Mississippi Arts Hour

Sarah Story interviews Ralph Eubanks about his new book, "A Place like Mississippi: A Journey Through a Real and Imagined Literary Landscape." They talk about Ralph’s experiences of growing up on a farm in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement, returning to the state after a long absence, and how he was inspired to write a book about the literary landscape of the state. The two also discuss...

Larry Morrisey talks with musician and composer Igor Iwanek. Iwanek combines academic training in western classical music with longtime independent study of Indian classical music to create music that fuses the multiple traditions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Story speaks with Catherine Pierce, Mississippi’s new Poet Laureate. Pierce has been a professor of creative writing at Mississippi State University since moving to the state in 2007. She received the 2021 Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters’ Poetry Award for her book Danger Days. Sarah and Catherine discuss the role of the state’s environment on her work, why poetry is for everyone, a...

Melody Moody Thortis speaks with H.C. Porter, a visual artist whose work is often recognized due to its unique style and high contrast colors. As a photographer, printmaker and painter, Porter’s work as an artist and cultural ambassador is rooted in an effort to use the visual arts to tell the stories of Mississippians. They talk about her journey to document the people of Mississippi after Katrin...

Leslie Barker talks with Heather Barnes and Heather Bailey about Uproar Theatre Company, Inc.; a new company in Jackson, created by and led by women. Uproar works to create theatre that will inspire audiences and spark important community conversations.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Larry Morrisey travels to Malaco Records in Jackson to talk with label president Tommy Couch, Jr. Malaco has just published a large-format book that documents the history of the music label, from its beginnings as a small music booking operation and growing into a highly regarded independent record label focused on blues, R&B and gospel music.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m...

Sarah Story speaks with Cali Larson Noland, Griot Youth Program founder, and Leonette Henderson, Griot’s new executive director. Sarah speaks with the two about the founding of Clarksdale-based Griot and the diverse arts programs they offer for grades 3 – 12. They share their excitement for the opportunity to create new community in Clarksdale and talk about their local coffee shop, Meraki, which...

Leslie Barker talks with theatre artist and Jackson native, Melissa Mickens. Melissa is an actress, writer, director, producer, and teaching artist based in New York. She is the director of Adler Youth and Summer Shakespeare and the Black Arts Institute coordinator at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. The discussion includes thoughts on the vital importance of arts education and all aspects of th...

Melody Moody Thortis talks with Kristen Brock, Director of Programs and Promotions at Visit Hattiesburg and Director of the Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art. They discuss how Hattiesburg has embraced the arts as a driver for community growth, economic development and community engagement. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Larry Morrisey talks with composer Ivan Elezovic, a professor in the music department at Jackson State and one of this year’s MAC Artist Fellowship grantees. Larry and Ivan talk about his early years as a performer, discovering contemporary music and composition in college and his path to becoming a composer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mississippi Arts Commission Executive Director Sarah Story talks with Jackson-based visual artist Alexis McGrigg. They discuss her influences from the Mississippi School for the Arts, her journey from undergraduate painting to the graduate painting level, and McGrigg’s current exhibitions which reach from Mississippi to New York Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melody Moody Thortis speaks to Silbrina Wright, executive director of the Greater Jackson Arts Council (GJAC) about her work at the intersection of the arts and social justice. They talk about the efforts of the Greater Jackson Arts Council to grow its programming and expand its work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leslie Barker talks with visual artist and Mississippi Arts Commission Special Initiatives Director, Victoria Meek. They discuss Victoria’s love of museums and how they helped spark her passion for art at an early age. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Larry Morrisey talks with photographer and folklorist Robert Stone about "Can't Nobody Do Me Like Jesus!" his new book of photographs documenting the "sacred steel" music tradition. A group of African American churches use the steel guitar as their lead instrument. The churches are found throughout the eastern half of the US, including in north Mississippi. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...

Sarah Story talks with Benjamin Saulsberry, museum director of the Emmett Till Interpretive Center in Sumner. The two speak about the Emmett Till story and the work of the Interpretive Center. The Center was recently awarded a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support racial healing efforts and strategic planning to coordinate the preservation of the Mamie and Emmett Till story across...

Leslie Barker talks with her former student, Jay Jurden. Jay is a comedian, actor, and writer who was named one of the Comedians You Should and Will Know in 2020 by Vulture. He has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Featuring, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and HBO's High Maintenance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melody Moody Thortis speaks to Von Gordon, the Youth Engagement Manager at the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation about his work to use the arts as a tool to connect and empower young people across the state. They discuss the Winter Institute’s new Community of the Future Creatives Showcase contest, which serves as a way for middle and high school students across Mississippi to use...

Larry Morrisey visits with opera conductor Christopher James Ray. Ray is the resident conductor at Opera San Jose and a native of Sumrall, Mississippi. They talk about Ray's career and his recent work conducting a production of the opera "Three Decembers" that was presented virtually and has received a lot of favorable press in the opera community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...

Sarah Story speaks with curator Ryan Dennis about the newly opened Dusti Bongé exhibition at the Mississippi Museum of Art. Widely considered to be the first Mississippi artist to work consistently in a Modernist style, the exhibition includes works from throughout Dusti Bongé's career. Visitors will be able to experience her paintings, works on paper, and sculptures as well as see the influences...

Highlights of the annual Governor's Arts Awards ceremony. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leslie Barker talks with this year’s Governor’s Arts Awards honoree for Excellence in Literature, Jesmyn Ward. The first woman to win the National Book Award twice, a recipient of a McArthur Genius Grant, and one of Time Magazine’s Most Influential People of 2018, Ward’s writing pulls deeply from her Mississippi roots. It’s a conversation about storytelling, community, education, and life in DeLis...

Melody Moody Thortis talks with Raphael Semmes, who is being recognized this year with a Governor’s Arts Award as a Cultural Ambassador. Raphael is a lifelong musician, songwriter and event organizer based in Jackson who has contributed to the music and festival scene across the state for decades. His creation of the song, "Feels like coming home" was recorded for Visit Mississippi as a reminder o...

Sarah Story interviews the Governor’s Arts Awards recipient for Excellence in Media Arts, Arthur Jafa. An acclaimed artist, film maker and cinematographer, Jafa has worked to address African American identity through contemporary imagery for the past three decades. The two discuss Jafa’s early years in Clarksdale and Tupelo, films and comic books that influenced him, his time at Howard University...

Larry Morrisey talks with 2021 Governor’s Arts Award recipient Nellie McInnis (aka Nellie Mack). McInnis is a Jackson-based bass player and band leader. She has played with several legendary Mississippi blues and R&B musicians and currently leads a number of groups. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leslie Barker talks with GRAMMY award-winning musician and this year’s Governor’s Arts Awards Lifetime Achievement honoree, Benjamin Wright. Wright, a native of Greenville, shares stories about his work with Michael Jackson, Gladys Knight, Earth, Wind & Fire, Justin Timberlake, and countless other musical legends. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.