Mississippi Arts Hour

Candice Salyers is dance artist based in Hattiesburg and currently serving as Assistant Professor in Dance at the University of Southern Mississippi. Melody Moody Thortis talks to Candice about her exploration of dance and how it intersects with social issues and site-specific locations. Candice, a recent recipient of MAC's new Individual Project Grants, also shares about her time as a dancer and what’s she learned along the way See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Larry Morrisey talks with singer-songwriter Bronwynne Brent. The Greenville native has just released “Undercover,” her third album. It was recorded at the legendary Daptone Studio in New York City and features members the band The Reigning Sound. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Malcolm White catches up with singer-songwriter Mac McAnally. Malcolm and McAnally, a ten-time CMA Musician of the Year, talk about music, life in Nashville, and the new full-length album, Once in a Lifetime. Hailed as some of his finest material to date, McAnally crafted the album to reflect one of his intimate live shows See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

New host Leslie Barker is MAC’s arts-based community development director. She talks to visual artist Robin Whitfield, a Grenada-based artist whose work is inspired by the natural world. They discuss Robin’s work as a visual artist, her role as Founder/Director of Friends of the Chakchiuma Swamp, and how she uses art in her conservation and community work. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Larry Morrisey visits with writer Richard Grant. Grant, known for "Dispatches from Pluto," his book on his time living in a remote community in the Delta, has just published "The Deepest South of All," a look at the city of Natchez and how its long history continues to impact contemporary life in the town. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Malcolm White speaks with Lawrence Wells, Oxford-based writer about his new book, In Faulkner’s Shadow. Wells is the author of three novels, director of Yoknapatawpha Press in Oxford, and was married to the late Dean Faulkner Wells, William Faulkner’s only niece. His new book is a memoir recounting not only family stories and rivalries, but also bears witness to Wells’ front row seat in an emerging literary community. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Melody Moody Thortis speaks to MAC's Director of Arts Industry, Kristen Brandt. In addition to managing MAC's grants to arts institutions across the state, Kristen also manages literary arts related grants and projects including the Poet Laureate and the Mississippi Writers trail. Kristen also serves as the point person for MAC's emergency preparedness initiative including overseeing COVID-19 relief grants. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Larry Morrisey talks with poet and writer Aimee Nezhukumatathil from Oxford. They will talk about her latest book, "Worlds of Wonder." It is a series of essays about Aimee's love of unique animals and plants and her personal connections to their stories. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Malcolm White speaks with Betsy Bradley, director of the Mississippi Museum of Art as well as Ryan Dennis, the Museum’s new chief curator and artistic director of the Center for Art & Public Exchange (CAPE). The group discusses the Museum’s current exhibit, Van Gogh, Degas, Monet and Their Times: The Mellon Collection of French Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, as well as their experience of operating the art museum during a pandemic. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week on the Mississippi Arts Hour, Melody Moody Thortis speaks to Jasmine Williams, a writer, a creative producer and a social entrepreneur. Jasmine is the creator of Sipp Talk Media, a digital platform and creative message company that using storytelling platforms to change the narrative of Mississippi and to center the stories of black experiences. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, remembering the late Mississippi jazz drummer Alvin Fielder. Larry talks with Chad Anderson (pictured), one of Fielder's former students, about Fielder's roots in Meridian, his long career as a musician, and his creative ethos that guided his work.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Malcolm White talks with Arden Barnett, owner and operator of Ardenland, a music management and promotion company responsible for bringing a wide variety of musical acts to the metro area. The longtime friends discuss the state of the music business during the pandemic and the future of small, independent entertainment venues such as Duling Hall in Jackson. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Malcolm White talks with Cary Hudson, a legendary Mississippi guitarist, singer and songwriter best known for playing in the alt-country band Blue Mountain as well as his solo career. On the remotely recorded show, the two spoke about Hudson’s lengthy career in music, his experiences in on the road and at home as well as current projects. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Melody Moody Thortis talks with Carol Roark, a landscape painter and director of the Charleston Arts and Revitalization Effort(C.A.R.E.) in Charleston, Mississippi. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Malcolm White talks to photographer Ashleigh Coleman, who was recently named the 2020 State Fellow for Mississippi by South Arts. As a mother living in rural Mississippi, Ashleigh’s work often focuses on a sense of place and the requirements, complexities and messiness of motherhood. The two discuss the award, Ashleigh’s inherited Hasselblad camera and more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Melody Moody Thortis speaks with River Prince, owner of the Prince Sign Company in Ellisville. Prince works to merge the functions of traditional sign painting with branding, metal fabrication, design and craftsmanship. They talk about his work, his technique and some of his favorite community projects. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Larry Morrisey visits with acoustic blues musician Libby Rae Watson from Pascagoula. Watson is a native of the Gulf Coast and got to know several legendary Mississippi bluesmen when she was first starting out. She is a member of the Arts Commission’s Artist Roster. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Malcolm White speaks with Kim Caron, owner of the The Caron Gallery in Tupelo. Located on the city’s Main Street, the gallery represents approximately 40 artists, from various cities, towns and communities across Mississippi. Since 2018, the gallery has been worked with the production team of HGTV’s Home Town show in Laurel. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Larry Morrisey talks with Tom Booth, Executive Director at Tupelo Community Theatre. They discuss the group’s long history in Tupelo, their work restoring the historic Lyric Theater and how TCT has become a gathering point for the theater community in Northeast Mississippi. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Malcolm White talks with Ke Francis, a Tupelo-based visual artist known for his prints and paintings. Francis, along with his wife Mary, owns Hoopsnake Press, a fine art press that publishes artist books and prints. Malcolm and Ke talk about the artistic process, teaching and what it was like growing up in Tupelo. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.