A night honoring the Children’s Hospital heroes, supported by the hero in you!

The Believe Bash is the black tie gala of the year! This year’s theme is Superheroes!  Come and see the warriors who battle against disease and injury and the teams who band together to help win the battle.  Our little fighters will inspire you with their stories and the ones we call nurse and doctor will amaze you with their tenacious determination to help our smallest patients achieve their biggest victories.

Come for an evening of inspiration, giving and fun as we transform the room into an experience to Marvel at!  Wonderful auction items will be available and an after-party with a band you won’t want to miss!
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All proceeds from this year’s Believe Bash will support building a new pediatric MRI and procedure center in the Children’s Hospital at Erlanger Kennedy Outpatient Center.  This new, state-of-the-art center will provide the first pediatric-specific MRI in the entire region, allowing our kids to receive the care they need in an anxiety-reducing, child friendly setting.  Creating and opening this center will also drastically reduce the wait times our children face for scans currently due to the lack of the availability of an MRI designed for kids and staffed by pediatric specialists.  This will truly be a transformational addition to a facility this community made possible and will greatly increase the range of pediatric services available right here in our community.

In February, the Houston Museum Antiques Show & Sale returns for its 46th consecutive year. The show will be held in Stratton Hall in Chattanooga, February 28 through March 1. Admission is $10 for the three-day event.

“In addition to serving as a fundraiser for the Houston Museum, our annual Antique Show & Sale is almost like a family reunion for us, because it draws art glass lovers, glass professionals, and antique collectors from all over the Southeast,” said Amy Autenreith, executive director of the Houston Museum. “Presenting an annual event uninterrupted for 46 years feels pretty special. We see old friends we’ve known for years and fresh faces that are just beginning to explore this field that we love. It’s a very special time.”

The show is a perennial favorite, drawing antique collectors from throughout the region. Exhibitors will include dozens of booths offering a wide and varied selection of jewelry, furniture, rugs, African art, art pottery, glass from some of the country’s top antiques dealers and glass specialists. Two restoration experts will provide consultations on metal items, such as plate, coin and brass, as well as on porcelain, pottery and glass crystal.

This year’s event will also include an antique appraisal fair on Saturday, February 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring appraisers who work around the region.

“We’re very excited to offer expert appraisals again, which is something people have requested,” said Autenreith. “It’s not the first time we have offered appraisals, but we haven’t done it recently, and people let us know they were missed.”

Pre-registration for appraisals is required. Guests can bring up to three objects for appraisal, at a cost of $25 per object. Email houstonmuseumchattanooga@gmail.com for more information.

Objects that can be appraised are furniture (photos are okay if the object is too large), glass, porcelain, silver, art, Asian items, oriental rugs, documents. Some types of objects that cannot be appraised include Native American items, firearms, pre-Columbian artifacts and fossils.

On Thursday, February 27, the Show & Sale kicks off with a preview party that is not included in the general admission price. Preview party tickets are $75, which includes unlimited access to all three days of the event.

For more information, call (423) 267-7176 or e-mail houstonmuseumchattanooga@gmail.com.
Visit www.thehoustonmuseum.org.
by Rich Bailey

Recently retired from her career at Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church, Susie Courtney is now selling take-home food through Facebook. She got the idea from Margaret Johnson, who did the same thing last summer. Margaret gave her advice on the logistics of how to manage this business, and Susie posted on Facebook and Instagram shortly thereafter, offering spaghetti and chicken tetrazzini casseroles and loaves of homemade French bread as her first selections. She sold out in less than two hours!

Susie has always loved to cook, learning from her mother and grandmother, who were always cooking homemade goodies and meals. Many years ago, she and her sister, Patti Hite, and their good friend Margaret Nelson made homemade meals and called their endeavor Peter Pantries, as Margaret and Susie were neighbors on Peter Pan Road. This business was a perfect way for them to make money while being “stay at home” moms. Later, their company went somewhat dormant as their children grew and they were pulled in different directions. For years, Susie got occasional requests from friends asking for one of her specialties, but she was busy teaching at CCS and then as head of women’s ministries at LMPC.

Now, Susie is so excited to offer some of her homemade goodies for us to purchase. People are clearly excited about this opportunity to put a fabulous meal on the table with no effort, and many people posted online about how delicious their first meal was.

This business is still in the growing stage, but right now she will post her weekly items on Monday and you can pick up your order at her Peter Pan home from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesday. She will offer homemade soups, like chicken noodle, chicken corn chowder, and potato soup, as well as different entrees and side dishes. Famous for her homemade bread and desserts, Susie will be baking those, too. Her grandmother’s pound cake will be on the menu for $30, which has always been a crowd pleaser.

The menu will change weekly, but whatever it is, it will be fresh, homemade and delicious. Most items serve 4-6 and cost $25. She also added that this endeavor is a family affair since her husband, Lea, is a master griller! Remember, it is first come, first serve, so order quickly.

Find her on Instagram and Facebook, or reach her at (423) 322-5520.
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by Gwin Tugman

The Chattanooga brewing and distillery scene has exploded in recent years, giving locals yet another reason to be proud of the Scenic City, which is quickly becoming a destination for tasty libations and concoctions of all sorts.

Atlanta resident and advertising executive Eric Berrios made the drive up I-75 for that express reason. His plan of attack for one night might make most people weary, but for him, it was a journey with no precise destination - just enjoying local brew and bourbon.

“We set rules for the night; you could only have one drink and one appetizer at each place. So, each place was like, ‘I want the signature cocktail at this place, then we want to move on to the next one,’” he said.
Berrios’ favorite aspect of this trail of concoctions was not the alcohol itself. “When I think about all these experiences as an adult, the idea of walking around a town, going to one bar to the next, I love to do that. I love to walk, it’s the best,” he said.

He started his evening with a heavy hitter - the Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery - and a flight of whiskey. Located across the street from the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo, it is billed as a “hip whiskey distillery with artisanal cocktails and one-hour guided tours with tasting flights.”

“I’ll let the bartender know you are here. The bar is separate and legally we can’t serve up here,” said the front desk attendant. “Send them on back,” said the bartender over a two-way radio.

They opened the gate and let Eric slip into a forbidden-like hallway that opened up into an old-fashioned bar with mirrors surrounded by oak and bottles of bourbon. “So, the flight is $12. It is five neat pours then a cocktail at the end. It’s about three ounces, total,” the bartender said.

“The first two are our signature Tennessee high malts, our flagship whiskeys; they are straight bourbons. They are made with corn, malted rye, caramel malted barley and honey malted barley. That very first one is 91 proof, very light in body, easy drinking. Tends to be very grain forward in taste. Mixes very well with light cocktails, but stands up on its own too,” she said.

Berrios said he appreciated her in-depth explanations of each pour. “For me it’s more about understanding the craftsmanship the artisanship, of how they make it,” he said. And it translated to him buying two bottles of bourbon to take home.

Next up, Gate 11 Distillery. Located across the street within the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo complex, Gate 11 touts itself as a distillery that distills, bottles and serves a diverse range of fine spirits, including vodka, gin, rum and whiskey. “Through our Gin Class and Tennessee Whiskey Experience programs, we offer an unparalleled opportunity for our visitors to learn about and participate in the process of distilled spirits production,” its website states.

Eric ordered a gimlet, basically gin with lemon that is shaken until foamy. Food is not on the menu, but next door at the Frothy Monkey, one can order and have it delivered into the distillery.  “[The] atmosphere feels a bit sterile here, lights are really bright, and the wait staff doesn’t feel as welcoming or informative as the last place. But the gimlet is good, and they have live music, which is always a plus. I’d like to come back when the band gets going,” Eric said.

With a full belly, it was time to move on to another part of town and to his first brewery, Naked River, which is located in the rehabbed brick building next to the Tennessee Pavilion on the south side of town.
The high ceilings, rustic surroundings and live music were a hit for Eric as he tasted a flight of sours and stouts, including the signature Moon Pie Stout, along with a platter of ribs and brisket.

Cade Lafrenz, the Naked River barkeep, explained the flight Eric was about to taste, “These are IPAs. The Gorge is a west coast style. Ludacrisp is a brut floral IPA. Whea-Teas is actually an herbal tea infused wheat beer. Moon Pie Stout is our flagship beer made with 500 pounds of hand-crushed moon pies, and the new Christmas beer is a peppermint winter warmer.”

Cade, who works days across the street at Trident Transport, says he enjoys working at Naked River. “I work here one day a week. Everyone here is very cool.” The vibe is definitely cool at Naked River.

The Chattanooga Brewing Company, located across the parking lot on Chestnut Street, is the next walkable brewery on the tour. Convenient to Sunday’s Chattanooga Market and Main Street Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays, the CBC is very convenient.

Dogs are welcome inside at the CBC - definitely a cool perk. Another interesting perk is the Mug Club. For $100 a year, you can hang your mug in the bar and get an extra four ounces free per pint.

After a beer, Eric was off to Hutton & Smith Brewing Co., where he ordered a Kaledonidy Kveik Sour Beer. “I have found my people here. This is my kind of place,” he exclaimed as he walked in.

No frills, just a bar, friendly barkeeps and folks enjoying the art of brew.

Finishing the night off, Eric slipped into the Mad Priest Coffee and Cocktails for coffee. The smell was undeniable; the aroma of fresh coffee filled the air as well as the scent of carefully curated cocktails.

Looking back at the evening, Eric felt a sense of accomplishment. “I really appreciate the ability to walk from one place to the other, having a walkable city. A lot of cities haven’t focused their attention on enjoying the local environment,” he allowed.

His favorite of them all? “I think the Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery, the first one we went to. That was probably the best one for hanging out. It had intellectual barkeeps happy to give detail about the product. I’m less interested in ‘give me a beer,’ but I want to know  how this beer was crafted. Makes you want to stay, linger and explore.”

Eric is already looking forward to visiting the Scenic City again to see even more breweries he missed the first time around.
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by Michelle Michaud

The new year often comes with an unwelcome and burdensome question: “What are you going to give up?” January, already a foggy, grey month, becomes the time of sacrifice. It carries a heavy load, similar to the mountain fog. Sometimes I want to retort, “What if I don’t want to give something up?”

Perhaps we should shift the narrative and make the new year a little fun, lighten the burden and make it a time to experiment. Don’t force yourself to give up meat and be a vegan if you don’t want to, but maybe, just maybe, try some foods that are more sustainable. Be it Pruett’s, Food City, Cashew or Mike’s Hole in the Wall, it’s pretty easy to explore the “Future 50 Foods.”

With the world population predicted to be almost 10 billion by 2050, ruminating over how we are going to feed our masses is hardly a sunny topic. However, the future need not be so bleak. We have an unprecedented groundswell of youth involvement. Here in Chattanooga this September, we saw an unrivaled number of students learning about local environmental justice issues and involved in a rally in front of the Tennessee Aquarium, which concluded with a climate strike vigil in front of the Holmberg Bridge.

As a Baylor student and head of the Sustainability Club, Rachel Kleban says, “My generation is realizing that some predictions for the world in 50 years are dismal, and we feel it is important that we take action now. The club has initiated meatless Monday and has planned a vegetarian day with Impossible Burgers. Furthermore, the school menu has expanded to include more vegetarian meals. Going meatless is good for you, good for the animals and good for the environment.”

In addition, every day we are discovering new technologies that could allow us to reach sustainability and to live in greater harmony with the environment. Social media has made it so that people can connect in ways unprecedented to act quickly and unite. In short, there is a silver lining to this gloom.

So how can we locally start uncovering this silver lining? Currently, our global reliance on a small range of foods presents problems. Rice, maize and wheat make up 60 percent of most plant-based calories. This repeated use of the same crops on the same soil leads to depleted nutrients and indirectly leads to a decline in biodiversity and an increased use of pesticides and fertilizer. If our soils are depleted, our wildlife is endangered. To work toward sustainability, we need to switch it up a bit and plant other crops that have higher yields and are more tolerant of weather fluctuations. For those of us in Chattanooga, we can familiarize ourselves with sustainable options and start trying them. If we create even a small demand, we will help foster sustainability.

Recently, the World Wide Fund for Nature and Knorr gathered a group of experts in food sustainability, nutrition, human rights and agriculture to discuss food sustainability. The resulting report published in February 2019 included 50 plant based foods that are optimal for the environment and health. The Future 50 Foods meet the criteria as long as they reduce the impact on the climate, are affordable, accessible, and healthy and promote a sustainable global food system. I had fun looking at the list and was determined to try and prepare some I had never used.

Several foods I had never heard of (lavara seafood, bambara groundnuts, fonio), but many I knew were readily available and not solely relegated to upscale restaurants in Chattanooga. I could add amaranth, buckwheat, spinach, quinoa, sweet potatoes, walnuts and red cabbage to my grocery list. To see the list, just google Future 50 Foods.

So, along with Candy Clark, my ever so lively carrot-top friend, I filled my grocery basket with five days worth of Future 50 Foods. Shopping was quite easy, and many of the prices weren’t bad. At Whole Foods, amaranth is $1.99 a pound, mung beans $1.99 a pound and sweet potatoes 89 cents a pound. Purchasing from the bin made it so Candy and I were not stuck with a lot of weird food we didn’t want after trying a recipe. Honestly, it was fun.

We cooked disasters and successes. I couldn’t pop amaranth; it just burned, and I set off the smoke alarm. Candy popped it, but found popping took too long and the little grains got caught in her teeth - not worth the effort. When I cooked amaranth, I thought it smelled like grass; nope, I was not oohing and ahhing! However, successes were out there: We both loved and will repeat the amaranth porridge with walnuts and maple syrup for breakfast. The buckwheat pilaf, mung bean stew, quinoa salad with sweet potatoes and spinach salad embellished with walnuts all make the mark.

If you are totally flummoxed by the prospect of cooking these foods yourself, it’s worth trying some local restaurant fare. Cashew on River Street in North Shore has a meatball bowl of walnuts, mushrooms and quinoa and sells both the Impossible Burger and Beyond Burger. Southern Squeeze in Riverview and downtown uses buckwheat, purple cabbage, sesame seeds, kale and hemp hearts, all organic. Says Kelsey Vasileff, owner and manager of Southern Squeeze, “Chattanooga has shown a growing interest in plant based food. The more people find out the, more they want to try. With anything when it comes to bettering our health and world, I think consistency is key. Consistency with eating more plants, consistency so that every time you go to the store or out to eat, you try a new veggie. The more we are consistent, the more it becomes a habit, and buying, eating, and feeling better just becomes a part of us.”

Even the fast food world has joined the ranks in working toward sustainability. Try Dunkin Donuts for the Beyond Meat Sausage on an English muffin or Burger King for an Impossible Whopper or Chipotle for a sofrita. Each time you make those purchases, you are reinforcing a commitment or movement to take care of our planet.

When it is drizzling cold rain, and the sun refuses to shine, bring on the New Year with some creative intrigue in the kitchen, tweak a few recipes and add in some hemp seed. Why not have a Future Fifties pot luck or check out the new options cropping up on menus. Think that maybe, just maybe, you are helping the earth.
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Robin Howe

To honor of the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in the United States, the Hunter Museum is kicking off Through Her Eyes: A Year of Female Artists at the Hunter, a multi-pronged, year-long initiative focusing on the many contributions of women in the arts. Often underrepresented in the art world, women will be taking center stage at the Hunter in 2020. All year long, the Hunter will showcase female artists throughout its permanent collection galleries, its temporary exhibition galleries and through two temporary, large scale installations. To help visitors more easily identify works by female artists, the Hunter has created an icon that will appear on the labels of all works by women throughout the museum.

For the Hunter, the yearlong initiative is the latest in an ongoing commitment to nurture a broad collection of American art by, among other things, increasing the number of works by women in the museum’s permanent collection. Since 2005, when the Hunter’s new building opened and ushered the museum into the 21st century with an updated look and expanded gallery space, the museum has organized 18 solo exhibitions of women artists, three of which traveled to other institutions around the country. In the last year, the Hunter has acquired nine major works by female artists, including the first major commission for the museum lobby by Brooklyn artist Alyson Shotz. And this year, the museum will put on view in its permanent collection galleries most of the works by female artists that it owns.

Here’s an overview of what the Hunter has planned in addition to its permanent collection gallery focus on female artists:

The F Word: We Mean Female!
May 22 to September 13, 2020
A special exhibition spotlighting larger installation pieces, many of which are rarely on view, The F Word will include a range of artworks by women, all drawn from the Hunter collection. These experiential works, made in the last three decades, address a mix of subjects that affect us all, from social justice and inequity to identity and beauty.

Baggs McKelvey: Indigo
Mid-February 2020-March 2021
Inspired by the Robert Rauschenberg painting Opal Reunion, one of the works in the Hunter’s permanent collection, Chattanooga artist Baggs McKelvey will create a site-specific, year-long installation constructed primarily of denim. Denim is iconic in the U.S., with connotations ranging from slavery in the production of cotton and indigo dyes, to Americana and the working class, and, most recently, to ecological concerns as clothing is quickly made and discarded. Through her installation in the Hunter’s East Art Lounge, McKelvey will help guests explore various facets of the Rauschenberg painting, as well as give them an opportunity to consider environmental issues as they view her work against the backdrop of the Tennessee River flowing below.

Keeping up Appearances: Ashley Blalock
March 29, 2020 to April 4, 2021
San Diego-based artist Ashley Blalock is best known for her enormous crocheted red doilies. Her works fuse craft and fine art and are inspired by everyday artifacts from the domestic sphere. Responding to the Hunter Museum’s architecture and considering how people walk through the space, Blalock’s large-scale, site-specific, year-long installation will welcome museum visitors at the intersection of the East Wing and the Douglas Fir Gallery and lead them up the staircase to the Hunter Mansion.

Lalla Essaydi
October 2, 2020, to January 10, 2021
Morrocan-born, New York-based artist Lalla Essaydi, whose work is in the Hunter’s collection, combines Islamic calligraphy with representations of the female body in order to explore issues relating to the depiction of Arab women in Western art. Essaydi often returns to her Moroccan girlhood for inspiration in composing her large-scale photographs. With a method she began in 2003, Essaydi covers her models, and sometimes their garments and walls, in layers of hand-painted henna calligraphy, subverting traditional Muslim gender stereotypes through the presence of the written word. Featured in this special exhibition at the Hunter will be a number of photographs from the artist’s various series of the last 15 years.
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We invite you to make plans to visit – and bring friends and family – to see all the amazing artwork created by women both past and present during this important anniversary year of women gaining the right to vote.