Category: Arts - boom jackson

Azha Tattoos: Helping Others Tell Their Stories Through Body Art

11/25/2020

by Jenna Gibson

Azha Sanders sits in front of the 10-foot-by-12-foot mural she painted at Kirksey Middle School in partnership with City Heart Church in Jackson. The mural’s theme, “royal,” is meant to inspire strength and worthiness. Photo courtesy Azha Tattoos

You have decided to add a little art to your bodily canvas. You have researched and chosen a tattoo shop and artist, and you've decided on a design, style and placement. Once the paperwork is complete, you relax in an often dentist-style chair, and the artist sanitizes the area and transfers the stencil.

Silent, Yet Constant: Love, Togetherness and Unity

9/4/2020

by Torsheta Jackson

Local artist Eli Childers organized the “Constant” exhibit, a collection of 18 life-sized, wooden “protestors” created in collaboration with other creatives in the area to serve as a protest against racial injustice across the nation. Photo courtesy Blake Wing

Soon after the death of George Floyd, Eli Childers felt moved to make a statement. Viewing the incident on national television and watching the country's divided reaction to it both awed and disturbed him. He felt a burning need to creatively display his feelings about the grief and emotions that people were experiencing since Floyd was killed.

I See You, Now See Yourself

5/13/2020

by Jenna Gibson

Jackson resident D’Artagnan Winford is a fine-art portrait photographer. Photo courtesy D’Artagnan Winford

D'Artagnan Winford has been an artist since he was a kid, growing up taking art classes in school and being admitted in a gifted arts program throughout middle and high school. While he now runs his own portrait photography business on top of serving as the senior art director at the Ramey Agency in Fondren, Winford says that he never saw himself as a photographer until he started working at Mississippi Valley State University, from which he earned his bachelor's degree in fine arts in 2002.

Voiceover Queen in Blue Jeans

3/5/2020

by Alyssa Bass

Long-time voice actress Keri Horn offers a four-week voiceover class through New Stage Theatre on Monday nights, from March 30 until April 20. Photo by Jackson Beals

Like a lot of children growing up in the '80s, Keri Horn loved to watch cartoons like "The Smurfs" and "The Care Bears." But she might have been one of the children approaching the television set with a tape recorder.

New Stage Season 54 Preview

9/19/2019

by Amber Helsel

New Stage Theatre is performing “Into the Breeches” from Sept. 10-22. Photo courtesy Michael George Photography

For New Stage Theatre's 54th season, the company is putting a focus on plays with a literary bent. New Stage started off with "Into the Breeches," a production that follows a group of women in 1942 as they produce "Henry V" with an all-female cast. The play was Sept. 10-22. Here's a preview of what else to expect this year.

Our Black Synthesis of Time

9/19/2019

by Jeffrey Caliedo

Photo courtesy Jeffrey Caliedo

At a recent "Let's Talk Jackson Art" taping, Jeffrey Caliedo unveiled his poem in honor of the late Jackson poet Margaret Walker. Hear him read it at letstalkjackson.com.

New Mural Honors Frances Fortner

9/19/2019

by Amber Helsel

Scott Allen painted a mural honoring Frances Fortner. Photo courtesy Jarrod Parker/Zenwood Photography

In May 2018, Jackson Academy senior Frances Fortner was headed to graduation rehearsal when she hit a partially covered manhole on Ridgewood Road. Her car flipped, and she later died from her injuries at a local hospital. Her death was a tragedy that brought about more in-depth conversations about how the City handles infrastructure issues, but now, Jacksonians can remember her in another way.

Mural Magic in West Jackson

5/16/2019

by Torsheta Jackson

Krystal Jackson's mural for Cooperation Jackson’s Seven Days Community Arts Festival Photo by Acacia Clark

Standing to the side of a brightly colored mural off Monument Street on Saturday, April 25, Sabrina Howard shaded her eyes as a car pulled up. The man driving explained that he had to bring his brothers by to see how nice her mural was, as his passengers climbed out of the vehicle. He continued in enthusiastic conversation and praise for several minutes, while the others perused the wall. With one last handshake and a promise to return when her piece is complete, the men all then climbed back into the car and drove off.

The Murals: A Place for Creatives

3/6/2019

by Mike McDonald

The Murals, a multimedia business that Amanda Paige created, often hosts events such as photo walks in Jackson. Photo by Keon Gibson

Producer Amanda Paige knew the type of business she wanted to add to the Jackson art scene: something that could bring creatives together.

An Element of Creativity

12/13/2018

by Torsheta Jackson

For Curtis McAfee, Terrance Wells and Melvin Robinson (left to right), their media company’s name, 242 Creative, references the importance of their Jackson roots. Photo Brandon Smith

On a warm October evening, friends and art lovers crowd into midtown store Offbeat for "Summer Alchemy," an art show featuring a collection of photographs from Curtis McAfee and Terrance Wells.