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Arts Commission News Program
"Mississippi Arts Hour" Radio Show & Podcast 
Each week, members of MAC's staff host "The Mississippi Arts Hour," a radio program broadcast on Mississippi Public Broadcasting's FM and digital radio networks. The show features interviews with Mississippi artists, musicians, craftspeople, and others involved in arts and culture from around the state.
Broadcast Schedule:
Mississippi Public Broadcasting's Think Radio (on the statewide FM network): Sundays, 3:00-4:00pm
Also: Mississippi Public Broadcasting's Music Radio (statewide digital signal): Saturdays, 11:00am-12:00pm
You can also listen online at the MPB Radio page
For artists or organizations who are interested in being considered for a guest spot on the show, please visit this page for more information.
For those who are unable to tune in for the live broadcast, MAC offers an edited version of the show as a download or a podcast. If you have an iPod or other mp3 player, you can subscribe to the show through iTunes or by copying and pasting our RSS feed into your mp3 player's software program.
You can also download the mp3 file of the show from this page (right-click with your mouse on the "Listen/Download" button, choose "Save Target As" and save it to your computer) or listen to it directly from this page by clicking on the "LISTEN" link following each show description.
Upcoming Shows
- May 26th - MS Museum of Art's "Old Masters to Monet" exhibit
- June 2nd - TBA
- June 9th - "Keep Cleveland Boring" project
- June 16th - Dancer Stephanie Artz
Recent Shows
Following is a list of "Arts Hour" shows broadcast within the last year. You can sort the list by the different categories listed below. If you are looking for an older show, visit the "Arts Hour" archive.
| Music Writer David Dennis, Jr. (May 19, 2013) Larry talks with New Orleans-based (and Miss. native) music writer David Dennis, Jr. about the state of hip hop music in Mississippi. Dennis talks about some of the special characteristics of Mississippi rappers, as well as some of the notable up and coming artists from the state. | Listen/ Download |
Gourd Banjo Maker Jason Smith (May 12, 2013) Mary Margaret talks to banza maker and player Jason Smith. The banza, an African instrument considered the ancestor to the banjo, is a stringed instrument made from a gourd. Jason talks about the history of the banza, his relationship with mentor Scott Didlake, and how he makes the unique instruments. He also plays a number of songs on the banza during the interview.  | Listen/ Download |
African Drummer Jerry Jenkins (May 5, 2013) Diane interviews African drummer Jerry Jenkins of Vicksburg. Jenkins is a member of MAC's Artist Roster. He tells of the instruments, rhythms, and stories of the Malinke people of West Africa through his performances.  | Listen/ Download |
Delta Pioneer Memoir ( April 14, 2013) Mary Margaret talks with Kerry Hamilton and Sheilah Hamilton Pantin, descendants of Mary Hamilton, an early pioneer of the Mississippi Delta frontier and one of the first white women to cross the Sunflower River. Her recently re-published autobiography, Trials of the Earth, is an amazing story of adventure, mystery, sorrow, joy and great bravery.  | Listen/ Download |
Guitarist/Composer Mark Howell (March 31, 2013) Larry interviews Mark Howell, the director of Winterville Mounds near Greenville. He's also an accomplished composer and musician. They talk about his years learning guitar and trumpet while growing up in Philadelphia (Miss.) as well as his time working as a professional musician in New York City.  | Listen/ Download |
The Como Mamas (March 24, 2013) Mary Margaret White talks to the Como Mamas: Ester Mae Smith, Angela Taylor and Della Daniels. Mary Margaret traveled to Como to attend a release party for the group's new CD Get an Understanding. She talks to the women about their deep roots in the musical traditions of Como and Panola County. Photo by Emily Williams for The Panolian. | Listen/ Download |
Writer C. Leigh McInnis (March 17, 2013) Diane talks with writer and Jackson State University professor C. Leigh McInnis. They talk about how his childhood shaped his creative life and his work teaching writing. | Listen/ Download |
Jimbo Mathus (March 10, 2013) Mary Margaret White hosts with musician Jimbo Mathus. Enjoy in-studio acoustic performances by Jimbo, as well as an in-depth conversation about his 2013 Fat Possum Records release, "White Buffalo." He shares the stories behind the songs on the new album and tells about his years with the Squirrel Nut Zippers.  | Listen/ Download |
The Water Liars (March 3, 2013) Larry welcomes The Water Liars, a Water Valley-based group to the studio. The band is made up of Mississippian Andrew Bryant and Arkansas native Justin Kinkel-Schuster. Their latest album, "Wyoming," has just been released on Oxford's Big Legal Mess Records.  | Listen/ Download |
Katrina Estes-Hill (Feb. 24, 2013) Diane talks with Katrina Estes-Hill, also known as the "Mizippihippi." She is an artist, writer and storyteller. The inspiration for the characters in her children's books and stories comes from her childhood growing up in Louisville, Mississippi.  | Listen/ Download |
Playwright Beth Henley (Feb. 17, 2013) Guest interviewer Jim Dollarhide visits with playwright and longtime friend Beth Henley. Henley was one of the 2013 Governor's Arts Awards recipients. They discuss her years growing up in Jackson, as well as her past and current work.  | Listen/ Download |
Blues Legend Bobby Rush (Feb. 10, 2013) Larry interviews blues singer and bandleader Bobby Rush. He's the Lifetime Achievement Recipient for the 2013 Governor's Arts Awards. Rush talks about his work with blues legends Jimmy Reed and Elmore James, and his new CD.  | Listen/ Download |
Arts Educator Kathryn Lewis (Feb. 3, 2013) Malcolm visits with arts educator Kathryn Lewis from Perkinston. Lewis was a long time theater director at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and has been active statewide as an arts education consultant.  | Listen/ Download |
Bay St. Louis Little Theatre (Jan. 27, 2013) Mary Margaret talks with members of the Bay St. Louis Theatre about the organization's history and its programming, and its unique theater building.  | Listen/ Download |
Motown's Eddie "Chank" Willis (Jan. 20, 2013) Diane interviews Eddie "Chank" Willis, one of this year's recipients of the Governor's Arts Awards. Willis was one of the Funk Brothers, the studio band at Motown Records. The group played on countless hit records during the 1960s and '70s.  | Listen/ Download |
New Stage Theatre (Jan. 13, 2013) Larry visits with Francine Reynolds, the artistic director for New Stage Theatre in Jackson. They discuss the theatre's upcoming shows and education programs. | Listen/ Download |
Tom & Julian Rankin (Jan. 6, 2013) Malcolm interviews Tom and Julian Rankin, father and son artists. Tom is a photographer and the director of the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. Julian is a writer and the Director of New Media at the Mississippi Museum of Art. | Listen/ Download |
Southern Komfort Brass Band (Dec. 30, 2012) Mary Margaret talks with members of the Southern Komfort Brass Band in Jackson. They explain how they re-arrange blues and R&B songs for their band, as well as some of the unusual gigs they've played.  | Listen/ Download |
Arts Integration at Casey Elementary (Dec. 23, 2012) Diane and Jodie Engle (MAC's Whole Schools Director) talk with teachers and parents from Casey Elementary School in Jackson. They discuss who integrating the arts has helped to make Casey a high performing school.  | Listen/ Download |
Remembering Barry Hannah (Dec. 16, 2012) Larry talks with three of the contributors to the new book, "A Short Ride: Remembering Barry Hannah." Louis Bourgeois, Neil White and Robin Rushing each recall their interactions with the late writer, teacher, and long-time Oxford resident. | Listen/ Download |
"We Juke Up in Here!" Documentary (Dec. 9, 2012) Malcolm interviews Roger Stolle and Jeff Konkel, the producers of the new blues documentary, We Juke Up in Here! Stolle and Konkel talk about the current state of juke joints in the Mississippi Delta, as well as their other blues-related projects [photo by Lou Bopp].  | Listen/ Download |
Documentary Filmmaker Joe York (Dec. 2, 2012) Mary Margaret visits with Joe York, a documentary filmmaker with the University of Mississippi's Media and Documentary Projects Center. They talk about York's interests in southern culture that led to his current work, as well as his most recent film projects, including Mississippi Innocence and Pride & Joy [York photo by Hollis Bennett].  | Listen/ Download |
Ballet Magnificat's Keith Thibodeaux (Nov. 25, 2012) Diane talks with Keith Thibodeaux, Executive Director for Ballet Magnificat. They talk about the history of the organization, their current programs and producations, as well as Thibodeaux's own history as a television actor.  | Listen/ Download |
Bluegrass Banjo with Larry Wallace (Nov. 18, 2012) Larry interviews Larry Wallace, a Starkville-based bluegrass banjo player and bandleader. They talk about his musical apprenticeship under his father and grandfather, his years working with the "King of Bluegrass," Jimmy Martin, and his current work as a bandleader.  | Listen/ Download |
Hilda & Marty Stuart (Nov. 11, 2012) Malcolm talks with Hilda Stuart and her son, country artist Marty Stuart, about Choctaw Gardens, her new book of photographs. The book documents the Stuart family's roots in Neshoba County, as well as Marty Stuart's first years as a professional musician.  | Listen/ Download |
Delta Magazine Editor Melissa Townsend (Nov. 4, 2012) Mary Margaret interviews Melissa Townsend, Editor for Delta Magazine. They talk about the origins of the magazine, their strong focus on local food and culture, and "The Delta," a new book containing photos and essays from the first decade of Delta Magazine.  | Listen/ Download |
Craftsmen's Guild Director Nancy Perkins (Oct. 28, 2012) Diane talks with Nancy Perkins, the new Executive Director of the Craftsmen's Guild of Mississippi. They discuss the Guild's current projects and upcoming initiatives.  | Listen/ Download |
Musician & Muralist Don Jacobs (Oct. 7, 2012) Malcolm talks with muralist and musician Don Jacobs from Jackson. They discuss his work as a muralist, developing the Brookstock Festival in Brookhaven, and his latest CD.  | Listen/ Download |
Painter Jerrod Partridge (September 30, 2012) Mary Margaret interviews painter Jerrod Partridge from Jackson. They talk about his artistic development, his day-to-day work as a full-time artist, and his current one-person show at the Marie Hull Gallery at Hinds Community College in Raymond.  | Listen/ Download |
Writer Valerie Winn (September 23, 2012) Diane talks with Valerie Winn, a writer from Gautier. They discuss her background as a reporter and magazine writer, as well as her debut novel, Forsaking Mimosa.  | Listen/ Download |
Big Joe Williams' Blues (September 16, 2012) Larry interviews Blewett Thomas, the producer of a new CD of music by legendary Mississippi bluesman, Big Joe Williams. Thomas befriended Williams in the late '70s and recorded him performing at home. He also joined Big Joe for some road trips where he got to meet other blues legends like Muddy Waters.  | Listen/ Download |
Artist Martha Ferris (September 9, 2012) Malcolm checks in with artist Martha Ferris from Vicksburg. They discuss her life on her family's farm outside of Vicksburg, as well as several of her art projects. These include a mural project in Vicksburg and the children's fountain at the Mississippi Museum of Art.  | Listen/ Download |
Yalo Studio & Gallery (September 2, 2012) Mary Margaret interviews Coulter Fussell and Megan Kingery Patton of Yalo Studio and Gallery in Water Valley. Mary Margaret talks to the ladies about their individual work, as well as the out of the box artists (including wrestler Jerry "The King" Lawler) they present in their barber shop-turned-art gallery on Main Street.  | Listen/ Download |
Quilter Rhonda Blasingame (August 26, 2012) Diane visits with Jackson quilter (and MAC grant recipient) Rhonda Blasingame. They talk about learning about quilting from her grandmother, her creative process, and the range of ways contemporary quilters create their work.  | Listen/ Download |
Lee Washington's Cotton Picker Art (August 19, 2012) Larry travels to Rolling Fork to visit with craftsman Lee Washington. He creates unique figures from used cotton picker spindles. They talk about the origins of his work, his membership in the Craftsmen's Guild of Mississippi, and his work as a teacher.  | Listen/ Download |
Mississippi Mass Choir's Jerry Mannery (August 12, 2012) Malcolm talks with Jerry Mannery, Executive Director for the Mississippi Mass Choir. They discuss the history of the Choir as well as Mannery's work as a songwriter for many Malaco Records performers.  | Listen/ Download |
Singer/Songwriter Jimmy Phillips (August 5, 2012) Mary Margaret travels to Oxford to talk with singer/songwriter Jimmy Phillips. They talk about his Delta roots, his circuitous route back to performing via a bootleg recording, and his latest album, Desperate Moon. | Listen/ Download |
Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art (July 29, 2012) Diane Williams interviews Denny Mecham, the director of the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi. The Museum recently opened its expanded facilities, which is dedicated to the work of master potter George Ohr.  | Listen/ Download |
Attic Gallery (July 22, 2012) Larry visits with Lesley Silver and Daniel Boone from the Attic Gallery in Vicksburg. The business has been highlighting Mississippi artists for over 40 years and has brought several artists to greater attention, including Earl Simmons and Kennith Humphrey.  | Listen/ Download |
Kimberly Jacobs with Gallery 1 (July 15, 2012) Malcolm talks with Kimberly Jacobs, the director of Gallery 1 at Jackson State University. Jacobs talks about the focus of the gallery and the new multi-use development where they are located.  | Listen/ Download |
Saxophonists London Moffett & James Evans (July 8, 2012) Mary Margaret interviews saxophonists London Moffett and James Evans. The two have played together in several blues and r&b bands around Mississippi. They have also toured with many legendary blues performers, including Z.Z. Hill and Little Milton.  | Listen/ Download |
The Brent Sisters (June 24, 2012) Larry visits with the Brent Sisters from Greenville. The three sisters, each with their own distinctive musical style, worked together to record "Party Dress," a new CD that pays tribute to their late mother's songwriting.  | Listen/ Download |
Singer/Songwriter Lisa Mills (June 17, 2012) Malcolm talks with singer/songwriter Lisa Mills. Mills is a native of the Piney Woods region in Mississippi, but performs throughout the South and internationally.  | Listen/ Download |
Fiddler Harry Bolick (June 10, 2012) Mary Margaret visits with fiddler and fiddle researcher Harry Bolick. Bolick is a native of Carroll County and has done extensive research on the music of that region. He is also an active old-time fiddler and released a CD highlighting the music of the Carroll County duo Narmour and Smith.  | Listen/ Download |
Writer Julie Cantrell (June 3, 2012) Diane talks with Oxford writer Julie Cantrell, the former editor of the Southern Literary Review. They talk about her work as a writer, her family's sustainable farm and her new book, "Into the Free."  | Listen/ Download |
Restoring Welty's Garden (May 27, 2012) Larry talks with Susan Haltom, one of the author's of "One Writer's Garden," a book about the history of author Eudora Welty's garden and its restoration in recent years.  | Listen/ Download |
Creative Economy in Midtown (May 20, 2012) Malcolm visits with Andrew Young from Pearl River Glass Studio and Mary Elizabeth Evans from Midtown Partners about the new upcoming creative economy activities in Midtown Jackson.  | Listen/ Download |
Chimney Choir (May 13, 2012) Mary Margaret visits with Chimney Choir, a Colorado-based musical group (featuring former Mayhem String Band member Kevin Larkin) that brings together multiple acoustic musical styles. Thr band talks about their new recording and performs live in the studio.  | Listen/ Download |
Illustrator Chuck Galey (May 6, 2012) Diane talks with Chuck Galey, a children's book illustrator from Jackson. Galey talks about how he got involved in book illustration, the influence of his German-born art teacher, and visiting book publishers in New York.  | Listen/ Download |
Blues Guitarist Kenny Brown (April 22, 2012) Larry talks with Kenny Brown, a blues guitarist and bandleader from Potts Camp, Miss. He remembers his time learning to play from the late blues man Joe Callicott,, recording and touring with R.L. Burnside, and discusses the development of his festival, the North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic. | Listen/ Download |
Pianist Bruce Levingston (April 15, 2012) Malcolm talks with classical pianist and Delta native Bruce Levingston about growing up in Cleveland (Miss.), his work with different composers, and a recording project being done at the Delta Music Institute at Delta State University.  | Listen/ Download |
Crossroads Film Festival (April 8, 2012) Mary Margaret talks with Andi Agnew, Wes Benton, and Alex Warren about the Crossroads Film Festival in Jackson. In addition to giving information about the festival, Benton and Warren talk about their work in the film industry.  | Listen/ Download |
Craftsman Fletcher Cox (April 1, 2012) Diane interviews Jackson-based craftsman Fletcher Cox about his development as a woodworker and his work with the Craftsmen's Guild of Mississippi. | Listen/ Download |
Copyright 2012 Mississippi Arts Commission