A spectacular new restaurant in Guild, Tenn., will most certainly awaken your senses, both visual and gastronomic. 
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It is the centerpiece for John (Thunder) Thornton’s new development, River Gorge Ranch, in Marion County, just 25 minutes from downtown Chattanooga. 

That scenic drive takes you along the Tennessee River until you begin the ascent up the mountain. The restaurant sits high above the Tennessee River Gorge. “Built on the mountain from the mountain, every element, from the locally quarried stone to the hand hewn timbers, was chosen to honor the land it stands on,” Mr. Thornton said. 

The entrance to the restaurant pays homage to the awe-inspiring view. The Tennessee River Gorge is spectacular as it has as its backdrop the grey-blue mountains of Appalachia. Hand hewn timbers reach for the sky, forming a cathedral effect opening on the breathtaking vista. 

The stone entrance floor of the vast entrance serves as a basis for a recreation of the Tennessee River from Ross’s Landing as it winds along, ending in actual waterway.

Local landmarks are tastefully identified all along the glass ribbon: Walnut Street Bridge; Baylor School; and Signal Mountain, ending with the glass ribbon sculpture literally pouring itself out into the magnificent river itself.

Now, let’s get down to the food. Absolutely delicious! You’ll find everything from pizza and steaks to chicken piccata and seafood. Delicious salads, gourmet sandwiches and fantastic burgers round out the menu. Extravagant brunches are served on the weekends.

Chef Allan Ubas and general manager Jason Miller keep the standards high. Riverdance is the newest link in the chain operated by Chattanooga Square One Holdings, which also runs Stir, State of Confusion, Massey’s Kitchen and Top of the Rock, as well as eight other restaurants in four different states.

Ubas has longtime experience with Square One. In 2016 he started as sous chef at Stir, moving up to executive chef at State of Confusion. Last October, he stepped into his role at Riverdance. He and Bill Heckler developed the menu, so you might say this restaurant is his baby. And he is receiving rave reviews.
Gather a group of friends and treat yourselves to a delightful experience. Lunch is really fun, but dinner (and experiencing the jaw-dropping sunset) is top notch, superb, delicious, delectable, luscious and every other adjective there is to describe perfection in food!

It’s definitely worth the trip, to say the least.

Inside the restaurant itself, which can seat up to 700, you’ll find tasteful leather booths and open tables that again take advantage of the view through a wall of glass, floor to ceiling windows. Choose seating in an outdoor dining room or on the more casual patio with firepits and comfortable chairs. A gigantic painting of an osprey hangs over the main stone fireplace. It was created by artist Carylon Cooper. There is also an event space that is perfect for weddings. How about gathering friends and family to celebrate your “I do’s” on top of the world!

by Judy Rowland

Saya Woolfalk’s Empathic Universe exhibition, coming to the Hunter Museum in mid-May and running through Labor Day weekend, uses immersive digital artwork featuring kaleidoscopic video and sound to explore imagined future realities as well as the power of connectivity to transform individual lives and communities. As only the second venue for the exhibition, the Hunter is excited to bring this one-of-a-kind, mesmerizing experience to the region.
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At the center of Woolfalk’s artwork is a fictional race called the “Empathics.” Drawing on science fiction and fantasy, Woolfalk uses this world and its figures to explore identity and belonging informed by African, African American, Japanese, European, and Brazilian art as well as storytelling traditions. Luminous figures rise from patterned landscapes, their vibrant forms decorated with intricate textiles that feel both ceremonial and futuristic. Visitors will move through environments that feel part laboratory and part dreamscape, where each installation invites you to slow down, look closely, and imagine new possibilities.

Originally presented at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, this exhibition is on view for only the second time ever at the Hunter.

Some Hunter Museum guests may have encountered Woolfalk’s work before, however, since the museum recently acquired one of her immersive video works, currently on display in the contemporary wing. Empathic Universe, the exhibition coming this summer, deepens the relationship many in our community have already begun to build with her practice, expanding and enriching the story that starts here.

Programs related to Empathic Universe will take place throughout the summer. Visitors can check Hunter Museum’s “Things to Do” page, or scan the QR code, for upcoming performances and activities, including the exhibition’s opening reception on Thursday, May 21 at 6 p.m.

The Hunter Museum presents an adaptation of Saya Woolfalk: Empathic Universe originally presented at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York, 2025.

by Mackenzie Johnosn

The 52nd Antiques Show and Sale presented by the Houston Museum of Decorative Arts was another grand success! This event brings together exceptional dealers, timeless objects and a shared love of history with the people of Chattanooga. All proceeds from the show fund the mission to educate and inspire followers through art and design.
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This year’s show arrived at a very meaningful time for this beloved museum. The historic 1890s Victorian house that has been home to this collection for many years is nearing the completion of a multi-million-dollar renovation.

The Antiques Show and Sale is more than a celebration of beautiful objects; it’s the Houston Museum of Decorative Arts’ most important fundraiser to support its education and outreach programs. Inspired by Anna Safley Houston’s belief that art and craftsmanship should be shared with everyone, the museum houses over 15,000 objects to create a meaningful learning experience for all ages. Proceeds from this weekend event support the museum’s education and outreach programs.

While construction was going on, a pop-up museum and gift shop was located in the former Back In Café near Hunter Art Museum. The Portera family generously provided the space, making it possible for the people of Chattanooga and visitors to the city to enjoy a mini museum. It closed March 1 in anticipation of the grand opening of the new structure later this summer.

by Judy Rowland ​

To step into Kerry Wood and Grant Wood’s home in Signal Mountain is to enter a veritable art gallery, as well as a family history expressed through its members’ own creations. Every wall holds pieces by one of Kerry’s family of origin, Fuge (pronounced like huge), or by the Wood family. Both these families were blessed with artistic talents and the most recent generations were too, the proof evident in every room. A remarkable oil painting done by Kerry’s mother hangs in the living room. An original done by her maternal granddaddy, Eddie Ryan, hangs on an opposite wall, an illustration of his unusual skill. Eddie, who worked in a carpet factory in Dalton, had a natural ability to figure the size and colors of a design so they would transfer in correct proportions to the actual finished broadloom carpet.

In 1967, when Kerry was in the fifth grade, her family moved to the mountain from Connecticut, and her dad opened a carpet factory in Dalton, which later was bought by a larger company. She still lives in her family home. In the late 1970s, Kerry met Chattanooga native Mark Wood at work where both were making use of their artistic talents. Mark was one of five brothers, all of whom were artistic, and among his family pieces are beautiful pencil drawings created by Grant’s uncle John Wood. Married in 1981, the couple had three children, May, Jack, and Grant. Together, the couple started the Wood Group in 1986, providing consulting, marketing, and design, including Kerry’s graphic design services, to businesses. Later she became vice-president of sales and marketing at Moon Pie and was instrumental in opening the Moon Pie stores.

Mark passed away in 2017, and Kerry decided it was time to pursue her lifelong enjoyment of “making things.” She currently owns and operates Daisy and Dukes Gifts, making and selling a handmade, quality product line of barbeque sauces, rubs, and dry goods, as well as distinctive handmade candles that “embody the true essence of the South,” scented with a variety of therapeutic grade essential oils and floral fragrances.

The unique extra: the Candle Gram. Accompanying the candles are whimsical cards designed by Kerry for birthdays and other occasions. An additional line of candles features Grant’s art on the labels. Her love of folk art, created by featured artist Who Keres, is evident in a delightful array of handmade “Okra Art” ornaments: Santa, of course, and angels with wings to appeal to different interests. All are available on her website daisyanddukesgifts.com. and at the Sunday Chattanooga Market.

​Her son Grant is a third generation Fuge-Wood artist. Gifted with innate talent, he began drawing at a young age. Surrounded by his artist uncles, he watched as they worked and copied what they did. His uncle, John Wood, an artist and illustrator for the Chattanooga Times Free Press, was a major influence. After Grant graduated from Baylor School, he started at UTC where he learned from the internationally famous Russian artist Daud Akhriev. A year later, at age 19, he won a full scholarship from the Bentwood Foundation to the Florence Academy of Art in Italy to study. Returning to UTC, he earned a BFA in Painting and drawing.

His heart took him to England where he lived in New Romney in Kent, a market town on the edge of a marsh. There he became fascinated with and very fond of the fishermen, who provided a rich source of subjects for his work. Having appeared twice on “Landscape Artist of the Year,” a Sky Arts program in England, Grant became known in the UK and was invited in 2016 to show his work at the juried Royal Art Exhibition sponsored by Queen Elizabeth.

Once back in Chattanooga, he exhibited his work in 2018 at the Townsend Atelier, showing both landscape and figurative pieces. He has subsequently shown in various local galleries, participated in art shows all over the country, and produced commissioned pieces.

While Grant’s work reflects both the Russian and European art traditions, as he continues to paint, his work is evolving in both style and tone. The subject matter is diverse and conveys a range of emotions, inviting viewers to experience each piece, to go from simply looking to feeling. Extremely talented and accomplished, Grant paints predominantly in oils, but also creates work in gouache, mixed media, and pencil, and is available for commissions. A wide selection of his work can be viewed on Instagram @ grant.e.wood or on grantewood.com.

Contact him at [email protected]. Like all our local artists and artisans, the Woods have contributed to our community in so many ways and deserve our support. They all have earned it. 

By Carol Lannon

Lookout Mountain native and longtime Signal Mountain resident Robert Thatcher has always loved writing, poetry in particular. Coming from a very musical family, he probably learned to play the guitar before he learned to ride a bike. Those were always two separate activities, and Robert wrote poem after poem in various notebooks and on scrap sheets of paper and whatever was handy when the words came to him. And he has played guitar for a lifetime, strumming other folks’ songs.

His uncle is the late legendary Fletcher Bright of The Dismembered Tennesseans fame, and his cousin is Frank Bright, a great musician and songwriter. Both encouraged Robert’s music, but Frank planted the seed that Robert might want to try writing some tunes on his own, something that simmered for a while on the back burner.

But then things changed when he went to college.

“When I was at Davidson College, a friend from Selma, Ala., was looking at a notepad of my poems and asked if he could borrow [a poem] I’d written about a freight train. I said sure, wondering what in the heck he wanted it for. He surprised me by singing it in a talent show a few weeks later. He won. Hearing the music he’d paired with my words made me want to do more,” Robert said, and a songwriter was officially born.

Robert writes about all manner of things, but one thing he consistently champions is the river. The marshes and streams and waterways, creeks he grew up playing in. Those waters speak to him, and in turn, he speaks for them.

“Years ago, I stayed at an old stone hotel along the Suwanee River and was mesmerized by its winding, black waters. It’s a wild river with more springs than about anywhere in the country. Like many rivers in Tennessee, it faces threats from development, pollution, and mines,” Robert said.

One of his songs in this ilk is “Kentucky Blue,” which is a lyrical protest against strip mining. He wrote this one after he was listening to the radio one day, but it wasn’t exactly music playing on the station.

“The idea came after hearing an NPR report about families displaced by this mining practice in West Virginia and Kentucky,” Robert explained.

This particular song, “Kentucky Blue,” was selected for the Scenic City Sampler CD, a local compilation of roots music, and Robert was pleased about this, both because of the honor and the cause that is so important to him.

Robert finds inspiration for his written words everywhere, including good books, hikes, and movies, saying, “Issues I care about are good fodder for protest songs. Anything that stirs your emotions can inspire a song.”

In fact, after watching the WTCI documentary about “The Dismembered Tennesseans” several years back, he couldn’t sleep. “Thoughts kept waking me about my uncle Fletcher Bright and his band - gathered around the radio in the 1950s figuring out Bill Monroe tunes. And how they were still at it 70- plus years later, bringing great bluegrass for us all to enjoy,” Robert said, adding that he ended up staying awake until 3 a.m., when he finally completed a tribute called “Songs You Gave Away.” He gave his uncle the CD for this 80th birthday, noting that it was nerve-wracking to give a musical gift to a true master. “But he liked it, was honored, and encouraged me to keep writing,” Robert said, adding that he and his uncle played the song together on the family’s trips to Pawley’s Island and that Fletcher would laugh and say, ‘It feels funny playing my own tribute.’”

Robert has collaborated with songwriter Tom Brown as well as others. The two met at a songwriting workshop at Barking Legs and they decided to put their heads together and see what they could come up with. And they came up with plenty, including award winners at the John Hartford Festival and WoodyFest contests.

Recently the duo wrote a song, “Roll on, Echo River,” which is a beautiful song with a moving plea to recognize the human role as stewards of the river.   A finalist the WWALS Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, “Roll On, Echo River” took home the prize for Best Folk/ Americana/Bluegrass Song.

Not unlike his uncle, Robert downplays this achievement, saying, “In a way, I think the contests are just an excuse to get together and keep moving forward with our songs.”

Where will this wild river take us?
As it winds along its way
Flowing on to tomorrow
For its life, we pray
Lives and towns long forgotten
Fortunes rise and fall
But the wanderin’ Suwannee
Keeps rolling through it all
Roll on Echo River
Roll on clean and free
Wild blackwater beauty
Keep rolling to the sea
We see riches of the river
In the song the bunting sings
In the branches of a live oak tree
By the flow of ancient springs
We think we own the river
But we’re just passing by
Like ripples on the water
Neath a fading summer sky

Chorus
Where will this wild river take us?
As it winds through troubled times
When some would trade true riches
For the promise of a mine

By Ferris Robinson

What do bell bottom pants, fondue, mimosas, and Gloria Gaynor have in common? They were a few of the big cultural influences in the 1970s and could even have been favorites of Chattanooga’s art innovators at the time. In fact, the title of Goria Gaynor’s anthem “I Will Survive” could have been their motto, though that might be stretching the comparison a bit.
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Regardless, when these artists, lovingly dubbed the “daring dozen,” decided to turn their vision into a reality, they must have believed that come what may, they would survive. In 1974, opportunities in Chattanooga for local artists to exhibit their work were limited at best, so Joan Clark from Lookout Mountain and Frances Hostetler of Signal Mountain, along with 10 of their fellow artists, decided to establish one.

In 1974, these 12 artists opened an art cooperative, known as In-Town Gallery, one of the first in the United States, in the basement of the Read House. As a cooperative, it was (and still is) jointly owned, operated, and staffed by the artists themselves. It was more than a place to exhibit; it was a commitment to their own creativity, to exposure for other artists, and to sharing their talents with the public. Fifty years later, they’ve not only survived. They have thrived.

September 21, 2024, marks In-Town’s 50th anniversary and there will most certainly be a celebration.

But before we get to the party … the gallery succeeded and as membership grew, it relocated twice, first to 718 Cherry Street, then in 1994 to 26A Frazier Avenue, early in the area’s revitalization. The vintage building “between the bridges” continues to be home to the gallery today. The inclusion of fine crafts broadened both the membership and the variety of creative objects on exhibit. Today, there is a diverse selection of art in oils, watercolor, mixed media, and found objects; fine arts photography; ceramics; jewelry; small furniture and lamps; woven hangings and wearable art; encaustics and botanicals; fine crafts in wood and sculpture. This year, Gail Rich joined ITG as manager to provide direction in its activities and growth, adding live demonstrations monthly and featured artists shows on Wednesdays or Fridays, called “Art After Hours.”

The anniversary celebration begins September 3 with a show of current members, many of whom are new to ITG this year, as well as a “special wall dedicated to the art of past members,” which will be on display throughout the month. A reception for past and present members will be held on September 20.

On the official anniversary date, Saturday, September 21, the gallery will host an All Day 1970s-themed Party, not to be missed. In addition to new creations from the ITG artists and fine crafts people, there will be food, poetry readings, performance art, and music! Who knows,  maybe a little Stevie Wonder, Bee Gees, or even Gloria Gaynor!

Further information and details will be available as the date approaches. Visit intowngallery.com, or find it on Facebook, Instagram, or call (423) 267-9214.

by Carol Lannon

Merriam-Webster Dictionary says, “An icon is a person widely admired especially for having great influence or significance in a particular sphere.”  Based on this definition, Bob Wright is, most assuredly, an icon.  
 
In 1999, the Annual St. Elmo Corgi Parade started as part of the September in St. Elmo Festival. Bob and his lovely wife, Sue, owned four corgis and knew a lot of other pet parents with corgis. Since Bob essentially had a parade every day with his own crew, he thought he should make it official. So the St. Elmo Corgi Parade was created and organized and made the world more fun for many people. At least for a day.  

It may not have been considered totally altruistic since the Wright’s own beloved corgis were participants, but there was never any nepotism with their corgis winning the awards (well, except for the year Billy Pritchard gave out the Queen of the Parade to Bob’s dog, but that was the judge’s prerogative).  

Over the years, some of the big parade supporters were Peter and Anne Platt, Lolly Burbank (who had a corgi named Elvis), Cay Brooks Ely and Susan Crimmins. Past judges have included Billy Pritchard, Addie Chapin, Ali Mills and Mimi Pond, who was a famous cartoonist for The New Yorker.  (You can google the cartoon chronicle of her experience as a judge.)

There have been different sponsors for the St. Elmo Corgi Parade, but in 2022 the Community Association of Historic St Elmo (CAHSE) took charge and now sponsors the annual Hello St. Elmo event. There have been lessons learned along the way, like the year the festival could not be organized until June, rather than April, and the corgis burned their feet and were way too hot in their fur coats, requiring strollers and booties.  

As for this year, on a cloudy April Saturday on 38th Street near the Incline, Bob asked me to be the judge. There was a pageant and then a parade walk along St. Elmo Avenue, as well as a ceremony where about 10-12 awards were doled out for various corgi attributes like best face, best tail (Pembrokes don’t have tails, Cardigans do!), luckiest, king, queen, best coat and best costume. My husband warned me not to do it. “You’ll make enemies. Haven’t you seen ‘Best in Show?’ People have been disappeared,” he said. I called Bob to ask if that would happen. He said, “Oh no, it’s all for fun.” And he was right, of course! 

There were 150 entrants this year. Whole families came with their corgis in tow - not just from Chattanooga but from all over the Southeast. Actually the Came the Furthest award went to a family from Indiana.

After wandering through the sea of bright faced (short legged) canines and their parents, I identified what I thought were the “best” in each category (sometimes with Bob’s wise guidance). As host Bob began emceeing the event from his ladder with a bullhorn, he began calling the winners to come up and collect their awards (certificates and, in some cases, crowns). With great generosity of spirit, everyone cheered loudly for each winner. Even the corgis barked their applause, given their non-ability to clap. All this was absolutely genuine. 

Corgi owners LOVE their fur babies and Bob created this special event in which every year corgi parents can come together to celebrate and show off. 

For that I believe Bob Wright deserves Best in Show! 
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by Marshall Persinger

The Hunter Museum is excited to announce a new work of art on its campus. Local artist Rondell Crier has created a 37-foot mural on the exterior of the museum’s east wing. In addition to its permanent collection and rotating special exhibitions inside the museum, the Hunter showcases artwork in and around its plaza as well as the greater downtown area, both for the enjoyment of the community and to make art more a part of everyday life in our city. Rondell Crier’s mural, “Flight of Hope and Healing,” joins the sculptural works that dot the plaza surrounding the museum, delighting passersby and museum visitors alike.

One of several Chattanooga muralists invited to apply for the mural commission at the Hunter, Rondell Crier was chosen for the commission because his proposal spoke directly to the museum’s goal of connecting people of every background to creativity, knowledge, and ideas. As Hunter Museum chief curator Nandini Makrandi noted, “Rondell’s proposal addresses the importance of interconnectedness and community - this is extremely important to the Hunter as we strive to provide a space for contemplation, conversation and inclusion”

The artist said of the project, “This mural will be a powerful and symbolic public art piece that captures the celebration of societal transformation and collective growth. In contemplating the idea of celebrating America, I see a diverse tapestry of values . . . Despite our many differences, we share a common identity - being human - and a shared responsibility to love one another, safeguarding the world we inhabit alongside other species.” Inspiring a shared responsibility to care for one another and the world, this is a work meant to help hope take flight.

Featuring elements pertinent to the Hunter Museum’s location on the bluff, including stylized depictions of a sunset, a bird, and water, “Flights of Hope and Healing” highlights the restorative powers of nature and community healing. Using a combination of soft and hard lines, wooden appliqués, and details that break the rectangular shape of the wall, Rondell Crier has created a dynamic and engaging composition to catch the attention and imagination of passersby.

Since moving to Chattanooga from New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Crier, a multimedia artist, has become a vital part of the local artist community, and his sculptures, murals and installations have contributed to the vibrant artistic fabric of the city. The artist’s practice regularly involves community collaboration, an integral element of this new artwork and also an important component of the Hunter’s mission.

The Hunter looks forward to sharing “Flights of Hope and Healing” with the thousands of pedestrians and cyclists who traverse the museum’s campus each year on the city’s popular Riverwalk.  Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @HunterMuseum to be the first to know about the public programming coming soon focused on Rondell Crier and his mural. Meanwhile, check out this work for yourself during your next visit to the Hunter Museum!

Generous support for this project was provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.
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by Hannah Brawley