Mississippi Arts Hour

Malcolm talks to Arden Barnett, owner of Ardenland, a Jackson-based entertainment company. Arden got his start in the music business at Hal & Mals in the 1980s. The two longtime friends discuss live music and Arden’s work as a promoter, producer and music presenter. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Melody Moody Thortis talks with Sean Starwars and Anne Campbell, MAC Visual Art Fellowship recipients who are featured in Creatures Among Us, an exhibit now on display at the Mississippi Library Commission. The show features Halloween-esque works of art, perfect for the season See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Larry Morrisey visits with bluegrass musician and bandleader Alan Sibley from Ackerman. Sibley has been playing music professionally since he was a teenager. He and his band are the hosts of “The Bluegrass Trail,” a new show on the RFD-TV cable network. In addition to performances by Sibley and the group, they have a guest band spot, where they showcase up and coming bluegrass groups from the Southeast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Malcolm White talks to longtime Jackson-area musician Barry Leach. They discuss how he learned to play guitar, his musical influences and being a guitar teacher. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Malcolm White talks with Holly Lange, executive director of the Mississippi Book Festival. The two talk about the recent festival, how it has grown and changed in its four years of being and about the Mississippi Writers Trail. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Larry Morrisey speaks to Jane Hearn, the editor of “A Past That Won’t Rest,” a new book of Civil Rights-era photography. The photographs were taken by her late husband Jim Lucas, who worked as a freelance photojournalist while attending Millsaps College. They are compelling photos that mostly have never been published. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Malcolm White talks to Delta-based musician John Mohead. After years of touring, during which he played with or opened for the likes of Bob Dylan, Robert Randolph, Little Feat and many others, he returned to Mississippi to focus on his family and open a restaurant on Moon Lake. He recently released a new album, Son of the South. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Larry Morrisey talks with MAC’s new Arts Industry Director Sondra Lee-Bell. She is best known in central Mississippi for her work as a musician and music minister. They talk about her roots in Yazoo City as well as her work as the Minister of Music at Anderson United Methodist Church in Jackson. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Malcom White talks to Julian Rankin about his book Catfish Dreams. The book tells the story of African-American catfish farmer and Mississippi Native Ed Scott. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Malcom White talks to artists Anne O’Hara of Jackson and Barbara-Ann Carver-Hunt of Sumrall. The artists are featured in a partnership between the Mississippi Library Commission and the Mississippi Arts Commission to showcase artists adjudicated through MAC’s annual Visual Artist Fellowship Grant program. They talk about their artistic influences and their style of art. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Larry Morrisey travels to Meridian to talk with Storyteller and MAC Roster Artist Terrence Roberts. Roberts got started telling stories to his children and then got introduced to the world of professional storytelling. He currently travels throughout the state telling African folktales and other stories to school groups and at festivals. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Malcolm White interviews John Howell, actor, founder of Fondren Theatre Workshop, and teacher at Whole Schools Initiative-affiliated Casey Elementary. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Melody Moody Thortis, Arts-Based Community Development at MAC, talks with Chris Myers, principal and architect at Cooke, Douglass, Farr, Lemons and Rachel Myers, Director of the Museum of Mississippi History. Melody spoke with Chris and Rachel about their deep passion for the state of Mississippi and the beauty of of community, creativity and the arts. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Larry Morrisey travels to Meridian and visits with Mark Tullos, director of the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience, or The MAX for short. The new facility tells the story of creativity in Mississippi. Tullos gives an overview to the exhibits and describes the cutting edge technology that they utilize See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Malcolm White talks with Sherry Lucas, a longtime features writer and editor. The two discuss culture, food, arts and entertainment in Jackson. Lucas also talks about the opportunities and challenges of being a free-lance writer. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Melody Moody Thortis talks to David Lewis, project specialist for the Greater Jackson Arts Council. The two speak about public art, creative placemaking and using the arts as a tool to empower communities See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Malcolm White talks with Alexander Bostic and Dominic Lippillo, MAC visual art fellowship recipients featured in the exhibit "A Perspective of People" now on display at the Mississippi Library Commission. Bostic and Lippillo are both art professors at Mississippi State University. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Larry Morrisey talks with Oxford-based writer Chris Offutt about his new novel, Country Dark. The book is set in Eastern Kentucky in the early 1960s and follows the story of a young moonshine runner and his family. Offutt grew up in the region and the novel was a way for him to delve into the huge changes that took place in Appalachia during the 1960s and 70s. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Melody Moody Thortis talks to Mona Nicholas, Executive Director of the USA International Ballet Competition. The IBC, started in 1979 is held every four years in Jackson, MS and regularly welcomes over 40,000 attendees from 25 nations and 30 states. Melody and Mona speak about the history of the competition and its founder, Thalia Mara and the distinct caliber of this event. You can find more information online at www.usaibc.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Larry Morrisey talks with author Michael Kardos. His latest novel is “Bluff,” which follows the story of a young washed-up magician who steps into the world of card cheats and gets more than she bargains for. In addition to the details of the book, Kardos also talks about his time working as a magician on the boardwalk at the New Jersey shore. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.