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Taking AiM...The Newsletter of Arts in McNairy
In This Issue
Broom Corn Festival
Latta Building Proposal
Circuit Riders Wife
Community Choir and Band
2008 Photography Contest
Fall Cultural Calendar
Quick Links
Visit our Website and Blog
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September 2008 
Dear Friends of Arts in McNairy,
 
We are excited to share our new email version of "Taking AiM" with you!  This trial version is being sent to a select group of our members,  patrons and friends and we would like to know what you think.   
 
For some time now we have been transitioning to primarily electronic forms of communication with our website and blog so friends like you can get AiM information on demand.  The email newsletter format will allow for even more flexibility in our communications and we plan to use it just as we did the old print version of "Taking AiM" to keep everyone up to date on Arts in McNairy events and happenings. 
 
So, enjoy and make sure you drop us a line to give us your suggestions!  We would love for you to leave your comments on the AiM blog and join our mailing list by clicking on the appropriate links in the left column.  
 
As always, we want to thank you for helping Arts in McNairy, take AiM on the arts!
This Weekend's Broom Corn Festival Kicks Off Impressive Fall Events Calendar
 Jack Martin
The 13th annual Broom Corn Festival will be held Saturday, September 20th from 10:00 to 5:00 at the Selmer City Park.  Dozens of folk artists will be demonstrating and as always, there will be live music, food and family fun all day long, rain or shine.  Admission is only $3.00 and children under 6 get in free.  Parking is also free.
 
Sponsored by Hockaday Handmade Brooms, the Broom Corn Festival is one of the premier folk and heritage festivals in the midsouth.  The day long event has enjoyed increasing success and exposure since being moved to the Selmer City Park at the south intersection of Hwys 45 and 64 two years ago.  At that time, the McNairy County Chamber of Commerce came on board as a major sponsor, recognizing both the tourism opportunity and the tremendous rural heritage preservation potential associate with the festival.
 
Hockaday Brooms owner and festival promoter Jack Martin is a McNairy County native and a cultural treasure.  Jack has appeared on HGTV, DIY Network and numerous Public Broadcasting programs.  He has also been featured in various national magazines and  has a broom in the Smithsonian in Washington.  Jack is widely known in folk art circles as a dedicated educator and preservationist, traveling to schools and fairs around the southeast just to, in his own words, "Keep the craft alive." 
 
Don't miss the 13th Annual Broomcorn Festival this weekend.  Stop by the AiM booth, while you are there and pick up an advance copy of the new AiM Artisan Trail brochure, set to be released this fall on rack stands around Southwest Tennessee.        
 
Learn more about Hockaday Brooms and the festival at: www.hhbrooms.com        
Latta Building Proposal is a Go!
 
Latta
Last week, the McNairy County Commission gave,
what appears to be, the final green light to the Latta Building 
proposal. The commission authorized the county to enter into two agreements that will ultimately make the long awaited center a reality.  The first agreement authorizes the purchase of the property with the assistance of a USDA Rural Development grant/loan.  The second, will allow the county to access existing T-21 grant monies to refurbish and equip the building as a welcome center...but not just any old welcome center. 
 
As a joint venture between TDOT, the county, Arts in McNairy and local economic development groups, plans for the center have, from the outset, included various ideas that would welcome visitors to Southwest Tennessee with a strong flavor of local heritage and culture.  Visitors will be able to learn about the importance of transportation in the development of the area's culture and heritage while being invited to travel the highways and byways of McNairy County to experience it first hand.  AiM Artisan Trail, Bufford Pusser legacy tours, Civil War Heritage, Trail of Tears history, Old Purdy, Western Natchez Trace, musical heritage tours and rail transportation history are all being considered for inclulsion.  Exhibits, video presentations, interactive events and maps encouraging visitors to attend local happenings and attractions have all been discussed as a part of the proposal.  Staffed by Chamber of Commerce personnel, the center will be open and accessible during regular business hours and available for cultural events evenings and weekends. 
 
More information will be forthcoming as the plan takes shape.  An artists rendering depicting what the final  building might look like is pictured above.  The image is courtesy of TLM and Associates of Jackson, the engineering firm contracted to oversee the project.
                        
Circuit Riders Wife - The Musical  Opens New Theatre Season October 4th & 5th
 
CameoThe Arts in McNairy theatre season opens October 4th & 5th with two Saturday performances (2:00 PM and 7:30 PM) and a Sunday matinee (2:00 PM) of "Circuit Riders Wife - The Musical."  All shows will be performed at McNairy Central High School's Little theatre and tickets are only available at the door.
 
Arts in McNairy is proud to be among the first Tennessee theatre groups to perform the musical which is based on the novel by Corra Harris.  It was adapted for the stage by Doris Dennison Burns and and includes 14 original songs by her husband Dr. Jim Burns who is a music professor at Lee University.  As a rare treat, audience members will be able to meet the Burns', who plan to be at the closing performance.  A reception in their honor is being held following the Sunday performance and everyone is invited to attend.   
 
The show is a, surprisingly contemporary, musical comedy set against the backdrop of the "Redwine Circuit," in early 1900's rural appalachia.  It has garnered several honors and delighted audiences throughout the south since it's debut in October 2002.  "We've had more fun putting this show together than anything We've ever done for AiM," said director Bryan Essary, "We can't wait to share it with audiences!" 
 
Learn more about the show at: 
http://faculty.leeu.edu/~jburns/
       
Community Chorus and Band Announce Rehearsal Schedules, Seek Participants 
 
Community Band LogoThe AiM community chorus and band have become something of holiday tradition in McNairy County.  The project involves literally hundreds of volunteer musicians and singers and attracts an average attendance of 600-700.  This years concert is scheduled for 7:00 PM Thursday, December 4 at Lakeview Baptist Church. 
 
AiM President, Pam Stackhouse has just announced the schedule for both groups which are open to community participants.  Stackhouse, who also serves as the Music Committee Chair will coordinate the Holiday Singers Community Choir while AiM board member, Ronnie Brooks will direct the Community Band.  The schedule for both is listed below.  Contact Pam Stackhouse at (731) 645-7629 or (731) 645-0253 for more details. 
 
Holiday Singers will rehearse form 6:30-8:00 at Lakeview Baptist Church Sanctuary on the following dates:
 
Thursday November 6
Thursday November 13
Thursday November 20
Monday November 24
Tuesday December 2
 
Community Band will rehearse from 6:00-8:00 at the Selmer Middle School band hall on the following dates:
 
Monday September 8 
Monday September 22      
Monday September 29     
Monday October 6
Monday October 20
Monday October 27
Monday November 3rd
Monday November 10th 
 
Please note that these schedules may be updated as the concert approaches and some joint rehearsals are being discussed for late November.  Check with Stackhouse and Brooks for more details.
2008 Photography Contest Accepting Entries
 
Arts in McNairy is now accepting entries for the popular annual photography contest. The competition that routinely draws hundreds of entries from around the area is open to amateurs of all ages.
 
Prizes are being awarded in several categories including: natural landscape; architecture; people; pets, animals and wildlife; black and white; digital/computer enhanced and McNairy County subjects. All entries must be matted or dry mounted in 8x10 or 5x7 format. No framed entries will be accepted. No previously published photos or past winners in the AiM photo contest are eligible for entry. Both digital and traditional film images are welcome.
 
Submission deadline is 4:00 p.m. Friday October 3, 2008 at the UTM Center in Selmer. Mail in entries should be postmarked by Monday, September 29, 2008 and sent to: U.T. Martin Selmer, Attn: George Souders/AiM Photo Contest, 1269 Tennessee Street, Selmer, TN 38375. All entries must be accompanied by an entry form available at the UTM Center, McNairy Central High School (George Souders) or at Selmer Chiropractic Center, 134 Warren Ave. in Selmer. Downloadable application forms and further information are available at:  www.artsinmcnairy.blogspot.com. 
 
Contest chair Mark Boehler can be reached at 662-808-MARK or AiM visual arts chair George Souders at 731-645-5441 for more details.   
 
McNairy County Fall Cultural Calendar Offers Something For Everyone 
 
Fall may just be the best time to visit and live in McNairy County Tennessee.  With a number of exciting cultural festivals, the fall Artisan Trail tour, live music and top quality theatre there will truly be something for everyone. Add to that the splendor of a rural autumn and our legendary southern hospitality and it is easy to see why people love to come home to McNairy County - cultural crossroads of Southwest Tennessee.

McNairy County Fall Cultural Calendar

Hockaday Broomcorn Festival
Dozens of folk art displays and demonstrations, food & music
9:00 AM-5:00PM, Saturday, September 20
Selmer City Park
www.hhbroooms.com

AiM Photography Contest and Exhibit
Hundreds of regional amateur photographers
UTM Center Selmer/McNairy
Entry Deadline: October 3
Exhibit Dates: October 12-November 14
www.artsinmcnairy.blogspot.com

Celtic Concert
Smithfield Fair, Kula, Troen and Windance
7:00 PM, September 26
Rose Creek Village
www.rosecreekvillage.com

VillageFest
Celebrating village life and culture around the globe
10AM-10PM, Saturday, September 27
Rose Creek Village
www.rcviallgefest.com

Circuit Riders Wife
Hilarious musical comedy by Arts in McNairy theatre
Sat. 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM; Sun. 2:00 PM, October 4 & 5
McNairy Central Little Theatre
www.artsinmcnairy.blogspot.com

Bethel Springs Quilt Show
Hundreds of quilts from around the Midsouth
October 17 & 18
Bethel Springs United Pentecostal Church

Arts in McNairy Artisan Trail
Visit Artisans in their studios and purchase their wares
10:00 AM-5:00 PM, November 15
All around McNairy County
www.artsinmcnairy.com

Adamsville Street Festival
Rural heritage activities, music, food and family fun
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM, November 15
Downtown Adamsville
www.abiz.org

A Christmas Carol
The Christmas classic comes to life on stage/AiM Theatre
November, 21, 22 & 23; Fri. and Sat. 7:30 PM; Sun. 2:00 PM
McNairy Central Little Theatre
www.artsinmcnairy.com/

Arts in McNairy Holiday Singers and Community Band Concert
All local voices and musicians performing holiday favorites
7:00 PM, December 4
Lakeview Baptist Church
www.artsinmcnairy.com
 
Look for stories containing more information about these and other McNairy County events in future email newsletters.

 
Arts in McNairy is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation chartered in McNairy County Tennessee to:
  • foster and encourage the development of local arts programs
  • provide opportunities for all citizens to participate in the arts
  • preserve and promote the cultural strengths of McNairy County

Please help us "take AiM on the arts," by making a tax deductible contribution to Arts in McNairy or participating in our Corporate Partners Program.  More details are availbe on the AiM Website at:  www.artsinmcnairy.com