Her performances are a mix of original pieces and covers; to which she adds her own special spin.

Hopper’s first album, called Notes

on Love and Such and produced by Darkhorse Studio, was released in 2014. The album, which includes her folksy, clear-voiced single “Steal My Heart Tonight,” is currently available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and all major online retailers.

Her new album, Out of the Shadows, was recently released and is also available for your listening and/ or purchasing pleasure.

So singer-songwriter is kind of a broad genre; how does Hopper define her music? Her list of influences is extensive, from Coldplay to Sara Bareilles to Taylor Swift.

On her website, she explains that when asked, she’ll usually say, “I don’t know, but I can show you.”

One thing is certain: regardless of genre, Hopper’s charm and heart will win you over. Come out and see her at Puckett’s this Friday.

— Hillary Eames

FRI8.18

FRI8.19

SAT8.20

ROCK SOUTHERN

HARMONIC BLUSS

IT'S REALLY HIM

Radio Birds

Forlorn Strangers

Kevin Costner & Modern West

Plain-old rock and roll with a “distinctly hairy touch”.

9 p.m.

Revelry Room 41 E. 14th St. revelryroom.co

Americana quintet drenched in five part harmony.

9 p.m.

Clyde’s on Main 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com

Siskin Star Night benefit.

6 p.m.

Convention Center 1 Carter Plz. siskin.org/172

58 • THE PULSE • AUGUST 18, 2016 • STATE OF THE ARTS • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

Russian Surf Rockers Meets Chattanooga’s Masked Men

Genki Genki Panic join with Russia’s Messer Chups for a surf showcase

T

HERE IS A SOFT PLACE IN MY HEART FOR LOCAL bands that play an underrepresented genre. On the plus side, you’re the only ones doing what you do. On the negative side, you’re the only ones doing what you do. See, if you’re the only Slovakian folk band in town and people want to hear Slovakian folk music, they come see you.

Music MARC T. MICHAEL

“

How wonderful that in a country that produced Tolstoy and Tchaikovsky there are those who happily, lovingly embrace Ed Wood, Roger Corman and Betty Page.”

On the other hand, the general awareness of Slovakian folk music may not be enough to generate the kind of interest you need to be a working band for very long, so you spend a lot of time and energy building a market for yourself. If you succeed in doing that, more bands will follow, and that’s a very good thing.

I mention all this now because Chattanooga’s premier Surf/Horror band, Genki Genki Panic, has been hard at it trying to up the stakes for the genre locally. They’ve been working on establishing a steady, recurring “surf night” for some time now and have gone to great lengths to bring in outside talent but it appears this time that they’ve scored one of the biggest “gets” that can be gotten, save for having Dick Dale himself show up (and I won’t be too surprised if that comes to pass.)

This Sunday at J.J.’s Bohemia, Genki Genki Panic is sharing the stage with Messer Chups, one of the ten best surf bands in the world, all

the way from St. Petersburg, Russia.

The trio consists of Oleg Gitaracula on guitar, menacing laughter and video, Zombierella on bass, vocals and screams, and Dr. Boris on drums.

No ordinary surf band, Messer Chups are an experimental group, incorporating everything from animation soundtracks to electronica, jazz, musique concrete and the Theremin, all beautifully layered over the driving base of surf music.

There is no doubt that the group is inspired by the same sort of B-grade horror and science fiction pulp material that fuels the creativity of groups like Genki Genki Panic.

What isn’t immediately obvious though, and what makes it that much cooler, is that while those of us who love that sort of thing grew up with bad sci-fi and cheap horror flicks (I miss UHF television) that material is much harder to come by in Russia, or was until the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. How wonderful that in a country that produced Tolstoy and Tchaikovsky there are those who happily, lovingly embrace Ed Wood, Roger Corman and Betty Page.

It bears mentioning that this appearance really is kind of a big deal.

These kids are internationally famous; they’re only playing ten or so gigs in the U.S. this time around and one of those just happens to be over on MLK. Of course, anyone whose head isn’t firmly lodged in a dark, dark place has already come to expect this kind of thing from J.J.’s, it being a genuine local treasure.

To get a better idea of what you’ll be missing if you fail to catch this worldclass surf band from Russia, check out their enormous discography on YouTube. I recommend Surf Riders from the Swamp Lagoon, the album I’ve been listening to this evening.

While you’re at it, stop by Genki Genki Panic’s soundcloud page to listen to their latest track, “Ghouls on Film,” from their upcoming Litanies of Surf EP. Once again, the men in the masks have upped the ante with this new installment coming across harder, faster, creepier and more wonderful than ever. Listen to this track and you can keep Halloween in your heart all year round, Pookie.

All this and Eddie Bridges too (probably) at J.J.’s Bohemia this Sunday. As they say in the tractor pull commercials, be there!

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • STATE OF THE ARTS • AUGUST 18, 2016 •THE PULSE • 59

60 • THE PULSE • AUGUST 18, 2016 • STATE OF THE ARTS • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

RECORD REVIEWS ERNIE PAIK

Telling The Tales of the Elderly, The Sounds Of Life and Nature Greenberger gathers stories of the aged, Aaron & Brochu get unsettled

Greenberger, Spring, Child, Hashimoto Take Me Where I Don’t Know I Am (PelPel)

F

or 37 years, David Greenberger has been asking senior citizens questions, often in nursing homes, and collecting their entertaining and touching responses and both clear and foggy remembrances, and he’s published many of them in his zine The Duplex Planet, with special care taken with regards to the grouping and presentation of the anecdotes.

He’s also collaborated with a variety of notable musicians—including Robyn Hitchcock and members of NRBQ and Los Lobos—to provide accompanying music as he recites

Hannah Aaron and Leo Brochu Bitter Lake (1980) choice responses.

While each track can stand alone, there’s a larger narrative at work with multiple voices; first, there’s the figurative voice of the interviewee, and secondly, there’s Greenberger’s own familiar voice—which one might recognize from his occasional commentaries on NPR—that doesn’t try to mimic others like an impersonator might.

With all elements taken together, Greenberger’s work is an epic contemplation about aging, triumphs and regrets, informed by valuable experience and colorful misadventures.

His latest, Take Me Where I Don’t Know I Am, employs the talents of composer and musician Keith Spring (a saxophonist for NRBQ), acoustic multi-instrumentalist Dinty Child and Keiichi Hashimoto, who supplies welcome brass accents.

Musically, this album is on the more accessible side of the spectrum of Greenberger’s collaborations, with easy-to-swallow, light genre pieces (funk, noir jazz, waltz, among others) and a few exceptions like the off-kilter “Digging into Embarrassment,” with a piano vamp and bendy guitar flourishes.

What’s notable about the album is how quickly it can change moods; “The Fires of Halloween” offers a wicked sense of humor—one second, the protagonist is setting fires and hiding in bushes with a baseball bat to attack his enemies, and the next moment, he’s talking about the love of his life, in a witch costume.

Then, there’s the absolutely devastating “My Hope,” conveying the crushing loneliness of a man about to turn 95 who has outlived his wife and siblings and simply wants to pass away.

The small details in “I’m Here” help make it one of the album’s most moving tracks, about a man living hand-to-mouth while attending

meat-cutting school; he sleeps in a YMCA on a punctured air mattress that leaves him waking up on the cement floor after it gradually deflates.

For this writer, the arrangements that seem to work the best are the ones with a minimalist tenderness, like a watercolor background, that contribute to an emotional payoff without being manipulative, balancing moments of levity and poignant storytelling.

T

he unsettling new album Bitter Lake from the Minneapolis duo of Hannah Aaron and Leo Brochu was created using a meticulous process; the twosome culled tape recordings over a year-long period—field recordings, found sound, live recordings of conventional instruments and contact microphones attached to objects, excerpts from old vinyl records—and cataloged everything.

They selected their favorite sounds and assembled them in different combinations, mixing in real-time, until they found good fits, making the four long tracks that comprise Bitter Lake.

The album, released on cassette and digitally, takes its name from the Great Bitter Lake in the Suez Canal; it’s known for being the location of the secret Quincy Agreement—se-

curing military support in exchange for oil—between FDR and Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz, but the album doesn’t appear to have any blatant or subtle political message.

It’s all about casting shadows with an eerie mood, using whatever interesting sounds the duo could gather, including recordings of a dishwasher or the sounds of steam engine trains from an unusual old LP. The opening track “Mazar” has a spacious first half, instantly creating a haunted atmosphere, before its second half introduces backwards recordings and the first semblance of a melody—Aaron is the more melody-oriented artist, while Brochu leans toward the noisy side; the final minute seems to use junkyard field recordings with a disquieting amount of tape hiss.

The ten-minute “Saros” uses what sounds like microphone wind noise transformed to resemble a volcanic eruption; distinct settings are conjured by the noises, like the squeaky hinges in an abandoned house or a rough metallic beat in a spooky factory, and the track gradually becomes more chaotic.

“White Saxaul” is perhaps the album’s most striking track, although it starts with a somber keyboard tune, with some distortion hinting at threats; finally, the barricade is destroyed, leading to a barrage of harsh noise and terrifying scrambling—the screaming static and hissing will be a treat for noise lovers but unlistenable for others.

The closing “Dreary Chamber” disperses into abstraction but ends with the sobering sounds of a clock ticking, concluding an absorbing album with sonic scraps sewn into a disturbing patchwork.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • STATE OF THE ARTS • AUGUST 18, 2016 •THE PULSE • 61

Thursday, August 18: 9pm Open Mic with Hap Henninger Friday, August 19: 9pm Fro & Friends Saturday, August 20: 10pm Resurrection Mary Tuesday, August 23: 7pm

MUSIC CALENDAR

901 Carter St. Inside City Café (423) 634-9191

Radio Birds

Server/Hotel Appreciation Night $5 Pitchers • $2 Wells ! • $1.50 Domestics

Wednesday, August 24: 8pm Wednesday Blues Jam

#1 Desserts!

Voted “Best of the Best” 901 Carter Street

citycafemenu.com/the-office

THURSDAY8.18 James Crumble Trio 6 p.m.

St. John’s Meeting Place 1278 Market St. stjohnsrestaurant.com Rick Rushing Blues Jazz N’ Friends 6 p.m.

Bluewater Grille 224 Broad St. bluewaterchattanooga.com Live Bluegrass 6:30 p.m.

Whole Foods Market 301 Manufacturers Rd. wholefoodsmarket.com Bluegrass Thursdays 7:30 p.m.

Feed Co. Table & Tavern 201 W. Main St. feedtableandtavern.com Jesse James & Tim Neal 7:30 p.m.

Mexi-Wing VII 5773 Brainerd Rd. mexi-wingchattanooga.com Keepin’ It Local 8 p.m.

The Social 1110 Market St. publichousechattanooga.com Ingested, Coathanger Abortion, Hatestomp, Aborning, Genki Genki Panic 8 p.m.

Ziggy’s Bar and Grill 607 Cherokee Blvd. ziggysbarandgrill.net Radio Birds, The Georgia Flood 9 p.m.

Revelry Room 41 E. 14th St. revelryroom.co Waterfall Wash, Cautious Beverly, Side Affect 9 p.m.

JJ 's Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Open Mic with Hap Henninger 9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com

FRIDAY8.19 Old Time Travelers, Ben Durham 10 a.m.

Rock City 1400 Patten Rd.

PULSE PICK: COURTNEY HOLDER

Courtney Holder is making waves in the Southeast music scene. Her style is best described as Stevie Nicks meets Jewel with a Southern flare.

Courtney Holder Sunday, 12:30 p.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1829 Carter St. chattanoogamarket.com

62 • THE PULSE • AUGUST 18, 2016 • STATE OF THE ARTS • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

seerockcity.com Eddie Pontiac 6 p.m.

El Meson 2204 Hamilton Place Blvd. elmesonrestaurant.com Binji Varsossa 6 p.m.

Cancun Mexican Restaurant & Lounge 1809 Broad St. (423) 266-1461 Jacob Johnson 6:30 p.m.

Cambridge Square 9453 Bradmore Ln. chattanoogamarket.com Tim Lewis 7 p.m.

El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonchattanooga.com The HillBenders,

Dismembered Tennesseans 7 p.m.

Nightfall Concert Series Miller Plaza 800 Market St. nightfallchattanooga.com Summer Dregs with Napolean & Cadillac Jones 8 p.m.

The Camp House 149 E. MLK Blvd. thecamphouse.com Erisa Rei 8 p.m.

Charles & Myrtle's Coffehouse 105 McBrien Rd. (423) 892-4960 Priscilla and Lil’ Rickee 8:30 p.m.

The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com Same As It Ever Was 9 p.m.

Revelry Room 41 E. 14th St. revelryroom.co Callie Hopper 9 p.m.

Puckett’s Grocery and Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com/chattanooga Fro & Friends 9 p.m.

The Office at City Café 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Forlorn Strangers 9 p.m.

Clyde’s on Main 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com Modern Measures,

MUSIC CALENDAR

Kevin Costner & Modern West Hustle Up, Tryezz 9 p.m.

JJ 's Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Cheering Toky, Ashes Fall 9 p.m.

Ziggy’s Bar and Grill 607 Cherokee Blvd. ziggysbarandgrill.net Remembering January 10 p.m.

Bud’s Sports Bar 5751 Brainerd Rd. budssportsbar.com Sexy Beast 10 p.m.

Raw Bar & Grill 409 Market St. rawbarandgrillchatt.com

SATURDAY8.20 Old Time Travelers, AM Radio 10 a.m.

Rock City 1400 Patten Rd. seerockcity.com Rockabilly Rock Out and Cruise In Noon Thunder Creek Harley-Davidson 7720 Lee Hwy. thundercreekharley.com Dana Rogers 12:30 p.m.

Tennessee Aquarium Plaza 1 Broad St. chattanoogarivermarket.com Southern Brewer’s Festival with Mike Farris & The Roseland Rhythm Revue 2 p.m.

Ross’s Landing 100 Riverfront Pkwy.

Eddie Pontiac 6 p.m.

El Meson 2204 Hamilton Place Blvd. elmesonrestaurant.com Binji Varsossa 6 p.m.

Cancun Mexican Restaurant & Lounge 1809 Broad St. (423) 266-1461 StarNight 2016 featuring Kevin Costner & Modern West 6 p.m.

Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter Plz. siskin.org/172 Scenic City Chorus Presents ACAFest2016 7 p.m.

Girls Preparatory School 205 Island Ave. sceniccitychorus.com Tim Lewis 7 p.m.

El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonchattanooga.com Lalah Hathaway 8 p.m.

Tivoli Theater 709 Broad St. tivolichattanooga.com Jacob Johnson, David Benedict and Michael Moore 8 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Doomstress Wicked Summer Tour

8 p.m.

Ziggy’s Bar and Grill 607 Cherokee Blvd. ziggysbarandgrill.net Priscilla and Lil’ Rickee 8:30 p.m.

The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com Diamond Dogs: a David Bowie Tribute with Hardrocklover: A Prince Tribute 9:30 p.m.

Revelry Room 41 E. 14th St. revelryroom.co Permagroove 9 p.m.

Clyde’s on Main 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com 9 p.m.

Pamela K. Ward Band Puckett’s Grocery and Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com/chattanooga Resurrection Mary 9 p.m.

The Office at City Café 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com PooL ParTy Comedy Showcas 9 p.m.

JJ 's Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Remembering January 10 p.m.

Bud’s Sports Bar 5751 Brainerd Rd. budssportsbar.com Sexy Beast 10 p.m.

Raw Bar & Grill 409 Market St. rawbarandgrillchatt.com

SUNDAY8.21 Old Time Travelers, Highbeams 10 a.m.

Rock City 1400 Patten Rd. seerockcity.com Von Wamps 11 a.m.

Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Courtney Holder 12:30 p.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1829 Carter St. chattanoogamarket.com The Do Rights 12:30 p.m.

Tennessee Aquarium Plaza 1 Broad St. chattanoogarivermarket.com Nick Lutsko 1:30 p.m.

Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Jeff Miller 2 p.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1829 Carter St. chattanoogamarket.com Open Mic with Jeff Daniels 6 p.m.

Long Haul Saloon 2536 Cummings Hwy. (423) 822-9775 Messer Chups, Genki

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • STATE OF THE ARTS • AUGUST 18, 2016 •THE PULSE • 63

MUSIC CALENDAR

Jill Scott

Genki Panic, Get Hot or Go Home 9 p.m.

JJ 's Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com

MONDAY8.22 Monday Nite Big Band 7 p.m.

The Coconut Room 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Very Open Mic 8 p.m.

The Well 1800 Rossville Blvd. #8 wellonthesouthside.com Open Mic Night 6 p.m.

Puckett’s Grocery 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Open Air with Jessica Nunn 7:30 p.m.

The Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. granfalloonchattanooga.com

TUESDAY8.23 Tom Cordell Trumpet Improv Ensemble 6 p.m.

SpringHill Suites 495 Riverfront Pkwy.

(423) 834-9300 Bill McCallie and In Cahoots 6:30 p.m.

Southern Belle Riverboat 201 Riverfront Pkwy. chattanoogariverboat.com R. Ariel with Side Affect & Legal Adult

64 • THE PULSE • AUGUST 18, 2016 • STATE OF THE ARTS • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

7:30 p.m.

The Camp House 149 E. MLK Blvd. thecamphouse.com Open Mic with Mike McDade 8 p.m.

Tremont Tavern 1203 Hixson Pike tremonttavern.com

WEDNESDAY8.24 Eddie Pontiac 5:30 p.m.

El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonrestaurant.com Open Jam 8 p.m.

Raw Dance Club 409 Market St. rawbarandgrillchatt.com Wednesday Night Jazz 8 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Wednesday Blues Jam 8 p.m.

The Office @ City Café 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Jill Scott 8 p.m.

Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. tivolichattanooga.com

Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • STATE OF THE ARTS • AUGUST 18, 2016 •THE PULSE • 65

SCREEN SCENE

The Power of (Endearing) Delusion

Florence Foster Jenkins shows how those without talent can still succeed

Exploring The Virtual World Werner Herzog delves into the world inside our computers In Lo And Behold, Reveries Of The Connected World, the Oscar-nominated documentarian Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man, Cave of Forgotten Dreams) chronicles the virtual world that has become such a part of modern life.

Herzog traces its origins to its outermost reaches, exploring the digital landscape with the same curiosity and imagination he previously trained on earthly destinations as disparate as the Amazon, the Sahara, the South Pole and the Australian outback.

Herzog leads viewers on a jour-

✴✴✴✴

ney through a series of provocative conversations that reveal the ways in which the online world has transformed how virtually everything in the real world works—from business to education, space travel to healthcare, and the very heart of how we conduct our personal relationships.

Lo And Behold, Reveries of the Connected World Saturday, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, 8 p.m.

Cine-Rama 100 W. Main St. thecinerama.org

NEW IN THEATERS

Ben-Hur The epic story of Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston), a prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother, an officer in the Roman army. After years at sea, Judah returns to his homeland to seek revenge, but finds redemption.

Director: Timur Bekmambetov Stars: Jack Huston, Toby Kebbell

✴✴✴✴

War Dogs Based on the true story of two young men, David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli, who won a $300 million contract from the Pentagon to arm America's allies in Afghanistan.

Director: Todd Phillips Stars: Jonah Hill, Miles Teller, Steve Lantz, Gregg Weiner

66 • THE PULSE • AUGUST 18, 2016 • STATE OF THE ARTS • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

T

HERE’S NOTHING MORE TERRIFYING AS AN ARTIST than the idea that everyone is just being nice. Most artists are hoping to entertain the audience with their genuine talent to justify what they see as a significant investment in their art. Without honest feedback, delusion can set in. In some cases, this can lead to large scale embarrassment. But then, large scale embarrassment can make for very popular entertainment.

Screen JOHN DEVORE

“

Florence Foster Jenkins is a great little film, one that very few people would stand up and walk out on. It’s certainly worth lending your ears for.”

American Idol was almost never about real talent—the most important parts of the show revolved around guffawing at the absurd and sad fantasies of the tone deaf. For every Kelly Clarkson, there were hundreds of William Hungs, shuffling away from fame with their heads down and their dreams crushed.

The American populace has a long history of enjoying artistic train wrecks, but often, after the laughter has subsided, the earnest effort is praised. Such is the story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a true story about one of America’s favorite bad performers. The film, and its subject, are overwhelmingly endearing.

It’s an excellent film after a summer of disappointing blockbusters, one that has limited appeal for wide audiences but entertaining in all the ways wide audiences never appreciate. Anyone that has even the slightest interest in the story should see it.

It’s no secret that money is insulating.

A wall of wealth can obfuscate even the largest of character flaws. Take the current presidential race, for example. It’s very possible, even this far into the race, that no one has told Donald Trump that a border wall is an absurdly expensive and unrealistic solution to a nuanced, com-

plex problem or that specially made gloves for tiny hands aren’t a sign of robust masculinity.

The rich spend a lot of money to hear what they want to hear when they want to hear it. Florence Foster Jenkins (Meryl Streep) was a wealthy music patron who performed often for the elite in New York City despite having very little talent. She did this, of course, because she had the money to do so and spread her wealth around enough that criticism was almost unheard of.

She is at once an eccentric—she prefers sandwiches and potato salad, fears pointed objects, distains alcohol, and has no self-awareness when it comes to her “talent.” She is a terrible singer. But she is also a tragic figure. Although she was a talented pianist who performed for the president, her father forbid her from pursuing her passion.

She eloped with a doctor in protest and was married but then contracted syphilis at 18 on her wedding night from her new husband.

Later, she suffered an accident that caused nerve damage in her hands which ended her piano playing career.

After understandably ending her first marriage, she married St.Clair Bayfield (Hugh Grant), an actor, who supported her pursuits and appeared to have loved her dearly, despite the occasional dalliance with younger women.

The film is a wonderful comedy and it’s hard not to laugh at the poor technique and flat notes from Jenkins, as well as the reactions from her accompanist Cosmé McMoon (Simon Helberg) as he tries to adjust for her amorphous grasp on tone and intonation. But there is a sweetness to Jenkins in that she isn’t performing for her ego, but in what appears to be a genuine desire to share her spirit with the audience.

She speaks many times about the importance of music, especially during times of war (the film is set during World War II). Her Carnegie Hall performance was booked to give returning soldiers an opportunity to forget their struggles and it can be argued that she succeeded in spades.

Whether the music community at the time found Jenkins as endearing as film maker Stephen Frears is anybody’s guess. But the film sees her strengths, especially as a patron for the arts, and forgives her many missed notes.

Of course, Jenkins was savaged by the critics of her day and it seems she took each poor review to heart. But with a little help from her friends, her love of music shined through. Florence Foster Jenkins is a great little film, one that very few people would stand up and walk out on. It’s certainly worth lending your ears for.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • STATE OF THE ARTS • AUGUST 18, 2016 •THE PULSE • 67

DIVERSIONS FREE WILL ASTROLOGY LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In my opinion, you need to bask in the glorious fury of at least one brainstorm—preferably multiple brainstorms over the course of the next two weeks. What can you do to ensure ROB BREZSNY that happens? How might you generate a flood of new ideas about how to live your life and understand the nature of reality? Here are some suggestions: Read books about creativity. Hang around with original thinkers and sly provocateurs.

Insert yourself into situations that will strip you of your boring certainties. And take this vow: “I hereby unleash the primal power of my liberated imagination.”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): When you were a child, did you play with imaginary friends? During your adolescence, did you nurture a fantasy relationship with a pretend boyfriend or girlfriend? Since you reached adulthood, have you ever enjoyed consorting with muses or guardian angels or ancestral spirits? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you are in a good position to take full advantage of the subtle opportunities and cryptic invitations that are coming your way. Unexpected sources are poised to provide unlikely inspirations in unprecedented ways.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): When you were born, you already carried the seeds of gifts you would someday be able to provide—specific influences or teachings or blessings that only you, of all the people who have ever lived, could offer the world. How are you doing in your quest to fulfill this potential?

Here’s what I suspect: Your seeds have been ripening slowly and surely. But in the coming months, they could ripen at a more rapid pace. Whether they actually do or not may depend on your willingness to take on more responsibilities—interesting responsibilities, to be sure—but bigger than you’re used to.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I suspect that you will soon be culminating a labor of love you’ve been nurturing and refining for many moons. How

should you celebrate? Maybe with some champagne and caviar? If you’d like to include bubbly in your revels, a good choice might be 2004 Belle Epoque Rose. Its floral aroma and crispy mouth-feel rouse a sense of jubilation as they synergize the flavors of blood orange, pomegranate, and strawberry. As for caviar: Consider the smooth, aromatic, and elegant roe of the albino beluga sturgeon from the unpolluted areas of the Caspian Sea near Iran.

But before I finish this oracle, let me also add that a better way to honor your accomplishment might be to take the money you’d spend on champagne and caviar, and instead use it as seed money for your next big project.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Some species of weeds become even more robust and entrenched as they develop resistances to the pesticides that are designed to eradicate them. This is one example of how fighting a problem can make the problem worse—especially if you attack too furiously or use the wrong weapons. I invite you to consider the possibility that this might be a useful metaphor for you to contemplate in the coming weeks. Your desire to solve a knotty dilemma or shed a bad influence is admirable. Just make sure you choose a strategy that actually works.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Your assignment, if you choose to accept it, is to compose an essay on at least one of the following themes: 1. “How I Fed and Fed My Demons Until They Gorged Themselves to Death.” 2. “How I Exploited My Nightmares in Ways That Made Me Smarter and Cuter.” 3. “How I Quietly and Heroically Transformed a Sticky Problem into a Sleek Opportunity.” 4. “How I Helped Myself by Helping Other People.” For extra credit, Capricorn—and to earn the right to trade an unholy duty for a holy one—write about all four subjects.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I suspect that in the coming months you will be drawn to wandering through the frontiers and exploring the unknown.

Experimentation will come naturally. Places and situations you have previously considered to be off-limits may be downright comfortable. In fact, it’s possible that you will have to escape your safety zones in order to fully be yourself. Got all that? Now here’s the kicker. In the coming weeks, everything I just described will be especially apropos for your closest relationships. Are you interested in redefin-

The Best Sports Coverage in Chattanooga.

Period.

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Homework: What’s the situation in your life where it’s hardest for you to be loving? Practice being a master of compassion there in the coming week. ing and reconfiguring the ways that togetherness works for you?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): If you’re playing the card game known as bridge, you’re lucky if you are dealt a hand that has no cards of a particular suit. This enables you, right from the beginning, to capture tricks using the trump suit. In other words, the lack of a certain resource gives you a distinct advantage.

Let’s apply this metaphor to your immediate future, Pisces. I’m guessing that you will benefit from what may seem to be an inadequacy or deficit. An absence will be a useful asset.

to drive down to the marsh to get some high-quality silence. When I arrived at the trail head, I found an older man in ragged clothes leaning against the fence. Nearby was a grocery cart full of what I assumed were all his earthly belongings. “Doing nothing is a very difficult art,” he croaked as I slipped by him, “because you’re never really sure when you are done.” I immediately recognized that his wisdom might be useful to you. You are, after all, in the last few days of your recharging process. It’s still a good idea for you to lie low and be extra calm and vegetate luxuriously. But when should you rise up and leap into action again? Here’s my guess: Get one more dose of intense stillness and silence.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): My readers have a range of approaches for working with the counsel I offer.

Some study the horoscopes for both their sun signs and rising signs, then create do-it-yourself blends of the two. Others prefer to wait until the week is over before consulting what I’ve written. They don’t want my oracles to influence their future behavior, but enjoy evaluating their recent past in light of my analysis. Then there are the folks who read all 12 of my horoscopes. They refuse to be hemmed in by just one forecast, and want to be free to explore multiple options. I encourage you to try experiments like these in the coming days. The moment is ripe to cultivate more of your own unique strategies for using and interpreting the information you absorb—both from me and from everyone else you listen to.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Can you imagine feeling at home in the world no matter where you are? If you eventually master this art, outer circumstances won’t distort your relationship with yourself. No matter how crazy or chaotic the people around you might be, you will remain rooted in your unshakable sense of purpose; you will respond to any given situation in ways that make you both calm and alert, amused and curious, compassionate for the suffering of others and determined to do what’s best for you. If you think these are goals worth seeking, you can make dramatic progress toward them in the coming weeks.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Have you been drinking a lot of liquids? Are you spending extra time soaking in hot baths and swimming in bodies of water that rejuvenate you? Have you been opening your soul to raw truths that dissolve your fixations and to beauty that makes you cry and to love that moves you to sing? I hope you’re reverently attending to these fluidic needs. I hope you’re giving your deepest yearnings free play and your freshest emotions lots of room to unfold. Smart, well-lubricated intimacy is a luxurious necessity, my dear. Stay very, very wet.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): As I tried to meditate on your horoscope, my next-door neighbor was wielding a weed-whacker to trim her lawn, and the voices in my head were shouting extra loud. So I decided

Rob Brezsny is an aspiring master of curiosity, perpetrator of sacred uproar, and founder of the Beauty and Truth Lab. He brings a literate, mythsavvy perspective to his work. It’s all in the stars.

Follow The Pulse on Facebook (we’re quite likeable) www.facebook.com/chattanoogapulse

Jonesin’ Crossword

MATT JONES

“Revenge of Inerts”—with an element of surprise, I hope.

ACROSS 1 The Donald’s first wife 6 Band on Butthead’s T-shirt 10 Elementary school basics 14 “Say that thou ___ forsake me”: Shakespeare 15 “The Owl and the Pussycat” poet Edward 16 ___ Cynwyd, PA 17 Beyond saving 19 “The Heat ___” (“Beverly Hills Cop” song) 20 Zurich peak 21 Stephen of “The Crying Game” 22 It’s often done with soil or fish tanks 24 Suffer a mosquito attack, say 26 Inkling 28 Snapple stuff 29 Hip or Nap follower 30 Feline foot 31 Admitted as a guest 33 He was joint FIFA Player of the Century

along with Pele 37 Cube creator Rubik 38 Bygone auto 39 Info 44 Martini & ___ (winemakers) 45 Plumb of “The Brady Bunch” 46 Judith with two Tonys 49 1099-___ (bank tax form) 50 Michael of “Arrested Development” 52 Herb-flavored 28-Across 54 He’ll pour you one 56 Slippery fish 57 Frying pan sound 58 It really isn’t butter 59 Cellular tissue that makes up all glands 63 More than want 64 “Other” category, for short 65 Recent NFL Hall of Fame inductee Brett 66 Investigators: Abbr.

67 “No question!”

68 11- or 12-year-old

DOWN 1 Conventioneers’ clip-ons 2 One end of the visible spectrum 3 Took on 4 Abbr. on a bad check 5 Centipede creator 6 Kelp, for example 7 Susan Wojcicki, for YouTube 8 Quayle or Marino 9 Brunch offering 10 Not that much 11 Binary 12 Surround, with “on” 13 Band with the album “Abraxas” 18 Abbr. after a former military leader’s name 23 Attempts, with “at” 25 Boxers alternatives 26 “Unaccustomed as ___ ... “ 27 The Rock’s real first name 30 Not so well off 32 Aphrodite’s beloved 34 Beethoven’s Third, familiarly

35 African antelope 36 Costar of Bea and Betty 39 Board game where players guess what three things have in common 40 Puff the Magic Dragon’s land 41 Address of the Boss’s band 42 Zoologist’s eggs 43 Hard to pin down 47 Nutritional supplement brand in cans 48 Flunkies 51 Axis, to the Allies 52 “___ Interwebs” (sarcastic name for online sites) 53 “___ My Heart in San Francisco” 55 Body ___ (piercings, earlobe stretching, etc.)

56 Do art on metal, e.g.

60 Black coffee go-with 61 “Happiness ___ Warm Puppy” 62 Scientist’s formulation

Copyright © 2016 Jonesin’ Crosswords. For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per3minute. Must be 18+ to call. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle No. 793 CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • STATE OF THE ARTS • AUGUST 18, 2016 •THE PULSE • 69

FOOD & DRINK MIXOLOGY

Cheers: The Art of the Toast Our resident Millennial digs into the history of the alcoholic salutation

HILLARY EAMES

“

Games included drinking from the woman’s shoe and the gentleman cutting himself, mixing his blood with the drink, and toasting to the woman in proof of her devotion.”

Hillary Eames graduated from Covenant College with a BA in English December 2015. She’s lived in Chattanooga for thirteen years and has strong opinions on F. Scott Fitzgerald and superhero movies.

As I write this, I am in my early twenties, a fact which carries a couple connotations—the truest of which being every person I’ve ever known is now getting married.

That means I’ve had a front seat to several traditions. And I’ve noticed something: us primates have a tendency to build a lot of our rituals around food. We’ve taken something necessary for our survival and turned it into a communal act, and nowhere is that more evident than in the art of the toast.

Exactly when the tradition began is unknown, but we know one thing for certain: it did not originate as a method to avoid poisoning. The speculation was clinking glasses together would cause the liquid from both to spill into the other. If either party had poisoned the other, they wouldn’t drink out of the glass for fear of poisoning themselves.

It’s an interesting speculation, but so far, no historical evidence has been presented to support it. As for the actual reason why we raise and clink our glasses together, we can likely apply Occam’s razor. The simplest and most popular theory is we raise our glasses to offer the drink to the one or ones being honored, and clinking them together offers your drink to those around you.

No one civilization lays claim to the invention of toasting; in fact, there’s evidence that similar rituals existed in every civilization. Ulysses drinks to the health of Achilles

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in The Odyssey, Ancient Greeks drank to each others’ health, and the ancient Roman senate passed a decree stating that all citizens were required to drink to Emperor Augustus at every meal.

While the glass-raising ritual has existed for eras, it wasn’t given a name until the 16th century, likely coined by Shakespeare in The Merry Wives of Windsor. Falstaff requests “a quart of sack” with “a toast in’t,” or in modern English, a lot of wine with a literal piece of toast in it. Tossing a slice of stale bread in a jug of wine was common practice, done to soak up the wine’s acidity and improve the flavor.

Eventually, the act evolved to include drinking to others’ honor and health. In the 17th and 18th centuries, elaborate drinking games

emerged, often with the end goal of impressing women. This is also where we get “toast of the town—” the more beautiful a woman was, the more men toasted to her.

Games included drinking from the woman’s shoe and the gentleman cutting himself, mixing his blood with the drink, and toasting to the woman in proof of her devotion. There really is nothing new under the sun, is there?

Which brings us back to the tradition of the wedding toast. Traditionally, the father of the bride thanks the guests for attending; the best man gives a groom-embarrassing speech; and the maid of honor follows suit. And at the end of each toast, we raise our glasses to a timehonored celebration of community.

Cheers.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • STATE OF THE ARTS • AUGUST 18, 2016 •THE PULSE • 71