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Levitt Shell Celebrates Black History Month And Survival
Thumbnail: The Levitt Shell’s special concert series for Black History Month is about more than great music. It’s also about a nonprofit organization defining its own unique contributions to equity in...
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Special Memories Of Hal Holbrook
When I was in high school, I was fortunate enough to see Mark Twain Tonight…twice. If you want to know why once was not enough, check out the video above of a segment of Hal Holbrook’s one-man play...
View ArticleLooking At Downtown’s Future Through Carl Person’s Eyes
Thumbnail: Projects on the downtown horizon – Tom Lee Park’s transformation, The Walk at Union construction, a new Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, and the projects of the Downtown Memphis Commission –...
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Theaster Gates And Tom Lee Park: Makings Of A Memphis Arts Masterpiece
Theaster Gates, internationally acclaimed artist – social practice installation artist, to be precise – was in Memphis last week to contemplate a role in a reimagined Tom Lee Park. It...
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A Special Music Event: Acoustic Sunday Live, December 5
In a city whose music is a gift to the world, Acoustic Sunday Live is each year a gift of music to Memphis itself. This year’s edition will be at 7 p.m. on December 5 at First Congregational Church....
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Three Music Events To Mark On Your Calendar
There are more music-related events to put on your calendar. There’s Acoustic Live Sunday at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 1000 Cooper. It stars American electric blues singer Shemekia...
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This Is The Golden Age Of Memphis Monuments
Memphis has made some monumental decisions and because of it, it’s on the leading edge of a movement. At a time when most cities are still coming to grips with whether their monuments skew their real...
View ArticleIris Orchestra Honors Memphian Peter Formanek
Three months ago, Iris Orchestra announced that it would disband at the end of this, its 22nd season. That means our opportunities to enjoy this special community cultural asset have dwindled to only...
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Breaking My Rule On Podcasts: Champions of the Lost Causes
OK, I admit it. I don’t listen to podcasts. It’s not about the podcasts; it’s about me. I don’t have the patience to watch a five-minute youtube video, so podcasts just seemed like one hill too high...
View ArticleNew Era For Overton Park Shell: New Mission and Taking It To The Streets
Memphis’ WPA-built band shell in Overton Park has reached back to the 1930s to reclaim its name – Overton Park Shell – while looking to its future with a 21st century focus – equity and creative...
View ArticleIris Orchestra And Collage Dance Collective Celebrate Brazil Night Saturday
As it moves to dissolve at the end of this season, I recently wrote about how we need to attend a concert by Iris Orchestra to celebrate its 22 years of artistic contribution to our community. One...
View ArticleA National Museum Proves Its Metal With A Lease For College of Art
The future of the former College of Art building in Overton Park took a major step forward this week when Memphis Metal Museum signed a lease to renovate and move into the architecturally significant...
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RiverArtsFest: An October Weekend of Art, Equity, and Hope
RiverArtsFest – recognized as one of the 200 best festivals last year – lives up to its name again this year as it returns to the river for its 16th edition this coming Saturday and Sunday. It’s a...
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Another Special Night of Music: Acoustic Sunday Live! December 4
In a city whose music is a gift to the world, Acoustic Sunday Live is each year a gift of music to Memphis itself. This year’s edition will be Sunday at 7 p.m. on December 4 at First Congregational...
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Iris Collection Chamber Concert Feb. 9
A celebration of the culture arts and a salute to diversity will be on display at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, February 9 at Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Avenue Iris Collective – continuing the legacy of...
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Black Arts Alliance Enters Its Fourth Decade of Impact
Lar’Juanette Williams has played many roles in her extensive acting career but none means more to Memphis than her present role as executive director of the Memphis Black Arts Alliance. It would be...
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Tom Lee Poetry Winners Say Volumes About Our Students
A highlight on my annual calendar is the Tom Lee Poetry and Spoken World Contest for high school students in Shelby County. It is an annual reminder that creativity continues to be an essential part...
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Civil Rights Museum, Once A Long Shot, Now Lives Up To The National In Its Name
The National Civil Rights Museum has announced yet another expansion and renovation and it is a good time to celebrate this vital national monument that almost wasn’t built and once faced a takeover by...
View ArticleThe Problem With “Based on Actual Events”
Photo Credit: History vs. Hollywood By John Branston So the hit movie “The Blind Side” was based on possibly actual events based on other sort of actual events based on selected actual events as...
View ArticleAcoustic Sunday Live! December 5 – Annual Protect Our Aquifer Benefit
The dazzling lineup this year, the 5th benefit for Protect Our Aquifer, includes Shemekia Copeland, Tracy Nelson, Tim O’Brien, Loudon Wainwright III, John Nemeth, Susan Marshall, Reba Russell, Joe...
View ArticleArts And Culture’s Value Even More Than $193 Million In Spending
Americans for the Arts recently released another of its economic impact studies for arts and culture, and as usual, it invokes mixed emotions. First, it’s incredible that the total spending by arts and...
View ArticleData Points: Nonprofit Arts and Culture Spending
Total Spending by Entire Nonprofit Arts and Culture Industry: $980.0 million – Atlanta $868.7 million – St. Louis $543.3 million – Raleigh $523.8 million – Indianapolis $510.6 million – Kansas City...
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