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Arts Commission News Program
"Mississippi Arts Hour" - 2009 Show Archive
December 27, 2009 - Mary C. O'Keefe Cultural Center - The Mary C O'Keefe Cultural Center is the community arts center in Ocean Springs. Larry Morrisey talks with Mary C Director Eric Zala about the different programs offered by the organization. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
December 20, 2009 - Jackson Artists NunoErin - Jackson-based artists Nuno Gonçalves Ferreira and Erin Hayne (known collectively as NunoErin) were recently chosen to create an art installation for the Jackson Convention Center. Malcolm talks with them about the unique visual art they create. . LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (25 MB)
December 13, 2009 - Community Gardening with Michael Gentry - Michael Gentry is an organic gardener and permaculture designer based in Jackson, where he heads the Rainbow Green Services Program. As director of the Rainbow-Tougaloo College community garden, Gentry has experience in creating community ties to culture and tradition through the practice of food cultivation. Mary Margaret Miller talks with Gentry about the green movement in Mississippi and the role gardening plays in community heritage, growth and sustainability. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (24 MB)
December 6, 2009 - Mississippi Writers - Diane Williams talks with two different Mississippi writers Annie B. McKee and Patricia Neely-Dorsey. McKee is from Meridian and author of Historic Photos of Mississippi, while Neely-Dorsey is from Tupelo and recently published Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (24 MB)
November 29, 2009 - Jimmy "Duck" Holmes - Jimmy "Duck" Holmes is a blues musician and proprietor of the historic blues club, the Blue Front Cafe, in Bentonia, Mississippi. Holmes' parents started the Blue Front in the 1940s and he has run it since the early '70s. In the last ten years he has also become an active blues performer and has recently released his third CD, Ain't It Lonesome. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (26 MB)
November 22, 2009 - The Big Apple Inn - The Big Apple Inn Restaurant has been a mainstay of the Farish Street Business District in Jackson since the late 1930s. Malcolm White talks with Geno Lee, proprietor of Big Apple (and the great-grandson of restaurant founder Juan Mora) about the restaurant's history and their unique offerings, including pig ear sandwiches. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (26 MB)
November 15, 2009 - Bluesman King Edward - King Edward Antoine is a Jackson-based blues musician who grew up in the Creole French community of Rayne, Louisiana. He started his career playing blues and Cajun music, then moved to Chicago in the 1950s where he grew into his career as a blues guitarist. After moving to Jackson in the 1970s, King Edward became a stalwart performer at local clubs. Mary Margaret Miller talks to King Edward about his journey from Louisiana to Chicago, and his past and current musical endeavors. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (25 MB)
November 8, 2009 - Tupelo Community Theatre - Tupelo Community Theatre is celebrating their 40th anniversary in 2009. Diane Williams talks with TCT Executive Director Tom Booth about the group's history and current season. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (27 MB)
November 1, 2009 - Architect Belinda Stewart - Belinda Stewartheads up her own architecture firm in Eupora, Mississippi. She has worked on many projects throughout the state, including the restoration of several courthouses, depots, and school buildings. Larry Morrisey talks with Stewart about the influence of Webster County?s architecture on her work, how she develops projects with local communities, and her hopes for the future of small-town Mississippi. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (26 MB)
October 25, 2009 - MAC's Visual Arts Directory - Malcolm White discusses MAC's Mississippi Visual Arts Directory website with jewelry artist Lil McKinnon Hicks and MAC intern Jasmine Cole. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (25 MB)
October 18, 2009 - Choctaw Craftsman William Isaac - Mary Margaret Miller talks with Choctaw craftsman and pow wow leader William Isaac about his individual craftwork and the vibrant pow wow culture. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (30 MB)
October 11, 2009 - USM Symphony's Jay Dean - The University of Southern Mississippi's Symphony Orchestra was first organized in 1920 and has hosted a number of world famous musicians over the years. Diane Williams talks with Symphony Musical Director Jay Dean about the organization's many activities and upcoming calendar of performances. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (24 MB)
October 4, 2009 - Acoustic Musician Jamie Weems - Jamie Weems is a Jackson-based musician who plays mandolin and other instruments with a number of different types of groups, including old-time and pop. Larry Morrisey talks with Weems about his family's musical heritage, studying classical guitar in Cajun Country, and his many current musical projects. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (26 MB)
September 27, 2009 - Singer/songwriter Shannon McNally - Shannon McNally is a singer/songwriter based in Holly Springs who tours throughout the U.S. performing in a distinctive roots-based style she calls "North American Ghost Music." Malcolm White talks with McNally about her years living and performing in New Orleans, settling in North Mississippi after Katrina, and "Coldwater," her new album (recorded by the late Jim Dickinson). LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (28 MB)
September 20, 2009 - Jim Dees - Jim Dees is the host of Thacker Mountain Radio, the Oxford-based live radio show that is heard Saturday evenings on Mississippi Public Broadcasting. He is the author of the weekly column, "Lies and Other Truths," and recently published a collection of his writing by the same name. Mary Margaret Miller talks with Dees about his experiences on Thacker Mountain and the writers, musicians and everyday folks that inspire him most. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (25 MB)
September 13, 2009 - Mississippi Chorus - The Mississippi Chorus in Jackson is celebrating their 20th season in 2009. Diane Williams talks with some of the principal members of the organization about their mission and the performances that will make up their 2009-10 season. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (25 MB)
September 6, 2009 - "Highway 61"'s Host Scott Barretta - Scott Barretta is the host of "Highway 61," the blues radio show heard every Saturday night on Mississippi Public Broadcasting. Larry Morrisey talks with Barretta about his roots in Virginia, his work on the Mississippi Blues Trail project, and gets some recommendations on new blues venues in the state. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (26 MB)
August 30, 2009 - Photographer Jane Rule Burdine - Jane Rule Burdine photographs the back roads of the Mississippi Delta. Her 2008 publication Delta Deep Down captures an intimate perspective of Delta life and landscape. Mary Margaret Miller talks with Burdine about her experiences as a photographer, and the people she's met along the way. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (25 MB)
August 23, 2009 - "Building Blocks" Documentary - The Mississippi Department of Archives and History has produced "Building Blocks," a new documentary film that looks at the recovery of several communities on Mississippi's Gulf Coast. Larry Morrisey talks with Ken P'Pool from Archives and "Building Blocks" writer and director Ed Ellington about the film, which will be broadcast on the MPB television network on August 25th. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (25 MB)
August 16, 2009 - Jazz Piano Duo Jim and Martha Hession - Jim and Martha Hession of Gulfport are a jazz piano and vocal duo with over 40 years performing experience. Diane Williams talks with the Hessions about their past work with jazz greats and their current performances along the Gulf Coast. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (26 MB)
August 9, 2009 - Blues Singer Pat Brown - Pat Brown (aka "Miss Equal Opportunity") is a singer from Jackson who has been active in the southern blues scene for many years. Larry Morrisey talks with Brown about her childhood in Meridian, her early years in the business backing up many southern blues legends, and her current work as a solo artist. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (24 MB)
August 2, 2009 - Photographer Roy Adkins - Roy Adkins is a Jackson-based photographer and co-founder of Light and Glass Studio in downtown Jackson. Malcolm talks with Adkins about his Alabama roots and his diverse work in commercial and art photography. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (26 MB)
July 26, 2009 - Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters - Founding members of the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters (MIAL), Dr. Aubrey Lucas and Dr. Noel Polk are joined by George Bassi for a lively discussion of the 30th anniversary of the organization. Mary Margaret Miller talks with the group about the history of the MIAL and Mississippi?s rich legacy of writers, photographers, composers and visual artists. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (25 MB)
July 19, 2009 - Oxford Shakespeare Festival - The sixth annual Oxford Shakespeare Festival took place in June and July of this year at the Ford Center on the University of Mississippi campus. Diane Williams talks with Joe Turner Cantu, Artistic Director for the festival about this year's schedule and the impact of the event in Oxford. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (26 MB)
July 12, 2009 - Woodcarver George Berry - George Berry is a native of Oklahoma, but has been living and working in Mississippi for over 30 years. He's been active as a teacher and a presenting artist. Larry Morrisey talks with Berry about his Oklahoma roots, his journey to Mississippi, and his work teaching his art form to children and adult carvers. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (26 MB)
July 5, 2009 - Author John Pritchard - John Pritchard, the author of Yazoo Blues, is a native of the Mississippi Delta and currently lives in Memphis. Malcolm White talks with Pritchard about his youth in the Delta and how it has influenced his writing. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (25 MB)
June 28, 2009 - Chef Martha Foose - Martha Foose discusses recipes, writing and her James Beard Award-winning cookbook Screen Doors and Sweet Tea. Mary Margaret Miller talks with Foose about the interconnection of ingredients, recipes, storytelling, family and friends. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (26 MB)
June 21, 2009 - Editors of Go, Tell Michelle - Barbara Seals Nevergold and Peggy Brooks-Bertram are the editors of Go, Tell Michelle: African American Women Write to the New First Lady and the founders of Uncrowned Queens, a nonprofit organization focused on researching issues affecting African American women. Diane Williams talks with the editors as well as two Mississippi-based contributors to the book - E. Rashun Williams and Shirley A. James Hanshaw. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (24 MB)
June 14, 2009 - Mack Allen Smith - Smith is a rockabilly and country singer from Greenwood who got his start in the late 1950s. He released singles and albums on several different record labels during the 1960s and '70s, some of which have been re-released on a new CD by Big Legal Mess Records in Water Valley. Larry Morrisey talks with Smith about hearing Elvis on the radio as a teenager, performing with his band throughout the Delta, and his recent return to performing live. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (25 MB)
June 7, 2009 - Mississippi Museum of Art - Malcolm talks with Betsy Bradley, the Executive Director of the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson about the museum's current programming and her own background in the arts. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (25 MB)
May 31, 2009 - The Mayhem String Band - The Mayhem String Band is a bluegrass group from Oxford that plays a mix of traditional bluegrass, Cajun two-steps and acoustic blues. MAC's Mary Margaret Miller talks with the band about the "outlaw bluegrass" style and their latest album, Land Pirates. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (26 MB)
May 24, 2009 - Doctor and Poet Vershern Edwards - Dr. Vershern Edwards is a podiatrist who blends poetry into her everyday life. Diane Williams talks with Edwards about her work as a doctor, her efforts to educate the public on nutrition and health issues, and her poetry. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (27 MB)
May 17, 2009 - Carroll County Market - The Carroll County Market is a unique restaurant and live music venue in downtown Carrollton, Mississippi. The Market has hosted a number of national level roots musicians over the past two years, including Wayne Hancock, Will Kimbrough and Jimbo Mathus. Larry Morrisey talks with Market owner Cecil Abels about the beginnings of the venue and their current activities. They also discuss Abels' work as an acoustic musician. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (24 MB)
May 10, 2009 - Singer/songwriter Caroline Herring - Caroline Herring is a native of Canton and a singer/songwriter whose music has received widespread critical praise. Malcolm White talks with Herring about growing up in Mississippi, getting started as a musician, and her latest album.LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (23 MB)
April 26, 2009 - Musician Jimbo Mathus - Jimbo Mathus is a musician and performer based in Como. When he's not recording artists at his Delta Recording Service studio, he's on the road playing a mix of rocking country with blues guitar and old-time-inspired lyrics. MAC's Mary Margaret Miller talks with Mathus about growing up in Mississippi and staking a claim in the future of roots music. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (27 MB)
April 19, 2009 - Writer Mark LaFrancis - Mark LaFrancis is the author of In Their Boots: Poems Inspired by Soldiers and Their Loved Ones, a book that documents the experiences of military personnel who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. MAC's Diane Williams talks with La Francis about his work as a writer and his current projects.LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (25 MB)
April 12, 2009 - Eudora Welty Centennial - The centennial of writer Eudora Welty's birth on April 13th is being celebrated in Jackson with a number of special events and activities. Malcolm White talks with Welty biographer Suzanne Mars and Welty friend Patti Carr Black talk about the late writer's life and work. They also give an overview of the upcoming centennial activities. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (25 MB)
April 5, 2009 - Guitarist Sherman Lee Dillon - Jackson-based guitarist and singer Sherman Lee Dillon has been performing roots-based music at clubs and festivals around the state for over three decades. The Franklin County native has also been recording and touring with The Dillonaires, a group he started with two of his children. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (26 MB)
March 22, 2009 - Author Steve Yarbrough- Steve Yarbrough is a native of the Delta and author of several novels, including 2007's The End of California. Mary Margaret Miller (Heritage Program Director at MAC) talks with Yarbrough about his roots in the Mississippi Delta and his recent work. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (26 MB)
March 15, 2009 - Crossroads Film Festival - The 10th annual Crossroads Film Festival will be staged in Jackson in early April. Festival Coordinator Chris Spear talks with Diane Williams about the history of the event as well as the films and special events that will be featured at this year's edition. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (30 MB)
March 8, 2009 - Poetry Out Loud- Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation contest designed for high school students. The Arts Commission is the sponsor of the Mississippi's statewide POL program. Larry Morrisey talks with MAC's Kim Whitt , who provides an overview of the program. Also featured are Ridgeland High School teacher Stacy Howell and two of her students who have participated in POL. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (24 MB)
March 1, 2009 - Photographer Melody Golding - Melody Golding is a Vicksburg-based photographer who put together, "Katrina: Mississippi Women Remember," a solo show of her work documenting the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on Mississippi's Gulf Coast. Malcolm White talks with Golding about this project and her more recent work. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (24.8 MB)
February 22, 2009 - Steven & Lil Hicks - Steven & Lil Hicks are husband and wife and both active artists. MAC's Diane Williams talks to them about Steven's recent published novel and Lil's jewelry making business. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (25 MB)
February 15, 2009 - Fiddlers & Fiddle Contests - USM Music Professor Chris Goertzen has just published Southern Fiddlers and Fiddle Contests, an in-depth look at the contemporary fiddle contest scene. MAC's Larry Morrisey talks with Goertzen about his travels to contests around the country and fiddlers currently active in Mississippi. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (26.6 MB)
February 8, 2009 - Chef and Author Robert St. John - Robert St. John is a nationally-known restaurateur, chef, food writer, and author based in Hattiesburg. He is also the current chairman for the Arts Commission. Malcolm White talks with St. John about food and Mississippi culture. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (26 MB)
February 1, 2009 - Playwright Katrina Byrd - Katrina Byrd is a Jackson-based writer and playwright. She was a recipient of an Artist Minigrant from MAC in 2008. Diane Williams talks with Byrd about her development as an artist and her current projects. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (25 MB)
January 25, 2009 - Soul Singer Herbert Wiley - Herbert Wiley is the singer and bandleader of Wiley and the Checkmates, an Oxford-based soul group. MAC's Larry Morrisey talks with Wiley about his work as a blues and soul musician during the 1960s and the development of the latest version of the Checkmates band. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (26.7 MB)
January 15, 2009 - Editorial Cartoonist Marshall Ramsey - Marshall Ramsey Marshall Ramsey is the longtime editorial cartoonist for Jackson's Clarion-Ledger newspaper. Malcolm White talks with Ramsey about his work and the creative process. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (26 MB)
January 8, 2009 - Thereminist Thomas Grillo - Thomas Grillo plays the theremin, a unique electronic instrument that is played without touching the device. Diane Williams talks with Grillo about how he learned to play the theremin and Grillo performs a few selections. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (30 MB)
January 1, 2009 - Old Capitol Restoration - The Old Capitol Museum is re-opening in February 2009 after being closed over three years. Larry Morrisey talks with Museum Director Clay Williams and head architect Robert Parker Adams about the restoration. This is followed up by an extended discussion with Malcolm Robson, a fifth generation master grainer who worked on the restoration. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD (26 MB)
Archive of 2008 "Arts Hour" shows
Copyright 2012 Mississippi Arts Commission