Mississippi Arts Hour

Melody Moody Thortis talks to Ann Madden, photographer, graphic designer, mixed media artist, and co-owner of Smith & Lens gallery in Bay St. Louis. Ann and Melody discuss Ann’s early life growing up in New Orleans and studying in France as well as inspiration for her art and her work to plan popular Bay St. Louis events such as “Frida Fest” and “Dolly Should” as part of her work with Smith an...

Malcolm White interviews Pascagoula restaurateur Richard Chenoweth, owner of Scranton's Restaurant and Catering. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Larry Morrisey visits with writer and humorist Harrison Scott Key. A native of Rankin County, Key currently teaches at the Savannah School for Art and Design. His latest book, “Congratulations – Who Are You Again?” is a memoir of his time learning to be a writer, from his earliest attempts at trying to write through to the endless book tour he took on to promote his first book. Hosted on Acast. Se...

Larry Morrisey talks with musician, producer and MAC Roster Artist Christopher “Big Yayo” Mabry. Mabry is best known for his hit southern soul songs “Cowgirl” and “Boots On.” They talk about his family’s musical history, his early work as a musician while growing up in Holmes County and his development as a producer as well as his recent success as a performer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...

Malcolm White interviews Hank Burdine, Mississippi Delta writer and bon vivant. He is the author the new book Dust in the Road: Recollections of a Delta Boy, a collection of his stories from Delta Magazine. The book features a forward by 2019 Governor’s Arts Award recipient Julia Reed and an epilogue by Richard Grant. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melody Moody Thortis talks to Monique Davis, the new director of the Center for Art and Public Exchange at the Mississippi Museum of Art. The Center’s mission is to use original artworks, exhibitions, programs, and engagements with artists to increase understanding and inspire new narratives in contemporary Mississippi. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A re-broadcast of a 2011 interview with Jackson photographer James Patterson, who passed away on October 21st. In the show, Larry Morrisey talked with James about the origins of his interest in photography as a child, working as the printer of Eudora Welty’s Depression era photos, and his series of portraits of Mississippi artists, for which he received an Artist Fellowship grant from MAC. Hosted...

Malcolm White talks to author and political consultant Jere Nash. They talk about Nash growing up in Greenville, his work as a political consultant and creating the Mississippi Book Festival. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Larry Morrisey visits with Jim O’Neal, co-founder of Living Blues magazine and one of the primary researchers for the Mississippi Blues Trail. They talk about his long career in documenting the blues, focusing on his work on the Mississippi Blues Trail over the past decade. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more 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 Sout...

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast....

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Malcolm White interviews John Howell, actor, founder of Fondren Theatre Workshop, and teacher at Whole Schools Initiative-affiliated Casey Elementary. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mo...

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.