Browsing: Arts / Culture

When people talk about the soundtrack of America, Mississippi is always playing in the background. The Magnolia State gave birth to the blues, nurtured gospel and soul, and shaped the rhythms of country and rock. You can’t talk about American music without talking about Mississippi.

Among its distinguished holdings, the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection is honored to house the papers of H.A. and Margret Rey, creators of Curious George. This fall, the de Grummond Collection at The University of Southern Mississippi will welcome members of the Rey family to Hattiesburg for a reunion and host a series of events Oct. 23-28 to celebrate their first visit to the Rey Collection and de Grummond.

The late Floyd Sulser spent 40 years building a rare collection of work by Eudora Welty, an American short-story writer, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, photographer and Mississippian. Now, scholars and fans can enjoy the works at the University of Mississippi’s J.D. Williams Library.

The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra–the oldest orchestral ensemble in Mississippi-proudly announces its 106th concert season, “American Perspectives,” exploring the vast variety of American music, from pioneering classics to bold modern voices.

Mississippi may be known for its catfish, magnolias, and football rivalries, but the soul of the state plays out in something deeper — the music. Specifically, the blues. Mississippi is widely regarded as the birthplace of the blues, a genre that grew out of hardship, heritage, and the haunting beauty of the Delta.

Ask just about anyone in Mississippi what makes our state so special, and you’ll hear a range of answers—our food, our people, our sunsets, even our football. And while all of those are true, there’s one fact that stands above the rest, one that still sends a ripple through history: Mississippi is where America’s music was born.

Wren Moore, now six years old, first visited Mississippi’s Art Museum and fell in love with drawing when she was only three years old. Now, Moore is using her love of art to create art galleries of her work at home, helping others.

Hattiesburg is known for its dedication to amplifying the arts and putting on an unforgettable show. Every year, Festival South makes its grand return to the Hub City. As you may know, Festival South is a one-of-a-kind festival where visitors are encouraged to engulf their entire being in the celebration of the arts. 

In the heart of Lumberton High School, students have turned grief into art. A group of students, led by art…

A recent collaboration between the Lighthouse Academy for Dyslexia, the Resurrection Catholic School Choir, and Sean Gasaway of the Mississippi Songwriters Alliance, has resulted in an inspirational song called “His Story.”

Ragtime and early jazz players from across the country will gather at the University of Mississippi when the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest and Festival celebrates its 51st edition over the Memorial Day weekend.

In a spacious common room inside the historic Hattiesburg Cultural Center, laughter echoes as a group of seniors huddle together, reading from scripts and exchanging inside jokes. 

The south features incredible storied streets seeped with buildings from bygone days and dotted with ancient live oak canopies draped in Spanish moss, and Mississippi is no exception.

The University of Southern Mississippi’s Bands Department will host a week of free, family-friendly concert events beginning April 25 at 7:30 p.m., when the Symphonic Winds performs Dr. Colin McKenzie’s favorites as he steps away from the podium after the event to focus on his role as director of the School of Music. On April 27 at 3 p.m., a Sunday afternoon double-header of the University Band and the Hattiesburg Concert Band will feature a program of classic wind band literature.

Something about being outdoors breathing the aroma of pines on a slightly chilled spring morning can make you feel naked before God even if you’re wearing a sweater.

The Mississippi Film Society’s first film festival celebrated creativity from across the state, but the University of Mississippi was all over the credits.