Invitation Oxford - April 2016

INVITATION Oxford APRIL 2016

April 2016 | INVITATION OXFORD

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Mark C. Cleary

Blake Cannon

Markccleary@gmail.com

blake@oxfordvip.com

(713) 303-8924

Alison Alger

(662) 380-7144

Lee Pittman

(662) 832-1697

(662) 645-3695

alisonmalger@gmail.com

LEGACY R EALT Y

lee.pittman1@gmail.com

#1 Re/Max Team in MS in 2014 & 2015

Starting in the mid $300,000’s Contact Mark Cleary (713) 303-8924

Lots at

The Highlands Starting in the low $100,000’s

(for 1-5 acre lots) 70+ acre crystalContact clear water, Mark #1 Bass fishing lake in Mississippi

The Belmont

1413 South Lamar

Cleary (713) 303-8924 Estimated Restoration Completion Summer 2016

Historic Downtown Oxford Restoration. 4 bedrooms 4.5 bathrooms, a formal living and dining room, superb office, 2 real wood burning fireplaces, 3 porches, boasting a gorgeous screened in porch on approximately an acre corner lot on South Lamar. This once in a lifetime opportunity is finished out with top of the line finishes throughout orchestrated by a professional design team. Come get involved and make this masterpiece your piece of Oxford History.

at 1769 East Jackson

$1,910,000

$499,000

Southpointe Build your dream home in Southpointe! Located just off Hwy 7 South, Southpointe, boasts beautiful homes, a walking trail, pond, and a gazebo!

Starting in the low $400’s

5 Lots Available at $31,000

4 Bedroom/4.5 Bath

•Large Private Courtyards •Granite Slab Throughout •Stainless Steel Appliances •Wet Bar & Fireplace

Measuring in at just under 1 mile from campus, 800 Park includes luxury features like gas fireplaces, 10 foot ceilings and heart pine floors. Professionally designed, each of the 4 floor plans are one level and have private screened in porches overlooking Pat Lamar Park and Davidson Creek. There is also a pet park that will be private to the 800 Park owners. The 800 Park development has plans to include some specialty retail shops, as well.

308 Shady Grove Loop $170,000

•2 Car Attached Garage •Wood Floors •Super close to Ole Miss Campus •Walk-in Closets

•3 Bed 2 Bath •Open living area & split floor plan •Act fast and choose your finishes

The Hamlet 1583 Buchanan

1415 Madison Unit B •Located in the Heart of Downtown •Private Gated Subdivision • Plantation Shutters

Starting in the Mid $300’s

$349,000

•4 Bed 4.5 Bath w/ Top Notch Finishes •Garages Available

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LEGACY R EALT Y

•4 Bed 4 Bath •Located in Historic downtown Oxford •Spacious open living room and kitchen •Multi-level outside deck

$750,000

141 Oxford Creek • 2549 sqft •4 Bedroom/3 Bath •Community Pool • 4 acre common area/Park •Act fast & choose your finishes

$350,000

755 East Jackson Ave. #5

1300 Beanland

(A Southern Place)

•4 Bed 3 1/2 Bath •Located in Historical Downtown Oxford •Top of the Line Finishes •Open Kitchen & Living Room

•4 Bed 4 Bath & 2 Half Baths •Luxury Condo with Private Balcony •4 Bed, 4 Bath/2 Half Baths •Just a Few Blocks from the Oxford Square

$750,000

$715,000

Search the entire Oxford Market at www.MarkClearyOxford.com and www.OxfordMSHomes.net. 662.234.5621 1923 University Ave Oxford, MS 38655. Each office independently owned and operated. All information deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and subject to change without notice.

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APRIL 2016

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INVITATION Oxford APRIL 2016

ON THE COVER Eden Walker Flora is the featured artist for the 2016 Double Decker Arts Festival and designed this year’s poster.

IN EVERY ISSUE 18

Letter From the Publisher

20

What’s Happening

24

Community Corner

26

In Season: Strawberries

120

Out and About

128

I Am Oxford: Eden Walker Flora

FEATURES

EVENTS

54 The Echo Effect

32

Disney’s Aladdin Jr.

Morgan Pennington and Winn McElroy have made a name for themselves in the local music scene with their band And The Echo.

34

Romeo and Juliet

36

Oxford Film Festival

38

Black History Month Program

40

Law School Masquerade

44

Ole Miss vs. State Basketball

46

Dr. Seuss Storytime

74 Renewed Tradition

50

Empty Bowls

YaloRUN Textiles in Water Valley is helping revive the art of traditional crafting.

52

Oxford Craft Beer Festival

100

Children’s Book Festival

82 Creative Youth

102

Hinge Dance Company

These art programs not only help children tap into their creative sides but also provide them the opportunity to give back to their schools.

104

A Cause for the Paws

108

Lend Me a Tenor

110

FCA Breakfast

112

Trio ConcertDance

114

Visit Oxford Health Expo

116

Rebel Well’s Mighty Race

62 Funfest Double Decker Arts Festival is just the beginning of festival season. Check out our list of others not to miss this spring and summer.

92 Going to the Chapel Modeled after an age-old country church and built with refurbished materials, the Chapel at Plein Air adds to the charm of Taylor.

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THE PUBLISHER

S

her husband, and even though she hasn’t yet attended a Double Decker festival, that didn’t stop her from entering the poster art contest this year. Her winning art is on the cover of this issue. Along with creating her own beautiful pieces, Flora is also an art therapist and helps others incorporate art into their lives. You can read more about her journey to Oxford and her love of art on page 128.

As we discussed what else to put in this issue, it quickly became apparent that while Double Decker is one of the first festivals of the year, it by far isn’t the only one happening

this spring and summer. Be sure to check out our list of upcoming festivals, most within driving distance of Oxford. If you enjoy the atmosphere at Double Decker, you’re sure to be interested in our Funfest guide on page 62.

Music, art and fresh air. I can’t imagine a better way to spend time this month. We hope to see you around.

RACHEL M. WEST, PUBLISHER

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF HANGOUT MUSIC FESTIVAL

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF AFWF/RAFTERMEN PHOTOGRAPHY

pring is in full bloom, and this month Oxford will celebrate its 21st annual Double Decker Arts Festival. This year, we’ve again partnered with Visit Oxford to bring you the official festival guide, inserted on page 65. There you’ll find the map of art and food vendors, the music lineup and much more. It’s always fun for us to collaborate with the staff at Visit Oxford, and this year we met another interesting person along the way.

Eden Walker Flora is the featured artist for the 2016 Double Decker Arts Festival. She recently moved to Oxford from Boston with

Spring means the beginning of festival season. Go to page 62 for information on Atlanta Food and Wine Festival (above left), Hangout Music Festival (above right) and many more.

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INVITATION Oxford publishers

Phil and Rachel West

editorial

EDITOR IN CHIEF Lena Anderson CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Emily Welly EVENTS EDITOR Mary Moreton CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sunny Young Baker Meaghin Burke Melanie Crownover Ginny McCarley Toni Overby COPY EDITOR Kate Johnson

advertising

ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Jennifer Bolton Alise M. Emerson Leigh Lowery Lynn McElreath Stacey Raper Moni Simpson Whitney Worsham ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Becca Bailey Zach Fields

art

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Hallie Thomas STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Joe Worthem CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Joey Brent Elizabeth Evans Ann-Marie Herod Blair McElroy Jessica Richardson Faison Weiss

production

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Emily Suber

office

BUSINESS MANAGER Hollie Hilliard COMPTROLLER Julie Clark DISTRIBUTION Donald Courtney Brian Hilliard MAIN OFFICE (662) 234-4008 ADVERTISING INFORMATION ads@invitationoxford.com

To subscribe to one year (10 issues) of Invitation Oxford, send payment of $50 to: P.O. Box 776, Oxford, MS 38655 or visit invitationoxford.com to pay online.

To request a photographer at your event, email Mary at mary.invitation@gmail.com.

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS MAGAZINE

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APRIL 2016

4/1-2

reads beats &eats

Miss-i-sippin’

Now an official beer festival of the Mississippi Brewers Guild, the annual event will consist of a ticketed Brewers Dinner on Friday night and a festival on Saturday featuring craft beer from across the state, food trucks, local art and music. All proceeds will benefit the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council and the Mississippi Craft Brewer’s Guild.

Saturday noon-6 p.m., Old Armory Pavilion on University Ave. Visit oxfordarts.com for tickets.

The Lafayette County Literacy Council presents

reads beats &eats $40 Advance Ticket | $50 At the Door Food curated by Paige Osborn

on

Wine Dash Casua l Dress

Oxford Family Pharmacy www.TheLyricOxford.com www.lafayetteliteracy.org

Ole Miss Men’s Tennis vs. the University of Alabama

(662) 234-4234

Oxford Family Pharmacy Karen & Richard Waring

Ashley & Pearson Windham

Belles & Beaus

Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority

Daniel and Susan Martin

Drs. Marie and Bob Barnard

Derek and Mary Moreton

Alicia and Jason Bouldin

Oxford University Bank

Mississippi Federal Credit Union

Edye M. Conkerton, Architect

Renasant Bank

Oxford Endodontics PLLC

FNC INC

Elizabeth and Tom Speed

Grantham Poole CPAs

Mayo Mallette PLLC

Rainbow Cleaners

Kappa Delta Sorority

Tannehill, Carmean & McKenzie,

Alpha Delta Pi Sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Animal Clinic of Oxford, PA Chi Omega Sorority Cleary Design

PLLC State Senator Gray Tollison

1 p.m., Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center

Trustmark Bank

Dr. and Mrs. William Henderson John and Dickie King Knit1 Oxford Mary and Mark Solomon Phi Mu Sorority

RBESponsor_Poster_c4.indd 1

Sentinel Security Services Bonnie and Denny Siebert Smith Building Supply Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, INC Waller Funeral Home

3/2/16 1:14 PM

4/1

Reads, Beats & Eats The Lafayette County Literacy Council presents a celebration of local literary culture, food and music. Mustache the Band will perform.

Tickets $40 in advance, $50 at the door.

7 p.m., the Lyric, lafayetteliteracy.org

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Friday 6 p.m., Saturday 6 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m.

Ole Miss Softball Complex

Ole Miss Softball vs. the University of Florida

4/3

Belles & Beaus

Lulu’s Shoes & Accessories

The 41st annual spring event features home tours, carriage rides, lunch and more.

662-369-9440 or aberdeenpilgrimage.com

The New York Times best-selling author reads from his latest memoir Lust & Wonder.

5 p.m., Off Square Books

Aucti

Hardy Reed LLC

4/8-10

Augusten Burroughs Reading

Friday, April 1st 7 p.m. @ The Lyric

Coleman Funeral Home

4/1-3

4/2

Mustache The Band

SPONSORS

As part of the Light In March fundraiser for Move On Up Mississippi, the band takes the stage after a performance by Young Buffalo. Tickets $25-$85.

Doors at 7:30 p.m., show at 8:30 p.m., thelyricoxford.com

Aberdeen Pilgrimage

A fundraiser celebrating local literary culture, music and food

Tickets available from:

4/9 St. Paul and the Broken Bones

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Museum Milkshake Mash-Ups The event, hosted by the University of Mississippi Museum, features a mash-up art project and unlimited milkshakes for middle school children and teenagers. $5 for museum members, $10 for nonmembers.

4-5:15 p.m., University Museum Email esdean@olemiss.edu to reserve a spot.

4/8-10

Holly Springs Pilgrimage The 78th annual event features tours of historic mansions, cottages and churches.

662-551-0076

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APRIL 2016

4/9

New Albany Home and Garden Show The Union County Master Gardeners sponsor their eighth annual Home and Garden Show, which includes a lineup of speakers and demonstrations, a “Cooking Divas” presentation, an antique tractor show and vendors.

8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., historic downtown New Albany, unioncountymastergardeners.com

4/16

Color My College 5K Participants of the second annual color fun-run will get covered in Rebels blue and red powder.

The event is sponsored by Ole Miss Campus Recreation and benefits the Special Olympics Mississippi, Area 4.

9 a.m., the University of Mississippi colormycollege.com to register

4/16

Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy Sixth Annual Legacy Award Reception and Dinner

4/18-22 Green Week The University of Mississippi, in collaboration with various groups from the community, hosts its annual Green Week with events including a sustainability fair, an Earth Day nature and yoga hike, a potluck and more. For a complete list of event details, visit greenweek.olemiss.edu.

The Legacy Award recognizes individuals who exemplify the Ole Miss Women’s Council’s goals of leadership, mentorship and philanthropy. This year’s honoree is Chancellor Emeritus Robert C. Khayat.

6 p.m., the Manning Center 662-915-2384 or omwc@olemiss.edu

4/16

Peter Rabbit Tales Enchantment Theatre Company presents Peter Rabbit Tales, a play based on the original Peter Rabbit books by Beatrix Potter.

Tickets $6-$12 2 p.m., the Ford Center fordcenter.org

4/22

4/22-24

4/28-30

A special production of the weekly live radio show will kick off Double Decker Arts Festival and feature live literature and music.

7 p.m., the Double Decker outdoor stage

Friday 6:30 p.m., Saturday 2 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m.

Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field

Thursday 6 p.m., Friday 6:30 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.

Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field

Thacker Mountain Radio

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Ole Miss Baseball vs. Auburn University

Ole Miss Baseball vs. Louisiana State University

MOVE ON UP MISSISSIPPI

John Currence of City Grocery Restaurant Group is committed to improving the health of Mississippi’s youth with his foundation Move On Up Mississippi. The mission of the nonprofit organization is “to inspire and fund educational initiatives for Mississippi youth, specifically in the areas of health, well-being, nutrition and physical activity.”

The Move On Up board, which consists of nine members of the Oxford community, has been working tirelessly on its inaugural fundraiser, Light In April, which will take place April 9.

The day’s events begin with a Breakfast of Champions 5K and a children’s Superhero Fun Run, which will include a costume contest. After the race, participants can enjoy breakfast provided by Big Bad Breakfast and Yalobusha Brewing Company’s Snopes Family Pilsner beer.

That evening, a series of dinner parties will be held at private homes around Oxford, featuring meals prepared by James Beard Foundation award-winning and -nominated chefs from around the country. The dinners are sold out, but tickets are still available for the after party at the Lyric, which will feature performances by Young Buffalo and St. Paul and the Broken Bones.

Proceeds from all Light In April events will fund grants provided by Move On Up to people doing significant work to improve the health of children in Mississippi.

For race registration: racesonline.com/ events/breakfast-of-champions-5k-fun-run For after party tickets: thelyricoxford.com For more information or to become involved: moveonupms.org

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STRAWBERRIES written by Sunny Young Baker

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B

rooks Brownlee enjoys the perks of his job as a farmer, particularly when it comes to his strawberry crop.

“I’m the field tester,” Brownlee said. “I walk the rows every day and make sure the quality of what we’re picking is good.”

This is how he maintains the highest quality of strawberries at Brownlee Farms.

Brownlee has been farming on his family’s land in Red Banks since 1994. His father purchased and rented out the property in 1986, and eight years later Brownlee took it over to grow fruits and vegetables.

Using a technique called plasticulture farming to control weeds and moisture, Brownlee has been able to supply delicious straw­berries directly to north Mississippi consumers. “We saw the need locally for strawberries,” he said.

Planted in late September, Brownlee’s strawberries grow all winter and spring for harvest in April. “You have to pick strawberries at peak harvest, when they’re a bright crimson red,” he said. “Grocery store strawberries shipped from all over the country are picked when they’re blush pink instead of red.”

Unlike Brownlee’s fresh-picked berries, most store-bought variants are expected to ripen on the drive to their destination. “They may become a dark red,” Brownlee cautions, “but they won’t get any sweeter.”

Harvest season means all hands on deck for Brownlee and his family. “Our berries are all hand picked,” he said. “We start picking and put the word out through the community since there’s no automated process for picking strawberries.”

This strong sense of community keeps Brownlee Farms’ gates open. “For local produce to keep going, we have to support local farmers,” he said.

Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries recipe by Kimme Hargrove

12-16 ounces chocolate melts/bark (Candiquik or Wilton brand recommended), in milk, white or dark (preferably a combination), divided by color 24-30 strawberries (washed and dried) OPTIONAL TOPPINGS: Crushed peanuts, mini chocolate chips, crushed Oreos, colored sprinkles

Microwave dark or milk chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl until melted, stirring every 60 seconds. Holding strawberries by the stem, dip into chocolate until completely covered (except for tops), and place on wax paper. Heat white chocolate in microwave until melted, stirring every 60 seconds. After first layer of chocolate is dry, use a spoon or a small piping bag to drizzle white chocolate on top. Or, if using the optional toppings, sprinkle them on before the base layer of chocolate dries.

Let the strawberries set, and refrigerate if not serving immediately.

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BLAIR McELROY

Blair McElroy is a local photographer who has loved telling stories through her work since her first film photography class at Ole Miss in 1998. A lover of travel, she has photographed people and places all over the world but also shoots weddings, events, portraits and products in a photojournalistic style. She has been published in Food & Wine and St. Charles Avenue magazines and still loves shooting film with her Rolleiflexes.

Her work with And The Echo (page 54) came naturally as she is married to Winn McElroy, band member and producer. Traveling with the band and documenting the duo’s journey from the beginning has been interesting and lively, and has given her the opportunity to take on a new challenge of working with video.

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FAISON WEISS

Faison Weiss is a natural-light photo­ grapher specializing in family and lifestyle photography. When she isn’t behind the camera, she can be found at YaYa’s on the Square on a fro-yo date with her toddler, or perusing the bookshelves at Square Books.

For this issue, she photographed the new Chapel at Plein Air (page 92). “I arrived at the chapel just before 7 a.m. for the shoot, and watching the sunrise over the chapel was one of the most peaceful moments I’ve ever experienced,” she says. “Birds were chirping, a gentle breeze was blowing in the trees, and at that moment I felt complete peace. This place is truly special.”

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Batesville. Mississippi

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View more photos at invitationoxford.com.

OMS SPRING MUSICAL DISNEY’S ALADDIN JR. The Oxford Middle School theater department held a performance of the Disney musical Aladdin Jr. March 3 in the Kayla Mize auditorium. The show was directed by Debra Anderson. photographed by Joey Brent

Hennon French, Collin Surbeck, Melissa and Loralei French with Julia Hardy

Julia Mitchell, Alyse Barrett, Cady Pittman, Mikaela Moore, Lauren Bial and Sarah Jane Yerger

Fawaz Ahmad, Kareem Elgory, Olivia Gunderson and Felicity O’Reilly

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Michael Scruggs, Stanton Spencer, Ansley McDaniel, Isaiah Pomerlee, Andrew Barrett and Benjamin Hall

Rebecca Tyner, Madison Freeze, Eleanor Berry, Christian Scruggs and Janelle Minor

Frank and Harlan Yerger, Joyce and Harlan Prater with Frank Jr. and Jane Yerger

Brittany, Madelyn and Tyler Goolsby

Cady Pittman and Christian Boudreaux

Meghan Harries and Ethan Holben

Leigh namesSolomon names names and Buddy namesBass names names names

Ethel and Carlo Scurlock

Joseph Hogue, Prowell Smith and Ali Radwan

Emily Hester, Lorelai Soto, Jordan Caviezel and Debra Anderson

Marc Mercier and Ben Peeler with Eli and Wendy McMain

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View more photos at invitationoxford.com.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S ROMEO AND JULIET The Aquila Theatre touring company presented a performance of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet Feb. 15 at the Ford Center. photographed by Joey Brent

Zackery Duane and Amy Hornsby

Sarah and Cassie Dabbs

Rebecca and Roger Browning

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Dawn Brantley and Juli Gallup

Patricia Weathersby and Jeff Lambdin

Gwen and Perry Rogers

La-Niya Flemons and Mary Victoria Sullivan

Jana and Clark Ethridge

Madelyn Davis and Tiffany Priewe

Johnny and Carolyn Lott

Beverly Beardain and Kakky Brown

Sydney and Annette Ford

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View more photos at invitationoxford.com.

OXFORD FILM FESTIVAL The Oxford Film Festival was held Feb. 17-21. The 13th annual event included more than 130 film screenings, a special Thacker Mountain Radio show and an awards ceremony at the Lyric. photographed by Joey Brent

Johnny and Susan McPhail

Christian Walker and Samantha Smith

Rex Jones and Darren Melonson

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Beth Spencer and Angela Green

Jason Plunk and Kristen Phillips

Veronique Vanblaere and Clint Coopersmith

Steve Kolbus and Bill Luckett

Ines Joris and William Craig

names Betsy namesWebster names names and Donnie namesMcGee names names

Kelsey Pettus and Jack Berry

Paul Hart and Angela Newcomb

names names Angela names Smith names andnames Effie Burt names names

Pamela Roberson, Shirley Graves and Alexandria Burnham

Todd Cameron and Cary Hudson

Tori Ellis and Mary Burson

Miles Carby and Michael Chaney

Jenny Hipp, Micah Quinn and Ann Tucker

Charlsey and Monnie Wills

Matt Bosley, Justina Walford, Sunny Young and John Wildman

Beau Wilson and Heather Cray

Jen West and James Martin

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View more photos at invitationoxford.com.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH PROGRAM An event celebrating Black History Month was held Feb. 27 at the newly renovated Burns-Belfry Museum and Multicultural Center and featured an African Americans in Lafayette County exhibit. photographed by Joe Worthem

Gloria Smith and Alicia Retnam

Shirley Braziel and Kyon Williams

Robert Howard, Preston Taylor and Mae Shelby

Martha Wadley and Lula Patton

S. Adam and Dorothy Vaughn

names Sherwood names names Holland names andnames Ruth Adam names Ball names

Effie Burt and Angela Smith with Bobby and Ella Goolsby

Calvin and Linda Wortham

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Aliveya, Angel, Ashley and Ashton Buford

Essie Hubbard and Cynthia Parham

names names Delores namesand names James names Herod names names

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View more photos at invitationoxford.com.

LAW SCHOOL SPRING MASQUERADE A spring masquerade party was held Feb. 26 to benefit the University of Mississippi School of Law Pro Bono Initiative. The event was held in the law school atrium and included music and food. photographed by Joey Brent

Rod Hickman and Garrett Estes

Jordan Woolums, Celeste Sherwood, Carol Mockbee, Audra Odom and Matthew Moore

Cynthia Brewer, Phillip Broadhead and Tommie Brock

Spencer Durden, Rane Cravens, Will Zimmer, Chris Eakes and Patrick Jeffrey

Kevin Huddleston and Merry Johnson

Cody Samples and Delia Turner

Marie Cope and Cissy Bacon

Ben and Michelle Cooper

Michelle and Chip Lewis

Cody Samples and Sarah Rummel

C. J. Robison and Victoria Scott

names namesTim names andnames Amy Williams names names names

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Alexis Sandifer and Robert Williams

Haley Grantham and Madeline Kuluz

Chris Henry and Hannah Katherine Herrin

Kyle Ketchings, Suzanne Floyd and Jess Waltman

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View more photos at invitationoxford.com.

OLE MISS VS. MS STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL Ole Miss hosted Mississippi State in men’s basketball March 2 at The Pavilion. The Rebels beat the Bulldogs with a final score of 78-86. photographed by Joey Brent

Randall Woods, Keenan Johnson and Al Tolman

Janie Smith and Terry Mood

Mark Burleson and Randy Leister

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Eliza Barton and Holland Hudspeth

Rachel Warren and Katherine Downing

Basil and Terry Richmond

Samir, Sam and Peter Ross

Martha and Melvin Vernon

Kate Robison and Daniella Oropeza

Bob and JoAnn Burke

Kaye Bryant and Sue Gobert

Graham Bowden and Ginny Fly

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View more photos at invitationoxford.com.

DR. SEUSS STORYTIME AND BIRTHDAY PARTY Square Books Jr. hosted a storytime and birthday party honoring Dr. Seuss on Feb. 27.

Guests enjoyed readings from Dr. Seuss books, refreshments, music and art activities. photographed by Joey Brent

Lindsey and Rivers Babb

Claire, Mary Hollis and Madi Kate Lowe

Nora and Melissa Graves with Oliver and Sabrina Dinius

John Robert, Leslie and Caroline Butts

Gavin, Matthew, Laura and Tanner Carr

Addie and Elle Edwards

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Henry, Elizabeth and Paige Ritter

Lindsey, Allie Rose and Phil Baquie

Billy and Miles Staines

Annabelle, Beth and William Hunt

Ella, Lily, Phineas and Danielle Snyder

Melissa and Maddie Claire Moffett

Adam and Stella Hamilton

Mary Madeleine and Phina Kathryn Koury

Lydia, Carson and Michael Aderholt

Brad and Ava Armstrong

Courtney and Laughlin Berry

Cohen and Kelley Hart with Kenley Pullen

Noah, James and Olive Thomas

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View more photos at invitationoxford.com.

EMPTY BOWLS FUNDRAISER The Empty Bowls fundraiser was held Feb. 16 at Oxford-University United Methodist Church.

Proceeds from the event were donated to The Pantry food bank. photographed by Joey Brent

Bo and Steve Freeman

Karen Chain, Kay Barron, Cyd Dunlap and Whitney Rayner

Carolyn and Gary Carter

Judy Wood and Ginger McEachern

Mary Betsy and Bruce Bellande

Barbara Smith and Beth Stidham

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Chap and Kelly Fenwick

Tracy Diercks, Julie Bergeron, Minnie Gates-Powell and Hattie Farr

Ron Dale and Virginia Chavis

Vicki Sneed, Debbie Binkley, Mary Ann Kerr, Tina Hahn and Janie Stelljes

Francis Morgan, Linda Jansen and Lisa Gathright

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Will and Samantha Pepper

Elizabeth Thomas with Kat and Margaret King

Scottye Boone and Emily Newcomb

namesRonnie namesHamilton names names and Vontese names names Farmernames

Rose Turner and Pat Patterson

Delia Childer, Nikki Paine and Jessica West Harwell

Debbie Jones and Kathy Presley

David, Keren and Evans Wells

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View more photos at invitationoxford.com.

OXFORD CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL The fourth annual Oxford Craft Beer Festival was March 5 at the Library Sports Bar. The event included more than 100 craft beer tastings and food pairings from local chefs. photographed by Joey Brent

Tara Gross, Ryan Burt and Brittney Daves

John Bryan and Gina Demasi

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Woody White and Julie Ferguson

Julius and Stephanie Ridgway

Nicole Baker and Kerry Snyder

Kate Victor, Allison Fish, Brennan Black, Blake Wilson and Kim Patterson

Cathryn Cart, Josh Marsh, Aubrey Reid and Julie LaBerge

Craig Frigo, Ben Kenney and Chris Frigo

Olivia Dunbar, Moria Beahm, Alex Jason and Jennifer Byrd

Gabby Wawro, Shayna Ruth and Alexandra Burnham

Molly Malloy, Alexis Meyers and Kate Rydzak

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Sarah and William Cox

Joseph Murrey and Julia Taylor

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The band And The Echo offers music fans a singular experience with its mesmerizing electronic sound and incorporated light shows. written by Toni Overby

photographed by Blair McElroy

Patrons of all ages wait anxiously inside Proud Larry’s for And The Echo to begin its show. The room darkens as stage lights appear and begin to dance to the rhythm of synthesized beats. The soulful voice of singer Morgan Pennington permeates. Fans move to the music, sing along to the lyrics and are completely engaged in the experience.

After graduating from the University of Mississippi in 2009, Pennington never imagined she’d have this career – on a stage, making a living as a musician. But after moving back to her hometown of Pascagoula for a more “conventional career,” she soon returned to Oxford to follow her dream.

Pennington began songwriting and playing her guitar at various music venues around town. She quickly developed a local fan base. In 2013, she was asked to perform at the Double Decker Arts Festival. Worried that her acoustic sound wouldn’t translate well on a large stage, she sought assistance from music producer Winn McElroy.

and the echo’s album release celebration april 21 at proud larry’s april 22 at TBA (secret show) april 23 at round table April 2016 | INVITATION OXFORD

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“We believe you can’t put on a good show without the two aspects, both music and lights. We’ve had people tell us after shows that they heard our music in a completely different way after seeing how the lights hit certain beats.” -winn mcelroy, band member Clarksdale native and Ole Miss alumnus McElroy started his own recording studio, Black Wing Studio, in Water Valley in 2005 and has worked with several artists as a sound engineer, producer and mixer.

When he heard Pennington play, he knew instantly he was witnessing something special.

“She had such a unique sound to her voice,” he said.

The two got to work, and in 2014 Pennington recorded her first LP, Wolves, as a solo artist at Black Wing. Soon after, the pair recognized how well they worked together and decided to take their music collaboration one step further by forming the band And The Echo.

Though the band members draw from different inspirations, the various styles blend together for a cohesive sound. A self-confessed “unashamed pop music lover,” Pennington grew up watching musicals

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with her father and was influenced by such icons as Madonna, while McElroy enjoys a completely different genre of music, citing the band Depeche Mode as a group he believes has a similar sound to And The Echo.

The pair describe their music as “synth pop,” a blending of rock and pop with electronic beats and aesthetic additions, such as lights. Many hours of rehearsal and setup are completed before their multifaceted show takes place.

“We could never do what we do without the technical work involved, sometimes up to 12 hours’ worth,” said Pennington, who explained that a computer programmed to the group’s keyboards releases synthetic beats and sounds with each tap of the keys. “At any given time, there might be four keyboards onstage. We are playing all of them.”

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“the unique mix of winn’s musical talent combined with morgan’s phenomenal voice is something new that oxford has never seen. and when they added the lights to the show, that put it over the top.”

-susan peterson, fan

“We believe you can’t put on a good show without the two aspects, both music and lights,” McElroy said. “We’ve had people tell us after shows that they heard our music in a completely different way after seeing how the lights hit certain beats.”

Susan Peterson of Oxford said she and her husband are huge fans of And The Echo and feel the group’s sound stands out in Oxford’s live music scene.

“We’ve been listening to And The Echo since the beginning, from the launch party in a small space over the Square to Double Decker and just about everything in between,” Peterson said. “The unique mix of Winn’s musical talent combined with Morgan’s phenomenal voice is something new that Oxford has never seen. And when they added the lights to the show, that put it over the top.”

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And The Echo is slated to release its first album in late April, with most of the tracks produced in McElroy’s studio to help maintain the songs’ authenticity. “It’s difficult for others to hear the same song you hear in your head,” McElroy said. They do feel lucky, however, to have Clay Jones, a local producer, engineer and mixer, work with them on a few of the tracks.

Jones, who met the band through a mutual friend, liked what he heard when McElroy played him the album and asked for some outside help with the mixing. He was happy to be a part of what he believes to be a very special album.

“Their sound owes much to synth pop from the ’80s, without sounding anachronistic,” Jones said. “Behind the synthetic exterior is the familiar and satisfying heart and soul of catchy, quality pop songwriting.”

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Here are a few festivals not to miss this spring and summer.

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Double Decker Arts Festival april 22-23 Oxford (0 miles) Free doubledeckerfestival.com PHOTOGRAPHED BY KIM WELSH AND ROGER STOLLE

In the past two decades, the Double Decker Arts Festival has helped put Oxford on the map as an art and live music destination. Drawing a crowd of more than 60,000 people, the twoday festival on the historic downtown Square features 159 art vendors and 25 food vendors along with a lineup of performances by both local and nationally renowned musicians.

Juke Joint Festival

april 16 Clarksdale (65 miles*) Daytime festival free; wristbands $20-$25 for access to 20+ acts at 20+ nighttime venues jukejointfestival.com

MUSIC

APRIL 22 – 23,

LINEUP

Free All

Weekend!

Friday, April 22 6:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm

| | |

Cory Branan Thacker Mountain Radio Hour The Nightowls

Saturday, April 23

10:15am | Riverside Voodoo 11:30am | Delta Springs 1:00pm | Leo Bud Welch

2:30pm 4:00pm 5:30pm

| | |

Christone KINGFISH Ingram The Bellfuries Orgone

7:00pm 8:30pm

| |

Lettuce Michael Franti & Spearhead

r DBUFSJOH s $ 3 t 0YGPSE .4 FMJ[BCFUI!FMJ[BCFUIIFJTLFMM DPN

662.719.7409

T H E C I T Y O F OX F O R D E L E C T R I C D E PA RT M E N T | D O M I N O ’ S | M Y M I C H E L L E ’ S | T H E H U B AT OX F O R D | | | TWEED RECORDING JONES AT HOME MAGNOLIA RENTAL & SALES TVA

SPONSORED BY: T H E

City of Oxford

OXFORD

112 Heritage Drive Oxford, MS 662-236-2500

OXFORD

105 Ed Perry Blvd.

Oxford, MS 662-238-3522

OXFORD WEST

110 Heritage Drive Oxford, MS 662-232-2442

OXFORD EAST

103 Ed Perry Blvd.

Oxford, MS 662-234-5565

| | | THE OXFORD EAGLE THE OXFORD CITIZEN HUGHES BROWN PLLC BANK OF OXFORD | | THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI E L L I S S T U B B S S TAT E FA R M MAGNOLIA WINE AND SPIRITS

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*approximate distance from Oxford April 2016 | INVITATION OXFORD

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF VISIT OXFORD; POSTER ARTWORK BY EDEN WALKER FLORA

Held in Clarksdale, the Juke Joint Festival is an annual celebration of the Delta and the blues. With related events Thursday through Sunday, music fans can enjoy more than 100 live performances in various venues around town. On Saturday, take in the festival’s family-friendly features such as pig races, art vendors, a petting zoo, award-winning food and more.

Beale Street Music Festival

april 29-may 1 Memphis, Tennessee (85 miles) Three-day pass $105-$135, single-day tickets $45 (VIP passes also available) Tickets at ticketfly.com/org/5981 Lineup at memphisinmay.org PHOTOGRAPHED BY DOUGLAS MASON

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the Beale Street Music Festival will showcase some of the top musicians from around the world in an array of styles and genres. As part of the monthlong Memphis in May celebration, the three-day multistage concert, held at the foot of Beale Street and along the scenic Mississippi River, has attracted more than 1.1 million music fans in the past decade.

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell april 22-24, april 28-may 1 New Orleans (345 miles) Day tickets $65-$75, ages 2-10 $5 (VIP passes available) nojazzfest.com

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF MEMPHIS IN MAY INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell is about so much more than music.

The world-renowned event, which began in 1970, is a celebration of the city’s rich culture and legacy as the birthplace of jazz. Held over two weekends and featuring 12 stages with an array of musical genres, a spread of Louisiana cuisine and artisans from around the world, the festival draws a crowd of more than 400,000 each year.

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Toad Suck Daze april 29-may 1 Conway, Arkansas (245 miles) Free toadsuck.org

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF HANGOUT MUSIC FESTIVAL

Named after steamboat captains and their crew who were traveling along the Arkansas River and would “drink so much they’d swell up like a toad” at a local Conway tavern, the Toad Suck Daze festival has become a familyfriendly annual tradition. Along with carnival rides, arts and crafts, and live entertainment, it is also home to the “World Championship Toad Races.”

Hangout Music Festival may 20-22 Gulf Shores, Alabama (365 miles) Three-day pass $289 (VIP passes available) hangoutmusicfest.com

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF STRAIN PHOTOGRAPHY

The West Coast may have Coachella, but the South has Hangout. Located on the beach in Gulf Shores, the three-day festival is a barefoot-in-the-sand, hammock-lounging celebration of music ranging from The Weeknd to Jason Isbell. If you’re looking for the ultimate experience, splurge on a VIP pass for access to the stage-side pool, upgraded bathrooms, and food and drink specials.

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Elvis Festival PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF ALABAMA JUBILEE HOT AIR BALLOON CLASSIC

june 2-5 Tupelo (55 miles) Tickets starting at $15 Info at tupeloelvisfestival.com Tickets at bcsarena.com Tupelo celebrates its most beloved native son, Elvis Presley, with this four-day festival. Elvis fans from around the country gather for a Sunday Gospel concert, pet parade, beauty pageant and tribute artist contest. The winner will represent Tupelo in the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest during Elvis Week, held in August at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee.

Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic may 28-29 Decatur, Alabama (170 miles) Free alabamajubilee.net

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF DOWNTOWN TUPELO MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION

While most people only get to admire hot-air balloons from afar, festival-goers at the Hot Air Balloon Classic in Decatur, Alabama, get an up-close and personal look. Guests can talk to pilots, take tethered rides and watch a series of races. Along with the balloon spectacle, the festival offers live music, and food and retail vendors.

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PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF AFWF/RAFTERMEN PHOTOGRAPHY

Atlanta Food and Wine Festival june 2-5 Atlanta (330 miles) Tickets range from $20-$2,000 atlfoodandwinefestival.com

Food and wine lovers gather in Atlanta for this celebration of Southern cuisine and cocktails that includes discussion panels, seminars and tastings. Attendees can also belly up to the tables of some of the finest chefs around, with signature parties and private dinners in select venues and homes around the city.

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Mississippi Picnic june 11 New York City (1,110 miles) Free thenyms.org

PHOTOGRAPHED BY ELWIN WILLIAMS

For 37 years, the Mississippi Picnic in New York brings a bit of the South to the Big Apple.

Hosted by the New York Mississippi Society, the annual event celebrates the sounds and tastes of Mississippi with this year’s music tribute to blues legend B.B. King and food from Simmons Farm Raised Catfish of Yazoo City, the Neon Pig of Tupelo and Oxford, and Sugaree’s Bakery of New Albany.

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North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic june 24-25 Waterford (10 miles) Day tickets $25 (VIP passes and music workshops available) nmshillcountrypicnic.com

PHOTOGRAPHED BY CANDISE KOLA

Blues music fans from across the South flock to Waterford for the North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic. Tucked away on the Betty Davis Ponderosa at the corner of Highway 310 and Highway 7 just north of Oxford, the two-day festival includes performances by blues musicians from all over the region, along with guitar and harmonica workshops. Barbecue and catfish are available for purchase, or guests can bring in their own coolers of beverages and food ($10 per cooler). On-site camping is permitted.

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Slugburger Festival july 7-9 Corinth (100 miles) Free mainstreetcorinth.com

Festival-goers at this annual Corinth tradition roll up their sleeves and dive into the northeast Mississippi delicacy known as the Slugburger (a patty made from a mixture of pork and soybeans that’s fried and topped with mustard, pickles and an onion ring). An eating contest is the highlight of the festival, but guests can also enjoy live music and carnival rides.

Neshoba County Fair

july 22-29 Philadelphia (125 miles) $40 season pass, $15 day ticket, ages 9 and under free neshobacountyfair.org

PHOTOGRAPHED BY LISA ROBERTS

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM

Nicknamed Mississippi’s Giant Houseparty, the Neshoba County Fair in Philadelphia draws people from across the country for a weeklong celebration of food, fun and family. Established in 1889, it was entered on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Many guests stay on-site in the fair’s cabins while taking part in carnival rides, horse races, antique car shows, live music and more.

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PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE WATER VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Watermelon Carnival august 5-6 Water Valley (20 miles) Free watervalleychamber.info

The Watermelon Carnival in Water Valley has been an honored small-town summer tradition since 1931. Though the festival ceased with the outbreak of World War II, it was revived again in 1980. For two days at City Park and on Main Street, more than 20,000 festival-goers shop at local art booths, eat from food trucks, run in a 5K race, gather for a street dance, watch a fireworks display and more.

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YaloRUN Textiles in Water Valley offers a creative space for people to explore centuries-old crafts such as quiltmaking, fabric dyeing, knitting and more. written by Toni Overby photographed by Joe Worthem

In 2004 Coulter Fussell moved to Water

Valley, where six years later she opened her art gallery, Yalo Studio. She brought in New Yorkbased artists Susan Cianciolo and Kive Motnyk to assist with her summer residency program and then began to design quilts for their Run Home collection, a line of artisanal home goods made with repurposed fabrics.

Last September, the group of women decided to take their partnership one step further, opening yaloRUN Textiles. The multi­ functional creative space and textile supply store (located a few doors down from Yalo Studio) not only provides crafting supplies and tools but also hosts classes and workshops on quilting, dyeing fabric, knitting, crocheting and basic sewing.

Coulter’s mother, Cathy Fussell, who teaches the often sold-out quilting workshops at yaloRUN, influenced Coulter’s love of making quilts. Cathy said her daughter “grew up immersed in the language and tools of sewing,” surrounded by a family of talented seamstresses.

Coulter agrees, although she said it took time to gain a true appreciation for the quiltmaking process. “My mother knew I needed

Coulter Fussell (pictured opposite page) opened yaloRUN Textiles in Water Valley last year, offering a variety of sewing and quilting supplies, as well as a secondhand fabric and material exchange.

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artistic freedom if I was going to be interested in making quilts,” she said. As a result, her earliest endeavors were collaborations with Cathy.

Some of Coulter’s favorite workshops are the ones where she teaches children, such as her knitting and crocheting class. Both boys and girls, ages 10 and up, come in to yaloRUN to participate in everything from dyeing fabric to creating bags, scarves, gloves and quilts. “Kids pick stuff up so much faster than adults. You can teach them to crochet and quilt in such a short time,” she said.

The fun isn’t limited to indoors. Coulter takes some of her groups on forages through nearby woods to gather natural materials to use for dyeing. She came up with the idea during a summer residency after she and Cianciolo went swimming at Grenada Lake. Fussell spotted a large mound of red clay and realized it could be used to turn fabric a rust color. “To see a fabric change color because of something I’d just been walking all over out on the ground was awesome,” she said.

She also takes classes hunting for native plants they can use to dye yarn. They head out to the woods to gather berries, sumac, goldenrod and sycamore bark and carry the finds back to yaloRUN Studio House, a centuries-old bungalow situated about a block from Main Street. There, the workshop participants use the plants to make yarn baths. After leaving the yarn to soak overnight, they return the

YaloRUN also serves as a multifunctional creative space with a wide range of workshops for people of all ages. Classes include quiltmaking, silkscreening, knitting and dyeing fabric using natural materials.

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next morning for mimosas and brunch and to complete the yarn-dyeing process.

Such experiences are not only entertaining but also educational. “I have since made many natural dyes with privet berries, beets and onion skins for projects in my Montessori classroom,” said workshop participant Brooke Fly, who teaches at Magnolia Montessori school.

YaloRUN also offers a knit club on Tuesday evenings. Coulter says women of all ages come for a couple of hours to “sip wine, gossip and knit.” A fee of $30 covers four two-hour lessons, along with a pattern and needles.

Knitters can work on their own projects or a project she gives them, and she is quick to point out that none of her workshops require any advanced skill or materials. Everything is provided. “You can be a beginner, never having picked up a needle in your life, and I will have you knitting in 30 minutes,” she said.

The workshops have quickly found a following. She credits the rise in crafting’s popularity to the Internet, explaining that thanks to social media a new generation is picking up an art commonly taught to many previous generations.

“People have grown tired of mass consumerism,” Coulter said. “We crave what is handmade and thought-out, something unavailable to us in a big store.”

For more information on products and workshops, visit yaloruntextiles.com.

YaloRUN Textiles is helping revive the lost art of traditional crafting and provides a place for people to find quality, handmade products and the ability to learn the skill to create their own works of art.

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380-5056 • 2625 W Oxford Loop• Suite C Oxford, MS

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written by Ginny McCarley

creative youth These art programs help children explore their creative sides, bond with friends and family, and give back to their communities and schools.

Oxford Middle School Art Contest and Show. Top left: 2015 Best of Show winner, Christopher Schove’s City Hall (16 x 20 inches); top middle: 2015 Festival Fan Favorite, Mary Gough’s Reflection (18 x 24 inches); top right: 2015 First Place, 3D Sculpture, Ceramics or Pottery, Hunter Lyons’ Mississippi Melting (18 x 24 inches); bottom left: 2016 submission by Gracie Bourn, watercolor; bottom right: 2016 submission by Anna Barrett, watercolor.

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At this year’s Double Decker Arts Festival, visitors can view and purchase the works of students from Oxford Middle School who will display their own original creations at the award-winning event thanks to the second annual OMS Art Contest and Show.

“I feel like we are so fortunate to live in a town that embraces the arts, and that the continued success and growth of the Double Decker Arts Festival is a fantastic opportunity to help inspire these middle school students to be a part of something truly special,” said Cris Hughes, PTO president and organizer of the event.

The idea for selling the students’ art in a booth at the festival originated as a way for students to be visible in the community and be able to give back to their school.

“We wanted to give art students some recognition and exposure,” Hughes said.

The contest is not just for students who take art as an elective; any OMS student can submit artwork in any of the four categories: drawing, painting, photography, and mixed media or digital art. The original creations are

then judged by a panel of three local artists, and students are awarded first, second and third place ribbons as well as $50 cash prizes for Best in Show in both grades.

Those winning pieces are then displayed at Double Decker and sold at the festival, with proceeds going directly back to the school.

Christopher Schove, who won 2015 Best in Show for the seventh grade, painted a colorful acrylic rendition of Oxford City Hall.

“I was absolutely blown away when I saw it,” Hughes said of the painting.

For Schove, the contest provided a venue for a large number of people to see his art.

“I thought it would be an interesting thing to try out for,” said Shove, who has been creating art for as long as he can remember. “I enjoyed it, and it was good participating.”

The experience of having artwork professionally displayed at a festival that gets almost 60,000 attendees each year is a special opportunity for the middle schoolers, Hughes said.

“Whether they have been interested in art for many years, are just learning the basics or even just beginning to appreciate art, to give them the chance to have their artwork hanging April 2016 | INVITATION OXFORD

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY JILL CARTER

Della Davidson Elementary School paintings for 2015 Deck the Walls. Top: Double Decker Buses by Tara Rice and Amy Little; above left: Starry Night Over Oxford by Anita Havens and Kristen Powers; above right: Ole Miss Stadium by Roseanne Brownlee and Lana Parrish.

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“Just getting to be with them, watching them do it their own way, was amazing. To get to talk to each and every one of them makes my heart happy. To get to take real-deal canvases in there and watch them go to work, that in itself was gratifying.”

-Sara Kathryn bridgers

for everyone to see at the festival, especially among all of the other amazing artists, craftsmen and vendors, is a very rewarding and enriching experience,” Hughes said.

Teenagers are not the only ones in Oxford with a penchant for painting. Students at Della Davidson Elementary School worked together to paint 15 large canvases that were auctioned off at the school’s Deck the Walls with Della event last December.

“They were beautiful,” said Natalie Barry, who along with Sheri Scruggs helped organize the event. “We are planning on doing it again next year.”

The canvases, which featured scenes from around Oxford, were sketched by Sara Kathryn Bridgers of Studio Whimzy, who visited Della Davidson to help more than 700 students paint on the canvases and draw their own versions of the pictures.

Bridgers said allowing the students to paint on the canvases gave them unique opportunities to have personal experiences with art.

“Just getting to be with them, watching them do it their own way, was amazing,” Bridgers said. “To get to talk to each and every one of them makes my heart happy. To get to take real-deal canvases in there and watch them go to work, that in itself was gratifying.”

The students’ hard work paid off. The canvases that were auctioned off at the event,

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Bramlett Elementary School artwork for this year’s Brushstrokes for Bramlett. Above left: Flowers, made by Mrs. Oliver’s kindergarten class using acrylic paint with brushes and palette knife; above right: Bear, constructed by Mrs. Case’s prekindergarten class using various textured pieces, including an Invitation Oxford magazine.

along with 5-by-7-inch prints of the paintings provided by P.Press Papers, raised more than $12,000 for the PTO. Students from Bramlett Elementary School will also get a chance to express their artistic side at the school’s annual Brushstrokes for Bramlett event, which will be held April 28 at the Powerhouse Community Arts Center.

Students work together weeks in advance painting more than 30 large canvases as a class, as well as creating their own personal small canvases to be auctioned off during the event. This year’s fundraiser will also include a debut piece created by students at C.M. Scott Center, a school for children with mental and physical challenges. In addition to bidding on the canvases, attendees can purchase smaller, postcard-sized prints of the artwork.

The students have a hand in the project from the very beginning, voting on the subject of their canvases, as well as the mediums used to create them. Under the direction of art teacher Brittany Lloyd, the artwork ranges from traditional watercolors to textured pieces using items like tissue, newspaper and even old Invitation Oxford magazines.

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“Ms. Lloyd helps guide them, but 95 percent of the piece is created by the students,” said Ashley Windham, who is helping to organize the event. “Every child can go up to their artwork and point out specifically which part they helped create.”

For the kids, both painting the canvas and attending the event are special. While parents shop the auction, children get to enjoy live music and create more art, with activities provided

by Studio Whimsy.

“We’ve got a lot of fun activities planned for this year,” Windham said. “[The kids] love the painting, and they’ll love the experience at the actual event, too.”

Students from Magnolia Montessori School also helped raise money for their classroom by creating a quilt that was auctioned off at the school’s second-annual spring fundraiser.

The students harvested privet berries and peeled onion skins to dye the flour-sack material; cut and arranged the fabric pieces; sewed the quilt; and used the democratic process to select the name, “A Sunny Pattern.”

“Making a quilt has so many skill levels involved, so even the youngest students can

Privet berries and peeled onion skins were used to dye the flour-sack material for “A Sunny Pattern,” a quilt made by Magnolia Montessori School, with relaxed tumbler design by Cathy Fussell.

help,” primary teacher Brooke Fly said.

The students were not the only ones who worked on the quilt. They had help from three other adults who came to assist in piecing it together.

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM

University of Mississippi Museum’s Mini Masters. Above: Anne Lisi studies a fine art quilt on display for the Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry: 40 Years of Color, Light & Motion exhibit; top right: Beatrix Hufford-Varrone snaps a cell phone picture; above right: Ava Montgomery and Oby Cross concentrate on creating their own masterpieces.

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“it’s a great way for families to enjoy art with their children. it’s a way to expose children to art at an early age and to get them in a museum at an early age.”

-rebecca philips “For them to see all of the people, skills and things that went into making a quilt ... that is something they observed that was priceless,” Fly said.

While students in classrooms around Oxford are working hard to create original artwork, the University of Mississippi Museum is committed to getting the next generation into the museum with a number of fun events and activities throughout the year.

For the Mini Masters series, the museum partners with the Powerhouse to host a fun, interactive workshop for toddlers once a month.

The events each have a theme that is “inspired by one of the permanent collections or temporary exhibitions” at the museum, explained Rebecca Philips, the museum’s membership, events and communication coordinator.

“It’s a great way for families to enjoy art with their children,” Phillips said. “It’s a way to expose children to art at an early age and to get them in a museum at an early age.”

The museum used the online funding platform Kickstarter to raise over $6,000 for free Family Activity Days, where families with kids of all ages can create art in the museum. “[Family days] get families in here to make memories and get comfortable with the museum at their own pace,” Phillips said.

The museum also offers ArtZone, a funfilled semester-long session of art activities for elementary students, and Milkshake Mashup, a monthly event for middle schoolers and teens where organizers combine two artists or themes to create one art project. “[These events] are the first step in the door,” Phillips said. “It’s a chance to get parents hooked and get kids wanting to come back.”

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INVITATION Oxford Follow Invitation Oxford on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to find out what’s happening around Oxford.

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Modeled after an age-old country church and built with refurbished materials from around the country, the Chapel at Plein Air adds to the charm of Taylor. written by Melanie Crownover photographed by Faison Weiss

There wasn’t even a blueprint for the recently completed Chapel at Plein Air when bride-to-be Heather Horner booked the venue for her April 9 nuptials to Kirkland Hines. The two Jackson natives knew they wanted to come back to the home of their alma mater at the University of Mississippi to say “I do,” but they didn’t want the customary wedding on the Square.

When they went to Taylor to book an outdoor wedding with a reception at the Mill at Plein Air event center, designer Campbell McCool let the family in on a secret: He was considering building a wedding chapel across the street.

It would be the picture of a classic 19thcentury country church, bathed in natural light from walls full of antique windows and made entirely of salvaged materials taken from a handful of old buildings across the country.

At the time, though, it was nothing more than an idea in the making.

“He said it would take 60 days to build and another 30 to finish after they got started.

Believe it or not, the whole family was immediately on board,” mother of the bride Andrea Horner said. “We had seen how great his taste and vision for the whole place is, so we had complete trust.”

McCool began construction on the Plein Air community in 2007. The place has matured into its own atmosphere since, expanding to 37 “Southern vernacular” homes, along with The Mill, a sprawling 12,000-square-foot events center; a 1.5-acre green area designed for hosting outdoor events; and the most recent addition of upscale restaurant Grit, slated to open May 1.

When he broke ground on the chapel in November 2015, the project became another

The Chapel at Plein Air may be brand new, but stepping inside means stepping back in time. The church is made from all repurposed materials, including the 200-year-old heart pine floors salvaged from Charleston, South Carolina.

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“We used the same material and built it in the same way it would have been done in the 1800s – except we have air conditioning.”

-Campbell McCool

extension of McCool’s concept for the community, a throwback to a quaint but independent New Orleans neighborhood of his childhood.

“I want this place to be like the neighborhood I grew up in,” he said. “Where you can walk from home to the corner grocery or closest mom-and-pop restaurant. Where there’s an emphasis on front porches, a respectful nod to the past in every structure and you get married in the little white chapel down the street.”

With the dust from construction just settling, the building already drips with history.

As with the homes in Plein Air, that feeling of authenticity may stem from the refurbished materials that are an integral part of the chapel.

The arched pine entryway doors originally hail from a New York brownstone; the oak pews, from a Virginia sanctuary. Light shines through aged windows from a Pennsylvania Lutheran church onto 200-year-old heart pine floors salvaged from a Charleston, South Carolina, warehouse. The lantern sconces along the walls and matching pendants hanging from the 14-foottall beadboard ceilings came from a church in the Tennessee hills just east of Knoxville.

The attention to detail also shows in the structure’s exterior. Short brick columns interspersed with lattice embellish the bottom of the white barnwood building, while a handmade wooden cross tops off the cupola on the tin roof.

“We’ve gone to great lengths to build homes that are authentic. We build on conventional foundations, use solid, old material where it makes sense, and that same philoso-

Owner and designer Cambell McCool made sure every detail of the chapel was special, including the arched pine entryway door from a brownstone in New York and the ornate lantern pendants from Knoxville, Tennessee.

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“Kirkland isn’t one to be emotional about things like that, and even he was blown away that something that beautiful came together so quickly. And we get to be the first down that aisle. It’s going to make our day even more special.” -Heather Horner

phy spilled over into the chapel,” McCool said.

“We used the same material and built it in the same way it would have been done in the 1800s – except we have air conditioning.”

The overall ambience of the chapel is almost as impressive as its convenience.

“That chapel is a smart addition because it gives brides so many choices, which will draw their attention,” wedding planner Claire Kiamie said. “There’s already a distinct feeling out there, but this makes it a good destination wedding place because you can do everything there. You really could just spend the weekend and get married, too.”

The venue is already booked for 15 straight weekends after the Horner/Hines wedding, and brides are calling about dates into next year.

With the final details complete on the structure since late February, McCool is now eyeing a small hotel for his next project to continue moving the community forward as a wedding and event venue.

As for Horner and Hines, they get the honor of being the first couple married there.

“We saw the chapel [in early February] unfinished, and it still gave us both chills,” Horner said. “Kirkland isn’t one to be emotional about things like that, and even he was blown away that something that beautiful came together so quickly. And we get to be the first down that aisle. It’s going to make our day even more special.”

For more information on the chapel and accommodations, visit themillatpleinair.com.

The little white church is already in high demand among couples looking for a wedding venue with small-town charm. Heather Horner and Kirkland Hines will be the first to walk down its aisle on April 9.

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CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL In conjunction with Oxford Conference for the Book, the Children’s Book Festival was held March 4 at the Ford Center. More than 600 local students participated in the event. photographed by Joey Brent

Kelly Wages and Merideth Wulff

Laurie Keller and Holly Goldberg Sloan

Becca Walton and Brandy Newman

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Allye Cissom and Crosse Lindsey

Jenny Anne Davis and Aaron Sharp

Walker Dabbs, Partick Murphy, Holly Goldberg Sloan, Norah Bruce and Ria Contractor

Aquella Caldwell and Laura Lee McHenry

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HINGE DANCE COMPANY CONCERT Hinge Dance Company celebrated its fifth anniversary with a performance titled Coming Home March 3 at the Powerhouse. photographed by Joey Brent

Jeff Galey and Ellen Ruthven

Alice Kelly Morgan, Mary Morgan Wade and Beth Chamblee

Shelli and Laura Poole

Lydia Siniard Turner and Glynda Kuehn

Louisa Kelly, Dillon Harris, Patrick Fugate and Maggie Hall

Tommy and Debbie Ladner

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Pamela McSweeney, Chloe Martin and Suanne Messer

INVITATION OXFORD | April 2016

Olivia Orr, Anna Calhoun and Anna Kirk Presley

LaDonna, Mark and Jana Rosenberg

Katherine Waits and Katherine Westfall

Katie Forbes and Morgan Andreiev

Jordan Knight and Mary Garden Oden

Lauren Bruscato and Lindsay Logan

Allie Chotard and Amanda Abel

Evelina Mineikyte, Brooks Reames, Peter Stroud, Teri Whitehurst, Morgan Kemmeling, Alex Etheridge and Hope Landis

Diane Hollingsworth, Ann Brown and Kathy Hood

Lisa Siniard, Kelly Jeffus and Daris Siniard

1400 University Ave Oxford, MS 38655 662.234.3232

Come see our new line of Amy Howard chalk paint April 2016 | INVITATION OXFORD

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A CAUSE FOR THE PAWS FUNDRAISER The event was held Feb. 13 at the Lyric to benefit the Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society. Presented

by Vida-Mend hydration therapy, it included music by The Mustache Band. photographed by Joey Brent

Conner and Elizabeth Bills

Kurt Sanders, Amanda Tamoglia and Beth Hanna with Marilyn and Jason Hunter

Amber Warren and Megan Howard

Amy Holmes and William Cox

Rebecca Secrist and Bob Hatmaker

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Laura and Neal McCready

Victoria Lanza and Chandler Morgan

Caroline Chang, Lindsay Lockwood, Katie Sanchez, Tyler Pack and Haley Jones

Kelly Scott and Patti Harrison

Mary Beth Tate, Anna Brooke Conlee, Rhagen Hopper and Lauren Hatton

Rhonda and John Peters

George Inman and Madison Greenlee

William McLamb and Helen Hanson Stitt

Danielle and Robin Perkins

Ron and Shaun Helmhout

Matt Wooten and Erin Griff

Janet McCarty and Madelyn Johnson

Katrina Shirley, Sarah Ball and Kacey Schaum

Michele McCay, Angela Davis and Amy Holmes

Deanna Mackie, Ginger and Brandon Kizer and Pam Cougar

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Check out our

Fridays are tasty at INVITATIONOXFORD.COM Visit our food blog for delicious recipes contributed by food blogger Kimme Hargrove each week.

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LEND ME A TENOR Theatre Oxford presented Lend Me a Tenor Feb. 12 at the Powerhouse. The Tony awardwinning play was written by Ken Ludwig and directed by Christopher Schager. photographed by Joey Brent

Susan and David Shaw

Ann Forester and Susan Hayman

Debbie Binkley, Blake Hemphill and Kristen Brown

Tara Smith, Carra Cockrell and Gabby Wilbanks

Lynn Tran and Tye Steele

Stephanie and David Simms

Rebecca Jurnigan and Don Mattern

Cassie and Mike Ledbetter

Tyler Russell and Abbey Fratesi

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Lewis and Shelby Smith

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Marge and Jim McCauley

Mike and Betty Bridge

Stan and Terri Hall

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OLE MISS FCA BREAKFAST The third annual Fellowship of Christian Athletes breakfast was held Feb. 20 at Tad Smith Coliseum.

Guest speakers were Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Kelly. photographed by Joey Brent

Peggy Gillom-Granderson and Todd Johnson

Cade, Steven and Carson Romano with Tanner King

Lindy and Alex Gray

Sibby Russell and Cathy Cox

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Brent Vaughan and Allyson Brooks

Jill and Jim Kelly

Jill, Jim and James Williams with Anatasia Wilson

Juanita and Gene Skinner

Eddy and Gayle Odom

Debbie Vaughn and Matthew Porchivina

Lisa and Derek Henderson

Judy Mason and James Paul

Ron and Nancy Craddock

Corbin Divinity and Summer Wigley

Cindy and Terry Crawford

Jimmy Brooks and June Truly

Richard Russo and Angie Ledbetter

Debby and Bobby Corley

Nick Hughes with Steve and Melinda Hendrix

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TRIO CONCERTDANCE The Trio ConcertDance performance featuring Alessandra Ferri, Herman Cornejo and Bruce Levingston was held at the Ford Center Feb. 23. photographed by Joey Brent

Gwynnie and Jake Clemons

Sue Lobrano Womble and Elizabeth Lanoux

Laura Lehner and Brandon Zunino

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Kate Prendergast and Connor King

Melissa Cassada and Renee Waller

Tommy and Shelley Cribbs

Martha and Jon Scott

Conner Clark and Liana Tai

Grace, Hope and Faith Hengler

Julie and Billy Chadwick

Delaney Olister and James Robinson

Tara Tharp with Cooper and Margaret Jordan

Don and Mary Ann Fruge

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VISIT OXFORD HEALTH AND RACE EXPO Visit Oxford hosted a health and race expo Feb. 19 at the Manning Center that featured fitness, nutrition and exercise vendors. photographed by Joey Brent

Jennifer Romero and Jennifer DaPrato

Kat Withers and Alex Thompson

Mark and Emily McCauley

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Kelley Pinion and Jessica Hughes

Andy Williams and Haley Prewett

Belinda Turner and Kaitlin Sten

Emily Harral and Lauren Phillips

Sarah Rall and Hayley Gregory

Lisa King and Caysie Lagrone

Ashley and Ray Does

Mary Elizabeth Smithson and Eleanor Green

Eliza Adcock and Kassey Lundberg

Meredith Wimbrow and Brittney McCoy

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REBEL WELL’S MIGHTY HALF MARATHON & 5K Rebel Well and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation sponsored a half marathon and 5K Feb. 20. All proceeds benefited the launch of the Mighty Milers program in Oxford. photographed by Jessica Richardson

Hannah Brookins and Abigail Cunningham

Bill and Jan Henning

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Andrew Jobe and Joli Nichols

Cameron Stimson and Carrie Ann Rohrscheib

Luke and Kitty Johnson

Mike and Quent Mizer

Wes Sigler and Paul Middleton

Wesley Dickens and Janet Watkins

Caleb, Stephanie and Aaron Meacham

Jordan and Aly Smith

Correy and Renee Cobern

Allison and Lexi Netterville

Emily Kveselis and Sean Shank

engagement

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HALF PAGE: $90 Includes one photo and up to 200 words FULL PAGE: $150 Includes three photos and up to 300 words TWO PAGES: $275 Includes five photos and up to 500 words

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Oxford and Invitation Tupelo’s combined Bridal issue featuring gorgeous brides, dapper grooms and festive celebrations.

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OUT AND ABOUT CONTINUED ON PAGE 124

OLE MISS BASEBALL VS. LOUISVILLE

Brooklyn Garland, Lindsay Dawson and Mallory Mayfield

Leland Graeber, Elle Hillier, Blaire Barlow and Marie Mayers

BLONDES VS. BRUNETTES KICKOFF PARTY

Kirsten Cole, Dana Knight and Brittany Lake

Cambi Burnham and Ally Boyd

Kate McNees, Jane Vorhies, Garret Gray, Scottye Carter-Dewey and Beth Thompson

INVITATION OXFORD | April 2016

Ken and Barbara Young

COFFEE WITH A COP

David Sabin, James S. Allen, Tray LeSueur and Sheridan Maiden

INNOVATE MISSISSIPPI LUNCHEON

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Sparky Reardon and Jeff Roberson

Joey East and Sandra Enfinger

UM MUSEUM MILKSHAKE MASH-UPS

Tony Jeff and Anne Turner

Emily McCauley and Stacy Sienbenaler

Eva Reynolds and Mary Holland Burnett

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OUT AND ABOUT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 120

OXFORD CONFERENCE FOR THE BOOK

Cecil and Celia Burnham with Susan and Pat McNease

Margaret Gaffney, Rebecca Lauck Cleary, Charles Overby and Jimmy Thomas

LENTEN LUNCHEON SERIES

Chris McAlilly, Pat Ward and Micah Greenstein

K.C. Morrison and Dennis J. Mitchell

HERMITAGE GARDENS RENOVATION RIBBON CUTTING

Lorna Berry and Hollis Crowder

Wanda Poole and Sara Mize

J.P. Nelson, LaKesha Harris and Devin Carter

LARRY BROWN ALE RELEASE PARTY

Sharwwon Morris and Shannon Lovejoy

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Benjy and Liz Foster

Michael and Debbie Wooldridge

Joey Hipp, Stephanie Babb, Clay Kisner and Mary Annie Brown-Foshee

TRENT LOTT BOOK SIGNING

Sam Davis, Bill Canty and Ed Meek

Liz Woodward, Alan Beals, Rebecca Broom and Catti Beals

A TASTE OF RENOVATION CELEBRATION AT HERMITAGE GARDENS

Lindy Rikard and Christie Perkins

Brinkley and Frank Gaia

ELLIOTT LANE SPRING FASHION SHOW

Megan Tomes, Kari Bailey and Charlotte Parker

OXFORD CHARGER ATHLETIC BOOSTER CLUB SPRING RECEPTION AND SENIOR SALUTE

Michael, Korbin and Kajavia Harmon

Ed and Elizabeth Field with Robert Gonzalez

Ann Canty, Tricia Lott, Kaye Bryant and Allison Buchanan

Nicole Hayward and Jordyn Repka

Eliza Tomes, Ellie Lowery and Parker Bolton

THE MSAN & AMERICORPS VISTA OPEN HOUSE

Shannon Curtis, Ashley Ingram and Jeffrey Peavy

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COMING JUNE 2016

Look forward to Invitation Oxford and Invitation Tupelo's combined Bridal issue featuring gorgeous brides, dapper grooms and festive celebrations.

All advertising must be reserved by May 5, 2016.

To reserve your space in this issue, contact your Invitation Magazine marketing consultant today or call 662-234-4008.

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EDEN WALKER FLORA interviewed by Meaghin Burke photographed by Joe Worthem

Eden Walker Flora is the featured artist for the 2016 Double Decker Arts Festival.

Q:

Where will we see your artwork at this year’s festival?

A: It will be on the festival’s posters and Tshirts. I will also have an art booth there. I’m really grateful to have the opportunity to celebrate Oxford. This is my first time even attending Double Decker, but I’ve heard about it and have always wanted to go, so I’m definitely starting my first festival off with a bang.

Q: What brought you to Oxford?

A: I moved here from Boston. Before that I lived in Nashville and New York. My husband graduated from Ole Miss, so Oxford was always on the horizon; it was just a matter of waiting for the right time to make the move. Then my husband got a job at the university, and here we are.

Q: Have you always been interested in art?

A: I’ve been creating art since I was a little girl, though I never really set out to have an art business. It’s happened very organically. In addition to being an artist, I’m an art therapist at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. Art therapy is similar to traditional talk therapy, except it incorporates art materials like watercolors, clay, etc. But a few years ago, I realized that I needed to make time for personal creativity, so I started making art and selling it. I sell pieces that I’ve already made and also do a lot of custom work.

Q: What do you like about living in Oxford?

A: There are a few things I miss about living in a big city, but I’m very impressed with what Oxford has to offer. I think it’s so neat how big the art community is here; classes at the Powerhouse, the art crawls, Thacker Mountain Radio and the University Museum. It’s a small town, but it has all these awesome amenities – small-town living with big-city perks.

For more of Flora’s art, visit edenwflora.com.

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