Experience the River Indoors this Friday

One of the most precious jewels of Whitfield County will be in the spotlight at the first Gallery Opening and Artist Reception of 2023 at the Creative Arts Guild. In Gallery ONE11, the ‘Conasauga River Project’ presented by artist Juno is an immersive mixed media exhibit with photos and videos documenting her experiences with the Conasauga River. Come snack on hors d’oeuvres while you meet the artist, talk about the river, and see its beauty this Friday, February 3rd, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Before you come by, take some time to learn about how this project came to be, how the river impacts us, and how we impact the river in turn.

Artists at Work is a national workforce resilience program and is designed to create healthy communities through artistic civic engagement. Funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, this program chose a variety of nonprofit organizations in the Thrive region to connect with an artist who would work directly with them to create something beautiful and meaningful for the community.

The Creative Arts Guild worked with Juno, an artist with True Capture Studios, and Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful to find a way to connect people in the region with the Conasauga River and educate them on the importance of it. Juno went on guided tours of the river and documented her experience, participated in the annual Conasauga River Watershed Cleanup, and interviewed multiple community members on their experiences in this area.

Juno said exhibit focuses on “Exploring themes of conservation, community, and legacy through the lens of joy and stewardship, [she] aims to connect people with their natural resources and celebrate the efforts of the community to secure its sustainability for generations to come.”

With 75 native fish species, and over 90 species in total, the Conasauga is one of the most biologically diverse rivers in the world with many endangered species. Unfortunately, this diversity is threated by us through agriculture, construction, stormwater runoff, broken septic systems, and litter. We depend on the health of this river for our drinking water, industry use, recreation, and potential future scientific discoveries that are unique to such a biodiverse habitat.

While this river is unique and special, many of us have never experienced the river firsthand. Juno’s exhibit aims to connect us to the river that is so vital to our ecosystem and daily lives. We can also experience it in a variety of ways though I would recommend waiting till it is a bit warmer, personally!

One way to experience the Conasauga is to head north first to the Snorkeling hole in Ocoee, Tennessee. With a basic snorkel mask, you can peer into the shallow and clear water to see turtles, tadpoles, salamanders, bass, darters, and more. On any given day, there can be thousands of fish for you to see.

With a kayak or canoe, you can use the boat ramp located at highway 225 to set out on the river and paddle through it. It is incredibly relaxing to float under the trees or even fish for carp, catfish, and bluegill. I recommend waiting until after a bout of rain to head out because of the Conasauga’s shallow water.

Speaking of fishing, if you have ever wanted to try fly-fishing you can visit the Cohutta wilderness and after a rugged three-mile hike you can try to catch rainbow, brown, or brook trout. You can also visit the Cohutta Wildlife Management Area to take many beautiful hikes. This portion of the river is surrounded by second-growth forest that is more than a century old.

On February 23rd, to complement her exhibit, the Creative Arts Guild will be hosting the premiere of a community film project with recordings taken by the community that Juno has composed into a short film. This event will also host a panel of local scientists and environmental advocates that will discuss the river and our surrounding area. If you have questions about the river, save them and ask them at the panel.

The Conasauga Rive Project showcases the beauty and significance of the one of our most important assets to our community. Come out to experience this beauty yourself and reflect on the legacy we leave behind this Friday.

Amy Hartline is the recycling and education program coordinator for the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority. Have a recycling question? Contact her at (706) 278-5001 or ahartline@dwswa.org.