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Arts Commission News Program
"Mississippi Arts Hour" - 2011 Show Archive
December 18, 2011 - Malcolm visits with photographer David Rae Morris. They talk about the origins of his interest in photography, his work as a photo journalist for newspapers in Mississippi, and many years working in New Orleans. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
December 11, 2011 - Mary Margaret talks with artist H.C. Porter about her early years working in the Millsaps Arts District, her series of work related to Katrina, and a new series on Mississippi blues musicians. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
December 4, 2011 - Diane talks with Jackson-based writer Sarah Campbell. Campbell tells about her childhood in Port Gibson, her years working as a journalist, and her current work as an author of non-fiction children's books and teaching artist. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
November 27, 2011 - Larry visits the Mississippi Museum of Art and interviews several of the artists and curators involved with the Mississippi Invitational exhibit, a biennial program that features Mississippi-based visual artists. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
November 20, 2011 - Malcolm talks about the current state of arts education with Jackson-based educators Marlynn Martin (principal of Power APAC), Leslie Coleman (principal at Casey Elementary), and John Howell (Arts Facilitator at Case Elementary). LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
November 13, 2011 - Mary Margaret talks with singer and songwriter Tommy Bryan Ledford. A native of Louisiana, Ledford played in bands in Oxford for many years and was one of the founders of the Thacker Mountain Radio program. Ledford talks about his musical childhood in Louisiana, his years in Oxford, and his new CD, "Butcher Bird." LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
October 30, 2011 - Diane visits with potter Rachel Ballentine from Sardis. Ballentine is known as "the clay lady." She creates unique, earth fired vessels. They talk about her beginnings as a potter and her work methods. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
October 9, 2011 - Larry catches up with historian and author Charles Reagan Wilson from the University of Mississippi. Wilson's new book, Flashes of a Southern Spirit, looks at the meanings of the spirit in the American South and its ties to creativity. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
October 2, 2011 - Malcolm interviews Annette Kirklin with the Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation, , Vicksburg's community arts organization. Kirklin talks about the SCHF's programs and some of the history of their complex in downtown Vicksburg. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
September 25, 2011 - Mary Margaret talks with Black Prairie bluesman Big Joe Shelton. They talk about his musical roots, his current work as a touring musician and they play samples from his latest CD, "The Older I Get, the Better I Was." LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
September 18, 2011 - Diane interviews Leland Thompson and Harriett Kuykendall with the Mississippi Boychoir. Thompson and Kuykendall tell about the origins of the organization, its mission and their unique teaching methods. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
September 11, 2011 - Larry visits with Jackson-based photographer James Patterson. He details his work with Eudora Welty's photos and his focus on photographing Mississippi artists and musicians. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
September 4, 2011 - Malcolm talks with Craig Noone, the owner and head chef at the Parlor Market Restaurant in Jackson. They talk about Noone's training as a chef, the founding of his restaurant, and his focus on using locally grown produce. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
August 28, 2011 - Mary Margaret catches up with Mississippi singer, guitarist and songwriter Jimbo Mathus. He talks about playing music with his family while growing up, putting together the Tri-State Coalition, his current band, and his new album, "Confederate Buddha." LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
August 21, 2011 - Diane talks with Clinton-based painter Rick Anderson. He talks about his work as a teacher, presenting at festivals, and his painting techniques. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
August 14, 2011 - Larry has a conversation with author Preston Lauterbach about his new book, "The Chitlin Circuit and the Road to Rock and Roll." The book tells of the origins of the circuit that gave birth to many stars of early rock and rhythm and blues. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
August 7, 2011 - Malcolm interviews Jackson-based musicians Taylor Hildebrand and Valley Gordon. They talk about their musical backgrounds and the projects they've worked on together. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
July 31, 2011 - Mary Margaret visits with Anna Kline and the Grits & Soul Band, a new roots/acoustic group from Jackson. They talk about their musical backgrounds and perform a few of their songs live in the studio. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
July 24, 2011 - Diane talks with painter Tom Reaves from Jackson. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
July 17, 2011 - Larry visits the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale and talks with Shelley Ritter, the museum's executive director. Ritter gives the history of the Museum, its current programs, and talks about their current expansion project. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
July 10, 2011 - Writing/Thinking Institute - Malcolm talks with Emily Noble, associate director of Mississippi State University's Writing/Thinking Institute. Noble talks about the Institute's activities, including "Rural Voices Radio," a segment broadcast daily on MPB Radio. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
July 3, 2011 - Al White from Action Communication - Mary Margaret interviews Al White with Action Communication Education Reform, a non-profit organization based in Duck Hill, Mississippi. White explains the wide range of activities his organization offers for youth in Montgomery County, as well as their annual Grassroots Blues Festival. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
June 26, 2011 - Cultural Entrepreneur Sade Turnipseed - Diane speaks with Sade Turnipseed, the director of da' House of Khafre in Indianola. Turnipseed talks about her background in cultural programming and the wide range of activities currently being sponsored by her organizations. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
June 19, 2011 - Blues Promoter Roger Stolle - Larry talks with Clarksdale-based blues promoter Roger Stolle, owner of Cat Head Delta Blues and Folk Art. They discuss Stolle's work with Mississippi bluesmen and his new book, "Hidden History of Mississippi Blues." LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
June 12, 2011 - The Music of Wooden Finger - Malcolm interviews Allison Jenkins and Matthew Magee from the Jackson-based group Wooden Finger. The two musicians talk about their backgrounds and the unique music they create together. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
June 5, 2011 -Craftsman Greg Harkins - Mary Margaret visits with master craftsman Greg Harkins. Harkins talks about his family's roots in Leake County, making chairs for past presidents, and his apprenticeship with master craftsman Tom Bell. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
May 29, 2011 - Writer Michael F. Smith - Diane spends time with Columbus-based writer Michael F. Smith . They talk about the writing process and his new book, The Hands of Strangers. Smith teaches at the Mississippi University for Women. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
May 22, 2011 - Musician Sam Mosley - Larry travels to north Mississippi to interview Sam Mosley from the Mosley and Johnson Band. Mosley and his late partner Bob Johnson recorded for Malaco Records. They also wrote songs for many of Malaco's biggest artists, like Tyrone Davis and Bobby "Blue" Bland. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
May 15, 2011 - Foodways Scholar Amy Evans Streeter - Malcolm talks with Amy Streeter, Oral Historian for the Southern Foodways ALliance about her work for the organization and their current projects. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
May 8, 2011 - Chef and Author Martha Foose - Mary Margaret visits with Delta chef and cookbook author Martha Foose about her work on her latest book, A Southerly Course. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
May 1, 2011 - Filmmaker Terence Jones - Diane interviews Jackson-based filmmaker Terence Jones. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
April 24, 2011 - Writer Michael Kardos - Larry visits with Michael Kardos, a New Jersey native and the co-director of the Creative Writing program at Mississippi State University. He's the author of One Last Good Time, his new collection of short stories set on the Jersey Shore. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
April 10, 2011 - Visual Artist William Goodman - Malcolm talks with William Goodman, a Jackson-based visual artist. He explains his family history in the arts, his work with The Mustard Seed, and his development as a full-time artist. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
April 3, 2011 - Saxophonist Alphonso Sanders - Mary Margaret interviews Dr. Alphonso Sancers, the chair of the Fine Arts Department and director of the B.B. King Recording Studio at Mississippi Valley State University. He's also an active performer with blues groups in the Delta and throughout Mississippi. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
March 27, 2011 - Author J.J. Salem - Diane talks with Jackson author J.J. Salem about his writing career. Salem has written over 20 books that span wide range of literary genres, including suspense, romance, and celebrity biography. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
March 20, 2011 - Gospel Singer Rev. John Wilkins - Larry visits with pastor and gospel singer Reverend John Wilkins. Wilkins is the longtime pastor of Hunters Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Como. He's also been a gospel performer since childhood. He just released You Can't Hurry God, his first CD. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
March 13, 2011 - Bass Player Raphael Semmes - Malcolm chats with Raphael Semmes, a bass player and band leader based in Jackson. They talk about Semmes' early years in Grenada, and the numerous musicians he's played with over the years. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
March 6, 2011 - Author/Editor Jimmy Thomas - Mary Margaret speaks with Jimmy Thomas, the Managing Editor for the New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi. They talk about his work on the Encyclopedia, as well as his research on the Lebanese culture in the Mississippi Delta. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
February 27, 2011 - Curator Gabriel Weisberg - Diane interviews Gabriel Weisberg, the guest curator for the Mississippi Museum of Art's current exhibit,Orient Expressed: Japan’s Influence on Western Art, 1854-1918. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
February 20, 2011 - Writer Steve Kistulentz - Larry talks with Jackson-based writer Steve Kistulentz, whose book of poetry, "The Luckless Age," was published this month. Kistulentz reads from the books and talks about the many influences on his work, including music by the Knack and the Bay City Rollers. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
February 13, 2011 - Artist Ginger Williams-Cook - Malcolm interviews Jackson artist Ginger Williams-Cook. Williams-Cook works in multiple artforms, including painting, sculpture and illustration. She is also known for her distinctive nesting doll sets that depict pop culture icons like the Jackson Five and the cast of "The Golden Girls." LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
February 6, 2011 - Metal Artist Stephanie Dwyer - Mary Margaret visits with Ridgeland-based metal artist Stephanie Dwyer. Dwyer is best known for her distinctive bottle trees, which incorporate curves and details not usually found in this folk art tradition. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
January 30, 2011 - Dancer Cynthia Newland - Diane welcomes Cynthia Newland, Chair of the Dance Department at Belhaven University. She talks about the number of community-based initiatives coming out of the department, including the "Tunes, Tutus and Turning Wheels" performance. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
January 23, 2011 - Ken Murphy & Scott Barretta - Larry talks with photographer Ken Murphy and blues writer Scott Barretta about their new collaborative photography book, Mississippi: State of Blues. The pair traveled throughout the state, photographing a large number of different blues artists, festivals, and clubs for the book. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
January 16, 2011 - Artist Bill Dunlap - Malcolm checks in with Bill Dunlap during one of his regular visits to the state. They talk about his travels and various projects, including his efforts to have Wood College re-opened as an artist's retreat center. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
January 9, 2011 - Photographer Bruce West - Mary Margaret visits with photographer Bruce West about his long-term projects documenting the unique folk art environments of L.V. Hull of Kosciusko and Reverend H. D. Dennis of Vicksburg. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
January 2, 2011 - "thislocation" - A New Dance/Music Collaborative. Malcolm talks with Krista Bower from Jackson's Front Porch Dance group and musician Jamie Weems about their new collaborative work. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
Archive of 2010 "Arts Hour" shows
Archive of 2009 "Arts Hour" shows
Archive of 2008 "Arts Hour" shows
Archive of 2007 "Arts Hour" shows
2010 "Arts Hour" shows
Copyright 2010 Mississippi Arts Commission