Artists & Cultural Workers in the South: Alternate ROOTS

Stories from Alternate ROOTS: It’ll Take Some Tellin’ chronicles the origins and fifty-year journey of a nonprofit arts organization that began in 1976 to meet the needs of community-based arts and regional artists committed to social and economic justice. Coeditor of the anthology Kathie deNobriga and contributors Normando Ismay and D. Patton White will participate in the discussion, with contributor Shannon M. Turner moderating. This session will discuss the transformative power of community arts, democratic leadership, racial and gender equity, and navigating organizational and generational change. 

Purchase your book from Charis Books & More. When you check-out from that link, please mention that you will need to pick your book up at the event. Books will also be for sale on-site by Charis, and a portion of your purchase will benefit the Decatur Book Festival.

This event is free and open to the public. No tickets are required, and seating is first come, first served. Signing information: Signing time: 5:15 PM

Signing location: Marriott Conference Center

About the Authors

Kathie deNobriga, raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains of East Tennessee, founded two community theaters in North Carolina, performed with the Road Company ensemble, and served as the executive director of Alternate ROOTS for nearly ten years. ­After a full ­career as director, producer, ­nonprofit consultant, and community ­organizer, Kathie is now the chief wrangler of the annual arts festival in Pine Lake, Georgia, where she served two terms on the city council and one as mayor. She is one of the coeditors of Stories from Alternate ROOTS: It’ll Take Some Tellin’.

Normando Ismay creates work in metalsmithing, sculpture, painting, installation art, storytelling, performance, and theater. Argentinian by birth, Ismay has been exhibited in many galleries across the South. He is widely beloved as Papa Bizzoso. Ismay is a contributor to Stories from Alternate ROOTS: It'll Take Some Tellin'. 

D. Patton White has worked as a dancer and choreographer since 1982. He has served as

artistic/administrative director of Beacon Dance since 1990. White taught part-time at Emory University from 2004 to 2026. He has been a member of Alternate ROOTS since 1997 and has served in many capacities for ROOTS over the years. Currently, he is a member of the UpROOTing Ableism Work Group. White is a contributor to Stories from Alternate ROOTS: It'll Take Some Tellin'. 

About the Moderator

Shannon M. Turner is the founder/creative director of StoryMuse, which offers storytelling techniques as a tool for personal discernment, team building, advocacy, and community development in an effort to cultivate a world where all stories are heard and honored. Shannon serves as an independent consultant who conducts workshops and provides coaching to individuals and organizations seeking to use true, personal stories for transformative potential. She is the producer of Carapace, Atlanta’s premier monthly true, personal storytelling event and has an MFA from Virginia Tech. Turner is a contributor to Stories from Alternate ROOTS: It'll Take Some Tellin'.