The Sidebar with Eric Barnes

International exhibition "Café Society" at Dixon Gallery and Gardens centers on Belle Époque Paris and explores how Parisian cafés shaped the city's culture from 1855-1914. Julie Pierotti, the Martha R. Robinson Curator of the Dixon, was the primary organizer of the exhibition. She joins us today to discuss the exhibition, as well as with the process of coordination it requires.

Robby, who is the executive director of WYXR, joined this week's episode of The Sidebar to talk about how the station has evolved in its six years, the range of program and events WYXR supports, and the station's growth into a full-blown arts and community organization.

John Zeanah has written a book:  Today's Comprehensive Plan: An Adaptive Approach , which he describes as the book he wished he'd had when he started a project as big as Memphis 3.0 . Zeanah joined Eric Barnes on "The Sidebar" to talk about the book, his history of planning in Memphis, and more. They touched on some of the controversies around Memphis 3.0 and focused on the differences between the...

Two music festivals are coming to South Main this weekend, as the Ghost River Brewing Co.'s Made to Wander Music Festival and the South Main Songwriter Festival kick off . Organizers from both festivals - Tori Keskey with Ghost River Brewing and Mike Mielenhausen with the South Main Songwriter Festival - joined this week's episode to talk about events, the music, and - of course - the beer at Ghos...

Olivia Wall, director of marketing and communications for Memphis Botanic Garden, joined this week's episode to talk about Live at the Garden's 2026 line up, including the first show featuring the band Alabama on June 13. The full line up and ticket information is here on Live at the Garden's site .

For the 30,000 children in Shelby County who get a book every month from Books from Birth, the benefits are innumberable. But getting those same books to the 30,000 kids in Shelby County who aren't in the Books from Birth program is the work of Wynett Jones and Porter-Leath.  Jones, program director for Books from Birth, joined this week's episode of "The Sidebar." The program, which is statewide,...

New Memphis' president and CEO, Anna Mullins, joined this week's episode of "The Sidebar" to talk about the organization's mission in Memphis, how their role has evolved over time, and that the impact of COVID has changed how and why people choose where to work and live.

Restaurateur Karen Carrier joins Eric Barnes to talk about Legacy at the Table , a three-part dinner series where Carrier translates the history of Memphis College of Art into unique menus that take guests on a journey through different eras of the school. Karen also talks about her time at MCA, how she began her career and her food artistry. 

Ramona Sonin is creative director of Memphis Art & Fashion Week, which starts May 4 at the Brooks Museum of Art, including a Met Gala watch party, a high tea, aperitifs and, of course, a runway show at the museum. Sonin, who also created and runs the fashion program at the University of Memphis, joined this week's episode of "The Sidebar" to talk about the event, its origins just three years ago,...

Holly Whitfield sits in for Eric Barnes with Tennessee Ballet Theater interim director Ashley Hannah Davis. They discuss Tennessee Ballet Theater's upcoming show, 901 Stories: Down on Beale. They also discuss the local memphis dance scene, Holly's secret past as a dancer and Ashley Hannah's career in dance. 

Sylvia Martinez, President and CEO of Girls Inc. of Memphis, joins Eric Barnes to talk about the organizations evolution from its beginning as Girls Club of America. She also talks about the importance of the Girls Inc. Youth Farm in Frayser as a thriving hub for community engagement and sustainable agriculture. And they discuss the upcoming Luncheon Celebration 2026, the annual fundraising event...

Executive director of Ballet Memphis Andrew Goldberg joins host Eric Barnes to talk about upcoming performances (including Romeo & Juliet and Peter Pan), how ballet and Memphis intersect and summer camps/programming.

For many people, the Y is a gym. For others, it's a place to swim. But one of the biggest impacts the YMCA of Memphis and the Mid-South has is on the 14,000 kids they work with across the Mid-South. Brian McLaughlin, group's CEO, joined Eric Barnes to talk about that impact kids and families on this week's episode of "The Sidebar."

Marina Pacini — the former chief curator for the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art —talks about plans for the museum's plans for an exhibition marking the Memphis College of Art's history and impact.

When the historic Annesdale Mansion suffered through a fire in January , more than a few people worried whether the house would be restored. But Bill Townsend, who bought the house in 2023 and did a nearly $2 million renovation, has assured everyone that Annesdale will be restored. Host Eric Barnes is joined by Bill for this week's episode of The Sidebar. They talked not just about Annesdale, but...

In a world where technology sometimes seems to have overwhelmed music, the world of Memphis Youth Symphony Program is refreshing. The organization's executive director, Jenny Davis, joined Eric Barnes on this week's episode of "The Sidebar" to talk about the group's programs and its history. Davis, who was a flutist and music teacher at Rhodes, also talked about the increasingly competitive realit...

Alicia George really enjoys talking to people. Which is good, given her new role as co-executive director of Indie Memphis, which has big plans for a rebooted film festival in the fall. As Indie Memphis bounces back from a year without its signature film festival, Alicia joined Eric Barnes on this week's episode of "The Sidebar" to talk about the organization's future.

Artist Brantley Ellzey joins Eric Barnes on this week's episode of "The Sidebar" to talk about work, his life and his Crosstown Arts exhibit, titled "Reflection + Ritual + Refuge."

Jee Vahn Knight, the CEO of BVO, talks about the attraction's opening on March 7, the next phases of expansion and how their business model works. 

Sarah Leach, The Daily Memphian's director of fundraising and development, joins Eric Barnes on this week's episode.

For Lakenna Booker, Memphis Merit Academy is about so many things — helping young kids with literacy, creating a thriving school for parents and their children, investing in her neighborhood, and more. Booker, who is the executive director of Memphis Merit Academy, joined Eric Barnes to talk about the charter school she founded in Parkway Village in 2019.

Lauren Ready has spent decades as a documentarian and TV journalist. Now she's become an author, using her foundation in journalism to help business leaders and others to, as she says it, reveal deeper truths. Ready joined Eric Barnes to talk about her first book, " Ask Like a Leader: A Method for Revealing Deeper Truth and Turning Blind Spots into  Breakthroughs ." Ready, who is also the co-found...

Virginia Reed Murphy, founder of Everystory, joins Eric Barnes to talk about the organization's name change and how the mission stays the same.

Katie Smythe of New Ballet Ensemble joins Eric Barnes to talk about turning the old Humes Middle School into a school focused on the arts for middle and high school students. - a project with a scale that is incredibly ambitious. The funding needs are massive and the timeline is not short.

Nick Barbian joins Eric Barnes on The Sidebar to talk about the goals for the outdoor venue located at Grind City Brewing in North Memphis.