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| Arts in McNairy Donates "A Tennessee Folklore Sampler" to County Libraries | |
AiM President, Leanne Emmons, (standing) presents to McConnico Library Director, Norma Humphries (seated).  |
Last week, Arts in McNairy donated copies of "A Tennessee Folklore Sampler" to McNairy County's two public libraries. Jack McConnico Library in Selmer and Irving Meek Jr. Library in Adamsville were the recipients of the volume that was published in 2009 by the University of Tennessee Press in cooperation with the Tennessee Folklore Society. A Tennessee Folklore Sampler is a selection of articles published in the Tennessee Folklore Society Bulletin 1935-2009. The bulletin is the oldest and perhaps most influential publication of its kind in the nation. The sampler includes articles and photos pertaining to Tennessee's unique legends, customs, crafts, stories, music and much more.
"We thought it would be a nice way to say thank you for the library's continuing support of the Arts in McNairy Book Club," said Arts in McNairy President and Literary Chair, Leanne Emmons. The AiM Book Club meets in the conference room of the Library on the 3rd Thursday of each month. "They have been so encouraging and we just wanted to call attention to the good work the libraries do in this county," she continued. Emmons also noted that making the books available to county residents would further AiM's mission to preserve and promote the cultural attributes of southwest Tennessee.
The Folklore Sampler seems especially fitting since it contains a 1998 article by Sandy Conatser and Dr. David Schnaufer about the Tennessee music box which makes reference to McNairy County's role in the development of this unusual folk instrument. The stringed instrument is a box dulcimer that seems to have originated in the state's southernmost counties around the Tennessee River in the mid 1800's. Only a handful of the instruments survive and several of these are believed to have a McNairy County connection.
Library directors Norma Humphries and Marsha Jernigan Henley expressed their appreciation for the donations and say the books will soon be available to the public as an important part of their Tennessee Collections. |
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Oklahoma Auditions May 3 & 4 | |
Two nights of auditions for the upcoming Arts in McNairy production of Oklahoma will be held 6:00-8:00 PM, Monday, May 3 & Tuesday, May 4. Auditions will be in the music room at Selmer Community Center 230, North 5th Street in Selmer, TN.
A perennial Rogers and Hammerstein favorite, Oklahoma calls for a large cast with plenty of roles for men, women, children and actors of all experience levels. Be prepared to read from the script, perform a few simple dance steps in groups and sing a few bars for the music director. Lot's of extras, musicians and a large production crew will also be required.
Oklahoma is being directed by AiM Performing Arts Chair, Bryan Essary and production dates are July 9-12, 2010. As is the custom for AiM's summer Broadway series, five shows will be performed. Come join the fun! |
| Music and Public Art Take Center Stage at June 2010 Rockabilly Highway Revival |
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Above: Jason Thomas and the Mean-Eyed Cats will perform at the 2010 Rockabilly Highway Revival
 | The musical lineup for the 2010 Rockabilly Highway Revival has just been announced. Information is also being made available about two new public art installations that will take place in conjunction with the event.
The 2009 Rockabilly Highway Revival and Rockabilly Highway Mural dedication were run-away successes attracting music fans, art lovers, period car enthusiasts and just about everyone else, it seemed. Some estimated attendance as high as 5,000 for the inaugural, June, festival sponsored by Arts in McNairy, McNairy Regional Alliance, Selmer Business Alliance and the city of Selmer.
This year's Rockabilly Revival is planned for June 12 and a schedule of events will be announced at a later date. The festival pays homage to the McNairy County's famed Rockabilly music roots with an all day celebration including, live music, food vendors, public art dedication, period car and motorcycle shows, "Artist's Alley," 5K run, carnival and a multitude of other exiting attractions.
Music offerings will again include Nashville's Rockabilly bad boy, Phil Hummer with his all female accompaniment The White Falcons. New to this year's stage will be North Georgia's Jason Thomas and the Mean-Eyed Cats, who are well known to the Chattanooga music scene. The headlining act will be Carl Perkins' and Johnny Cash's original drummer and Sun Records recording legend, W.S. Holland with his excellent group of sidemen from Jackson, Tennessee. A few musical surprises are expected to round out the day. Check the bands out at the links below.
Arts in McNairy will also dedicate two more pieces of public art that are part of a multiyear plan to develop a scenic walking trail in downtown Selmer. Each piece will commemorate some aspect of the county's rich musical heritage and are funded in part by Tennessee Arts Commission grants. McNairy County metal artists Tim Pace and Bob Brooks have been commissioned to complete two very different sculptures to be placed in Selmer's new green space and farmer's market at the corner of Court Avenue and Front Street. See examples of the artist's work by clicking on their website links below. This year's Rockabilly Revival festivities are slated to open with the park and sculpture dedications.
Rockabilly Revival Artist Links:
Jason Thomas and the Mean-Eyed Cats
Phil Hummer and the White Falcons
The W.S. Holland Band
Eco-Art by Tim Pace
Bob Brooks Metal Art
| | Follow Arts in McNairy on Facebook! | |  Arts in McNairy provides many ways for patrons of the arts to keep up to date on local events, news and happenings. The AiM website, blog and this newsletter are well known to many in the area. Facebook users will also be aware that AiM has a growing number of social media followers. For the first time in this edition of "Taking AiM," you can link directly to AiM's Facebook page by clicking on the familiar icon in the lefthand column at the top of the newsletter. Follow AiM and the Rockabilly Highway Revival (cosponsored by Arts in McNairy) on Facebook to stay abreast of all the latest news as it breaks! |
| Book Club April 15 - The Plague of Doves | |
 You are invited to attend the Arts in McNairy Book Club 7:00 PM, Thursday April 15 in the conference room of Selmer's Jack McConnico Public Library. There are no fees to join the discussion and participants are encouraged to check out available titles at county libraries or purchase their own.
This months selection is Louise Erdrich's The Plague of Doves. A book club member will moderate the discussion and light refreshments will be served. Come out and join the book club. You'll be glad you did!
5/20 Crazy Ladies - Michael Lee West
6/17 The Secret Holocaust Diaries - Nonna Bannister
7/15 The Chili Queen - Sandra Dallas
8/19 The Red Tent - Anita Diamant
9/16 The Reader - Bernhard Schlink
10/21 In Cold Blood -Truman Capote
11/18 Skipping Christmas - John Grisham
Contact Arts in McNairy, Literary Arts Chair, Leanne Emmons at (731) 646-3851 for further details.
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| Community Band Now Rehearsing - Join the Fun! | |
 The Arts in McNairy Community Band has started preparing for the upcoming season with twice monthly rehearsals. Meetings and practice sessions are held at the Selmer Middle School Band Hall, typically on the 2nd and 3rd Thursdays of each month. Go to the band's website to check the updated calendar, see pictures of performances and sign up for email reminders for rehearsals.
The band is directed by Ronnie Brooks and open to musicians of all skill levels. It is not unusual to see retirees sitting next to student musicians at community band. You must furnish your own instrument and purchase a community band shirt for some performances but there are no other fees associated with participation. The band performs 2-3 shows a year for the public.
The band's website is currently undergoing maintenance but should be available again soon at:
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| AiM Artist Spotlight - Dancer, Matthew Howell | |
Matthew Howell and Salsa partner, Amy Brown entertain at a recent charity event  | Matthew Howell never dreamed he would be a competitive Salsa dancer. Who would? Thinking of those hot Latin dance steps backed by that distinctive Afro-Cuban beat, usually doesn't conjure up images of a red-headed kid from McNairy County. Seeing Howell and his Salsa partner, Amy Brown, will change your mind about that!
Howell, a 2006 graduate of McNairy Central High School, has all always been involved in the arts in one form or another. He is a gifted saxophone player who used his talents in service of the MCHS jazz, marching and concert bands throughout his high school career. In early 2006, Howell developed an interest in film making and wrote, directed and produced an original motion picture for his senior project, making liberal use of his friends who were involved in AiM's community theatre programs. He has since been involved in various other original film projects and is acting in an independent short film currently in production. Matthew is the son of Danny and Tammy Howell and has one younger brother, Zachary.
Dance first caught Howell's attention as a freshman at the University of Memphis where he took a few beginning Swing dance lessons. While he enjoyed the experience very much, he freely admits that his first objective was to stay in shape and meet girls. Howell had no further comment about how his love life is shaping up but he will confirm that about two years ago dance fever finally go the best of him. He has since dedicated a great deal of time to honing his skills picking up a good deal of experience with various dance styles including, Balboa, East Coast, Charleston, Lindy Hop, Salsa, Merangue, and Machatta. He now takes weekly lessons and performs with the University of Memphis competitive dance team.
In the fall of 2009 Howell met Amy Brown. Both were taking lessons at the Rumba Room in Memphis and soon found that they shared a passion for Latin dance. In January 2010 they formed a partnership and many will recall their memorable exhibition performance at the recent Carl Perkins Center benefit, Dancing with the McNairy Stars. If you missed it, you will have a second chance to see Howell and Brown perform between 8:00 and 9:00 PM, May 14 at the McNairy County Relay for Life event in the Selmer City Park. It will be well worth your time.
Join Arts in McNairy in congratulating Matthew on all of his accomplishments. It certainly is good to see a hometown boy succeed in the arts! |
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