Sidewalk Radio With Gene Kansas

There is plant life, and then there is the life centered around plants. Today we germinate, blossom and bloom with conversation about both. Our journey takes us from the farm to the garden to the design studio and even to edible insects. Lets just say its a show that flowers with cultural pollination. Our guests today are: (1) MARY PAT MATHESON, CEO of the Atlanta Botanical Gardens (2) DARON JOFFE, aka "Farmer D" and (3) Jule-Lynne Macie, "The Bug Lady."

If youve ever flown into Atlanta, and thats about 100,000,000 passengers per year, youve certainly noticed one thing as you soar over the city: the trees. Atlantas urban canopy gives it an enduring nickname – City in a Forest, and towering pride if not a-plenty of pollen. These green guardians beautify our neighborhoods, clean our air, and cool our homes, but it takes a community to ensure theyre around for all to enjoy. In honor of Earth Day, Arbor Day and Springtime in the Peach State, we thought it would be fun to celebrate the season with a look back at our roots and the shade they provide. This month we take a look at trees with a few friends who help keep Atlanta green and the conversation colorful. Our guests include: (1) GREG LEVINE - Co-Executive Direct and Chief Program Officer of Trees Atlanta (2) JENNIE RICHARDSON of the Olmstead Linear Park Alliance (3) WAYNE SHANNON - an Arborist and urban forest conservation manager and (4) artist DANIEL BLIGNAUT whose new exhibition "A Conversation with Trees

Sidewalk Radio goes on the road with a visit to Athens to learn how this small town has achieved so much on the national stage. Our guests today include: (1) Grammy Award-winning producer BEN ALLEN, an Athens native who shares his personal and professional insights into the Athens music scene, (2) WILL GREENE, co-owner of the iconic Georgia Theatre, (3) MARK CALLAHAN, artistic director for an innovative new interdisciplinary program at UGA called ICE – Ideas for Creative Exploration, and (4) legendary football coach VINCE DOOLEY who digs deep into the history of Athens as well as his off-the-field passion – gardening.

To say that the film industry is making an impact on Georgias economy is an understatement of blockbusting proportion. In 2012, direct economic benefits of film production came to nearly 3.1 billion for the state. But, its not just A-list actors and revenues generating buzz, Hollywood is also a boon to students, residents, cultural events and local communities. This month, we explore the epic of cinema in the South and why Georgia wants to continue to roll out the red carpet. Our guests include: (1) LEE THOMAS, the Director of Film, Music, and Digital Entertainment at the GA Department of Economic Development (2) TINA OHAILEY, the Dean of SCADs School of Digital Media (3) CHRIS ESCOBAR, the Executive Director of the Atlanta Film Festival and (4) Mark Asworth, a working actor here in Atlanta that was also the star of the “Doritos Goat 4 Sale” commercial which aired during this years Super Bowl.

So often on Sidewalk Radio we focus on developing the physical environment of the city, for todays show we are going to highlight and celebrate people who have committed to improving the community of Atlanta. This months show is all about the gift of giving back. Our guests include (1) DON MUELLER - the Executive Director of the Marcus Autism Center (2) JANICE MCKENZIE-CRAYTON - the President and CEO of Big Brothers and Big Sisters Atlanta (3) DAVID AXFORD - "little brother" for the past 6 years (4) LISA MOORE - former Executive Director of Georgia Lawyers for the Arts.

This month, we celebrate the ho, ho, holidays with Atlantas very own, Coca-Cola. The Coke brand is a cultural identity curated through art and advertising, rooted deeply in the National and International psyche. From Santa Claus to polar bears to holiday caravans and concerts, Coca-Cola – more than any other commercial factor – has made Christmas what it is today, and we happily drink it up. Our guests today include: (1) TED RYAN, Director of Communications for Coca-Colas Archives Department, (2) KEN STEWART, the creator the famous Coca-Cola polar bears (3) ZOE HOWORTH, the Marketing Director for Coca-Cola Great Britain who oversees the annual Christmas caravan and (4) JERE FLINT, a celist for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra who will help us compliment the look of Christmas with the perfect sound of Christmas.

This month, we get off the sidewalk and head down the highway, Buford Highway - a truly unique stretch that is equal parts road and gastronomic paradise. Guests include: (1) JACK HALPERN, the CEO of Halpern Enterprises which owns properties up and down Buford Highway and was instrumental in establishing the first Korean owned businesses in the area (2) HAROLD SHINN, who along with his family, own and operates the Buford Highway Farmers Market, one of the culinary anchors of Buford Highway (3) CHEF LINTON HOPKINS, the James Beard award-winning chef of Restaurant Eugene and co-host of Feed Radio (4) and GREG BEST, the owner and mixologist of Holemanand Finch and co-host of Feed Radio.

For todays show Gene examines the physical and cultural impact of the Center for Disease Control - better known as the CDC - the only government agency headquartered outside of Washington DC. The relationship between the CDC and Atlanta traces all the way back to the malaria epidemic of the early 20th century, but it has grown more over time. In the Atlanta community, the CDCs impact cannot be understated. It is measured by prestige, progress and even in terms of economic development, bringing new business to the city and to the region. Today, the CDC is also fostering an environment of collaboration: through design, through education, and even by way of Zombies…yes, Zombies. Our three guests are: (1) Dan Watch, an architect for Perkins+Will who helped lead the design of CDCs newest Atlanta campus (2) JULIE RHOAD, President and CEO of the NAMES Project Foundtion which oversees the AIDS Memorial Quilt and (3) DAVID DAIGLE. agency spokesperson for the CDC and creator of the Zombie Apocalypse campaign.

This month, The Fashion Show - where we celebrate the distinctive eclecticism of Atlanta style. Our 4 guests today include designer Sid Mashburn, author and artist Amy Flurry, fashion expert Cynthia Crowder, and Bruce and Brett Teilhaber of the legendary Atlanta shoe shop Friedmans Fine Shoes.

With the breezes cooler and the porches in full swing, Sidewalk Radio devotes a show to that very iconic and very serene setting of the idealized south – the front porch. Our guests today represent the many facets of this seemingly simple space: (1) JIM STRICKLAND – founder of Historical Concepts, an architecture firm believing strongly in the prominence and provenance of the porch (2) JOCELYN DONLON – the author who quite literally wrote the book on the Southern porch, Swinging in Place: Porch Life in Southern Culture. (3) URIEL KITRON – Chair of Emory Universitys Department of Environmental Studies and (4) KATHLEEN OSCADAL – a designer with a modern update to the classic rocking chair.

It is poetic to think of ourselves as a nation founded on the mutual ideals of freedom and equality. But as a city, Atlanta, more than any other city in the country, has its foundations – both cultural and physical – shaped by the struggle for freedom. For todays show, we will be examining how this abstract concept was quite literally made into concrete. Our guests today are (1) GORDON JONES, Senior Military Historian for the Atlanta History Center (2) LAIN SHAKESPEARE, the great great great grandson of Joel Chandler Harris and the Board Chairman of the Wrens Nest (3) US CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS, an iconic champion of Civil Rights and (4) DOUG SHIPMAN, the CEO for the forthcoming National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

This month Sidewalk Radio delves into the art of education. Our guests today are: (1) Bill Arnett, the self-made collector and founder of Tinwood Media, who has helped organize some of the most seen and best regarded exhibitions of traditional African American art including a truly remarkable traveling exhibition of the Gees Bend quilters (2) Jeff Stebar an architect with the internationally renown design firm Perkins+Will who specializes in designing for the educational environment in particular student life centers and (3) the long-writing arts critic Cathy Fox of artsatl.com.

Memorials are here to remind us, to motivate us, to inspire us. This month we explore and remember the leadership, courage and creativity that molded art, music, and educational arenas in Atlanta, and places far beyond. What we find is that memorials are community building, not necessarily isolated to one static place. Today we will tell two stories that have shaped the physical and cultural contours of Atlanta -- the Orly plane crash of 1962 alongside the musical life and premature death of Blind Willie McTell. Our guests are (1) JOE BANKOFF - President and CEO of the Woodruff Arts Center (2) PEARL CLEAGE - a poet and playwright as well artist in residence at the Alliance Theatre (3) and DAVID FULMER - an author and musical historian.

We have all heard that April showers bring May flowers. In this months episode of Sidewalk Radio, we will also find that water brings folklore, inspiration, public parks and preservation. In examining Atlantas life aquatic, Gene sets out to explore their areas of expertise, everything from dance to destination, from history to heritage…and all of that as told through good ole H20. Our guests for todays show include: (1) Sally Bethea - the Executive Director of the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (2) Markham Smith - a founder and principal at Smith Dalia Architects and one of the original founders of the Historic Fourth Ward Park (3) Sharon Foster Jones - a former divorce attorney, turned Atlanta author, turned Atlanta historian who will be speaking about the Ponce Springs and the Fountain of Youth and (4) Lauri Stallings - the founder and Dancemaker at gloATL whose newest production "Search for the Exceptional" will echo the contested significance of public pools during the racially charged years of desegre

Often when we talk about an art collection it comes from the context and perspective of the collector; however typical to Sidewalk Radio, we like to look at things a bit differently. In this months episode we explore the art of collecting by assembling a collection of our own: the appraiser, the artist, the cultural curator, and the puppet master (well, of sorts). What we find is that the art of collecting is a varied, and many times individual, process of understanding. This month Gene welcomes to the show Spalding Nix, a certified art appraiser of Spalding Nix Fine Art; Todd Murphy, an avid art collector; Louis Corrigan, creator of Flux Projects; and Daniel Summers Jr., the Marketing Director for the Center of Puppetry Arts.

Auburn Avenue was at one time known as Wheat Street. In 1893, a group of white citizens went to the city council and petitioned to change the name to Auburn because they thought it sounded more sophisticated. However, it wasnt the whites who made Auburn Avenue sophisticated, but instead the ambition and entrepreneurial spirit of Atlantas diverse African American community. With over $200,000,000 in new and proposed development, plus a shiny new streetcar, Auburn Avenue is once again poised for prosperity.

This month Sidewalk Radio explores the history along with the impact and importance that the skyline plays in both our physical and cultural development. As usual, a great gang of guests help Gene understand the skyline from each and every aspect. Sidewalk Radio is brought to you by Perkins+ Will.

In 1929, William Fox was a movie mogul and The Fox Theatre was Atlantas crown jewel of movie palaces. Over the years it has hosted many award-winning performances. Comedies, tragedies, and dramas – in the form of movies, plays and dance – have all played on the big screen and the stage, creating more than a few memories along the way. On this months episode of Sidewalk Radio, host Gene Kansas welcomes in Beauchamp Carr, the Executive Vice President of The Woodruff Arts Center and a major player in helping the Fox Theater remain an Atlanta landmark in the 1970s. Also joining in on this months conversation are Chairperson of Emory’s Film and Media Studies, Matthew Bernstein and Leo Alvarez, the Urban Design Leader at Perkins+Will. As always, this episode of Sidewalk Radio is brought to you in part by Perkins+Will.

For this, our Thanksgiving Special, Gene is joined by four very thoughtful guests who act as our Atlanta Restaurant Guides, coming together through conversation to explore our heritage, our history, the soul of Southern Food, and the importance of family and friendship.

In this episode of Sidewalk Radio, our host Gene Kansas explores the art, music, mayhem and culture of this alternative enclave that includes Elvis shrines and disco nights (Star Bar), record stores (Criminal Records, Wax n Facts), raucous retail (Junkman's Daughter), thrift havens (Stefan's), booze (Euclid Avenue Yacht Club), books (A Cappella), bands (Variety Playhouse), co-op's (Sevananda), coffee (Aurora), and pimento cheese burgers (The Vortex) to die for, all available within a few block radius, and in Atlanta that makes it one of the truest novelties of it all. As always, this episode of Sidewalk Radio is made possible by Perkins+Will