v8n6 incubating the creative economy

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6 March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine boomjackson.com

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Government ContractsCommercial LitigationEconomic Development

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125 S. Congress Street Suite 1336 - Jackson, MS

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Let the little childrencome to me.

“(The Wonder Lab) is a big-city idea in a fertile, concentrated city. We’re doing things individually while building a community of dreamers.” —Ron Chane, p. 35

11 JXNCreative/InclusiveGallery1 just got a facelift.

12Jumping Up

12HAL’lelu’Y’all

14Midtown Biz

15Historical Business

16 EXPATInspiring the Next Generation

18 PROGRESSWhat’s Happening?

19 BIZSalvaging Community

20On the Team

20 BEST OF JACKSON Stemming the Economy

21 Meet Your Local Bank

21Watercolor Dreams

23MENU GUIDE

30 BITESBulldogs and Beer

33 COVERA Creative Economy

38 DO GOODERYouthful Art

40 ARTSColorful Expansion

44 MELODIESNot So High Brow

46 EVENTSSpring Forward

50 LOCAL LIST10 Top Ways to Be Creative in Jacktown

45

33

35

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4020On the Team

20 BEST OF JACKSON Stemming the Economy

12

Colorful Expansion

44 MELODIESNot So High Brow

46 EVENTS

12


Around this time last year, I wrote an editor’s note for BOOM Jack-son about how I’m not much of an artist, but that the creative

landscape here allows even amateur art-ists like me to find their craft, hone it in, and if they so choose, reap the rewards. It’s not as easy as it sounds. You have to first sit down and cre-ate, which in and of itself probably sounds pretty simple. But it’s tricky, be-cause you actually have to do it. You’ll never be the next great Pablo Pi-casso or Andy Warhol if you don’t practice your craft, and do it daily. Then you have to get word out there, which can be a daunting task. “What if they don’t like my work?” artists may worry. Or, “What if selling my art makes me a sell-out?” I’ve dealt and am still dealing with both of those issues. Websites such as Etsy and social-me-dia sites such as Facebook and Instagram are great places to start, but, in my experi-ence, people want to be able to put a face to a name. Years ago, it might have been harder for artists in Jackson to get recognized. These days, I don’t think that’s necessarily true. Creative incubators and co-working spaces are popping up everywhere, and there seems to be no shortage of art-cen-tered events, from Third Thursdays at the Mississippi Museum of Art to Fondren’s First Thursday (see page 19 for more in-formation on its return in March). Local businesses like Deep South Pops, Cups Espresso Café, Sneaky Beans and many others try to stamp out the high-brow stigma that has surrounded art gal-leries by allowing artists of all kinds and skill levels display their hard work. It’s no longer just an art collector’s game. It’s a game for all artists, whether they’re an amateur like me or long-established ones such as Wyatt Waters (see page 21) or Clay Hardwick (see page 50). All the local and state artists contrib-

ute to what’s called the creative economy, or those jobs that fall within the creative sector, from art to culinary arts to con-struction (see page 20). The best thing Gov. Phil Bryant has even done for the state of Mississippi is

declaring a Year of the Creative Economy. While I have an issue with the idea of creative economy in an inherently poor state (although the creative sector does help the economy), the senti-ment is nice and gives me hope that artists and cre-atives can make it here. The state’s rich history in literature and music and art is what keeps me here, and it’s nice to know that should I get the

chance to join their ranks, I can. I dedicate this issue to all the naysay-ers who say Mississippi has nothing good happening within its borders. While the state does have its issues, the artists and creatives prove how resilient we are. This issue celebrates the creativity all around us. We examine the business sur-rounding creative incubators and co-work-ing spaces. Throughout almost every sec-tion we talk about the artists and creativity in Jackson. But most of all, we celebrate all the great things Jackson has to offer. So whether you’re an artist, or some-one who just wants to celebrate it, take this issue, flip through it, absorb the infor-mation and celebrate the city we live in. Assistant Editor Amber Helsel enjoys music, art, food and food-related art. She can school you in a round of obscure “Harry Potter” trivia any day of the week, except Tuesday. She begrudgingly does CrossFit (though not all that begrudgingly). Email her your story ideas at [email protected].

Editor-in-Chief and CEODonna Ladd

Art DirectorKristin Brenemen

Managing EditorAmber Helsel

Assistant EditorMicah Smith

Editorial AssistantsAdria Walker

EditorialWriters

Benjamin Hollingsworth // LaTonya Miller Maya Miller // R.L. Nave

Julie Skipper // Zachary Oren Smith

Listings Editor // Latasha Willis

PhotographyImani Khayyam

Ad DesignZilpha Young

Business and SalesAdvertising Director //

Sales and Marketing Consultants // Myron CatheySales Assistant // Mary Osborne

Distribution Manager // Richard LaswellBookkeeper // Melanie Collins

Assistant to the CEO // Inga-Lill SjostromOperations Consultant // David Joseph

President and PublisherTodd Stauffer

CONTACT US

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emphasizing entrepreneurship, economic growth, culture, style and city life.

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boom

jack

son.co

m editor’s note

A World of Art// by Amber Helsel

Managing Editor Amber Helsel

Cover photo of Gallery1 director

Shon McCarthy by Imani Khayyam.

See more on page 11


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contributors

Maya MillerStaff writer Maya Miller is a Jackson State University graduate. She enjoys running the ever-so popular Netfl ix marathon and all things social media. She wrote about creative incubators, co-working spaces and creatives.

Zachary Oren SmithFreelance writer Zachary Oren Smith comes from a long line of storytellers and decided he might as well make a dime off the family business. And no, he’s probably not related to the Smiths you’re thinking of. He wrote about BankPlus, Spengler’s Corner and High Heaven Trampoline Park.

Benjamin HollingsworthBenjamin Hollingsworth’s main qualifi cation is his cleverness. He is a political scientist, philosopher, feminist and oenophile. He wrote about Inspire Jackson.

LaTonya MillerLaTonya Miller is a freelance writer who is passionate about music, photography and all things positive. You can visit her anytime at her second home, online at etudelife.com. She wrote about Damien Thaddeus Jones.


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High in the Sky p 12 // Hal’s Legacy p 12

The North End p 14 // Old Business p 15

Youth Ambassador p 16 //

Progress in the Neighborhoods pp 18-19

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&Creativity: Inclusivity

Gallery1 // story and photos by Imani Khayyam

After a few years spent working in finance in Nashville, Ryan Spencer decided he wanted to do some-thing more entrepreneurial. So he

stopped by a site in Nashville where Circus Trix, the largest developer of indoor trampo-line parks in the world, was building a tram-poline park. Because of the metro area’s strong youth demographic and lack of extreme sports, the company had been looking for a metro Jackson location. Spencer talked to the company, and on Oct. 31, 2015, High Heaven Trampoline Park, Circus Trix’s first location in Mississippi, opened. “I don’t even want to call it a trampoline park,” Spencer, High Heaven’s general man-ager, says. “We are in the business of fun, not trampolines.” For this reason, Circus Trix tailors each of its facilities to the area where it opens. For example, dodgeball is a favorite here in Jackson, but Spencer says it didn’t work so well at their locations in Scotland and Germany. “People would get hit overseas,” Spencer says, “and would think it was a fight!” In a world where video games allow us to leap through the air and sneak across buildings, High Heaven provides people with the chance to do it themselves. “… We want people to come here and push their limits in a safe place,” Spencer says.

Spencer has high hopes for High Heaven’s future. “Five years down the road, are trampolines going to be the thing? I don’t know, but whatever people think is fun, that’s what we want to provide,” he says. High Heaven has activities such as trampolines; a ninja ob-stacle course; a slackline; and more. For more information, visit highheaven.us.

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This year, Jackson’s famous parade has been renamed Hal’s St. Paddy’s Parade & Festival in honor of Hal White.

In the High Heaven// by Zachary Oren Smith

Fortune Smiles on Hal’s St. Paddy’s Day // by Amber Helsel


JXN // jump

High Heaven Trampoline Park opened on Oct. 31, 2015.


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JXN // 411

Midtown is a Jackson neighborhood that’s on the up-and-up. It has its is-sues, of course (have you seen those potholes on Wesley Avenue?), but

it has a lot to offer Jackson, especially in the spectrum of art and creativity. Here are some of the studios and businesses currently located in the neighborhood.

What’s in Midtown?// by Amber Helsel


The Southron, one of Jackson’s fi rst newspapers, ran a story in 1837 that de-scribed the city’s early infrastructure: “No buildings whatsoever, except per-

haps a solitary frame house of small proportions and dingy aspect.”

The truth was that the Old Capitol build-ing—then the new Capitol—was still under construction. The city had plenty of vendors, but they occupied temporary structures. That year, Judge Thomas J. Wharton was recorded saying, “A party was running horse races on State Street,” and the famed Eagle Hotel featured “an underground dark and cavernous saloon.” The city had a few perma-nent houses, but for the most part, Jackson’s growing population had exhausted its infra-structure’s capacity. Enter Joseph Spengler, a German immi-grant with a familial tradition in the hospital-

ity industry. He bought the 80-by-100-by-31-foot property on the northwestern quatrain at the intersection of North State and Capi-tol streets. In 1840, the Spengler Hotel opened, and by 1847, it was advertising 15 to 20 rooms.

Spengler eventually sold the deed to his brother, Hu-bert Spengler. And so went the better part of 100 years, as the property remained within the family. Since moving his family’s law fi rm into the location, John Arthur Eaves Jr. has dubbed himself the caretaker of Spengler’s Corner. He says that the growth of the Spen-gler family can be used to understand the dif-ferences in the property’s façades. Joseph and Hubert were responsible for what Eaves refers to as the more German-

style clean lines on the building’s sharp 90-degree corners and window sills of the tan 101 N. State St. section. The building’s style changes further down on the North State Street side. Eaves says that the curved window fi xtures and

more ornate façade found on the 107 N. State St. sec-tion are the work of Hu-bert’s son-in-law, Joseph Piazza, a Italian architect. The presence of these two different national archi-tectural styles framed the Spengler Hotel’s clientele. Much of the hotel’s his-tory since its opening has been of the alignment of power. The hotel was one of Jackson’s early unoffi cial seats of power, peopled by the likes of Jefferson Da-vis, John A. Quitman and a

coterie of Mississippi state legislators. When Gen. Wil-liam Sherman came through during the Civil War, he ordered soldiers to burn much of the city, but they spared the Spengler Hotel for use as of-fi cers’ quarters. Dur-ing Reconstruction, the property housed representatives of the U.S. government. Since the city was fi rst surveyed in 1822,

Spengler Corner has had many incarnations: drug store, law offi ce and restaurant, which was Miller’s Grocery, the predecessor to Miller’s 471 in Brandon and Miller’s Uptown in Ridgeland. But as the point from which Jackson’s grid began, perhaps the corner’s evolution is a natural reaction to the diverse capital city that grew up all around it. See more SecretJXN at boomjackson.com.

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Spengler’s Corner is the oldest commercial building in Jackson.

Spengler’s Corner: The Center from Which Jackson Grew// by Zachary Oren Smith


Spengler eventually sold the deed to his brother, Hu-

South Jackson native Damien Thaddeus Jones, or just Damien Thaddeus as he typically goes by, is on a mission. The socially conscious “servant of man-

kind,” as he calls himself, is deter-mined to arm as many young Afri-can Americans as he can with the mindset and resources they need to succeed in life. Jones, who has lived in Washington, D.C., since March 2015, is the equity and justice out-reach specialist for the Union of Concerned Scientists there. The group works to build a healthier planet and safer world. Jones is tasked with identifying and orga-nizing ethnic communities that suffer from the effects of global warming and helping them be-come safer and healthier. One way is to ensure they have ac-cess to solar panels, he says. After graduating from Piney Woods School in 2003, Jones later received a degree in politi-cal science from Texas Southern University. He became engulfed in politics while attending TSU from 2011 to 2014 where he in-terned in Houston City Hall, volunteered for President Obama’s re-election campaign and then worked as a legislative aide to state Sen. Rodney Ellis. But the political seed was planted long before then. “My dad and I would always watch the (Jackson City) Council meetings every Tuesday night, and it would just be in-

teresting to see the back and forth between the members and how what they were doing really affected the community,” he says. Jones, 31, also travels the country encour-

aging young people to reach their potential. He is anxious to give directly back to his home-town of Jackson and says he wants to speak to groups of young people here, whether it’s at a school, a church, civic function or anywhere else. He says he likes offering his expertise through any means, including keynote ad-dresses and panel discussions.

In 2014, he co-founded the Houston Justice Coalition in the wake of the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, Mo. “I wanted to capture all the millennial energy,” he says.

The coalition hosted a town-hall meeting that more than 600 people attended to push for body cameras and grand-jury reform in Texas. “We raised hell at City Hall and the statehouse to get body cameras,” Jones says. “It was pretty fun.” Now, he’s settled in Wash-ington, D.C., but travels to give motivational talks for young people, including back in his hometown. On Feb. 20, he was the keynote speaker at a youth summit for Butterflies by Grace, Designed by Faith, a Jackson organization his mother, Eva Jones, started that helps women who have experienced domestic violence and abuse. “I want to use my gifts and my training to invest into Jackso-nians,” he says. Jones says he plans to re-turn to his home state some day. “My parents (William and Eva

Jones) still live in Jackson, so I would prefer, when I get to that point—raising a family—to have my children close to my parents. Jack-son is an ideal place,” he says. “It’s where I was raised, and I turned out alright.” For more information, visit damien thaddeus.com.

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Damien Thaddeus Jones, a Jackson native, is on a mission to help young black people—and to stop police violence.

A Servant of Mankind// by LaTonya Miller

JXN // mission



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Right now, driving south on Highway 18 could almost qualify as a scenic drive. From Highway 80, you pass by the hulking Metrocenter Mall, chain and

mom-and-mom pop restaurants, and a national big-box retailer. After that, the scenery unfolds until you arrive at tree-lined Hinds Community College and the his-toric town of Raymond. A plan under way from the City of Jackson might turn that lazy landscape into a bustling thorough-fare. In January, city officials met with residents along the five-mile section. The public meeting at Met-rocenter was mostly an opportunity for citizens to talk about the kinds of development they would like to see there, said Ward 4 Councilman De’Keither Stamps. “This was the result of a community-engagement process,” Stamps said. Even though some 40 percent of land along the corridor is va-cant, Stamps, whose ward includes the corridor, said residents over-whelmingly said they decidedly would not sup-port liquor stores of less than 300 square feet, check-cashing stores, payday-loan centers or small used-car lots. Jackson economic-development leaders see Highway 18 with untapped potential be-cause it has among the highest traffic counts in the metro area, and it lies completely within city limits. Development along County Line Road, by contrast, must be split between Jackson and Ridgeland; Stamps said he envisions Highway 18 as a future Lakeland Drive, where all the rev-enue generated would go into the City’s coffers. Next, the City planning department will start developing a master plan for the area.

Back from the BrinkNot only did Malcolm White, owner of

Hal & Mal’s, back off from threats to move his

venerable establishment from downtown; the controversy reignited talk about entertainment in the area. The City of Jackson voted to ask the state of Mississippi to allow 10 downtown bars

to remain open late under resort status. White said the restaurant is still deciding whether it would exercise an option to buy the building from the state, which now owns it. Entergy Mississippi could give downtown development another jolt with a new distribu-tion-operations center between Tombigbee and South streets off Jefferson Street. In January, Entergy Mississippi Chief Executive Officer Haley Fisackerly told the Jackson City Council that the project calls for refurbishing a building Entergy owns on South Street. The center will monitor Entergy Mississip-pi’s distribution system, which covers 45 coun-ties in western Mississippi. When complete, 50 employees will work in the building on a daily basis and up to 100 during a major storm. Fi-sackerly said that the $13 million project will be completed in 2017.

A Hotel Explosion?Two new hotels could be coming to Fon-

dren, with help from city taxpayers. The Jackson City Council OK’d a tax-increment-financing

district for Whitney Place and a second nearby hotel announced earlier this year.

The TIF would provide $3.1 million for in-frastructure upgrades to support the two proj-ects, which represent a $60-million investment. The projects would include two hotels, totalling 203 rooms, 87,000 square feet of leasable office space and 48,000 square feet of retail space. The projects would create 250 construction jobs and 100 permanent jobs, officials from the City’s economic-development office said.

Whitney Place proposes a hotel from de-velopers Sunny Desai and Jason Watkins. In 2014, Desai announced plans for a boutique-style Hampton Inn near the corner of Duling Avenue and Old Canton Road, but he later with-drew those plans. In addition to Whitney Place, Jackson-based Eldon Development LLC has plans for a boutique hotel called The Fondren, a

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Wier Boerner Allin Architecture is moving into the Fondren Point building, BOOM Jackson’s

A ‘Dogwood’ For Jackson and a Flood of New Apartments // by Dustin Cardon and R.L. Nave


JXN // progress

The Storied Salvage Company in mid-town is about to take on a new face. Jackson native Chad Schwarzauer and Chris Hoar, who lives in Denver,

founded the salvage and antique business in July 2014; however, earlier this year, the two parted ways. Schwarzauer and Bri LoChiatto of The B.B. Agency, which helps clients in Los Angeles and Jackson with sales strategy, account managing and hiring, are officially reopening the space as The Reclaimed Miles in March. The business had a soft opening in February. It will now focus on reclaimed building materials and some antiques. For more information on The Reclaimed Miles (140 Wesley Ave.), call 601.624.8625.

Fondren First Thursday: Back and StrongRon Chane, Fondren First Thursday’s cre-

ative director, posted on Facebook in December 2015 that FFT as people knew it was done; how-ever, the festival itself isn’t done. Starting March 3, FFT will now be divided into four zones that Fondren business owners control.

The new FFT will have a greater focus on theater and art, local craft beer and food. Chane plans to devote Duling Avenue to craft-beer vendors, music, and pop-up activities, and he is working with Lauren Davis of the Mississippi Food Truck Association to give participants a street-dining experience. Events that will re-turn include Jackson State University’s Recplex, which brought a dodgeball competition and life-sized Battleship game to past events.

For more information, visit fft.city.

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In March, The Storied Salvage Company’s space in midtown will reopen as The Reclaimed Miles and will focus on the reclaimed materials and some antiques.

Business Revival

and Revamp // by Amber Helsel

$20 million, 100-room hotel near State Street and Mitchell Avenue that developers say would cre-ate $227 million in spin-off economic activity and $17 million in local tax revenues over a decade.

The TIF would help pay for parking—a surface lot for The Fondren and a garage for Whitney Place—as well as sewer and drainage upgrades for The Fondren and Whitney Place. Roy Decker said The Fondren is in the final stages of putting the financing package in place, which includes using the state historic tax credit program, which ran out of money in 2015, but the Legislature may consider reauthorizing it in the 2016 legislative session.

Another commercial project under way in Fondren is The Precinct on North State Street, the former home of Jackson Police Depart-ment’s Precinct 4. The three-story, 7,800-square-foot property remained vacant until January 2014 when Mickey Paduda of Jackson Proper LLC bought it from the Fondren Renaissance Foundation. Paduda told the Jackson Free Press in January that exterior work is complete with interior plans to be custom-built for each tenant.

“I bought The Precinct because I saw it as an opportunity to extend the footprint of com-mercial space in Fondren and create a fusion of office and retail space,” Paduda told the JFP.

“The heart of the Jackson business community is in the center of Fondren, so this is the logical place to continue the growth of Fondren with ad-ditional commercial space.” People who want to live in Fondren, but not necessarily in one of its funky historic homes, will have an option for newer apartment living. The Meridian at Fondren is now pre-leas-ing. Located near University of Mississippi Med-ical Center on Lakeland Drive, the development is a $30 million, 241-unit luxury apartment build-ing with 4.4 acres of mixed-use site they hope to attract young professionals and empty nesters. As originally planned, apartments ranged from $650 per month for a studio to $1,300 for a three-bedroom. Now, a studio will run $950 per month with three-bedroom units costing up to $2,000.

BOOM’s Old Haunt Is New AgainWier Boerner Allin Architecture, a firm

whose work has included popular Jackson es-tablishments such as Babalu Tacos & Tapas, The Iron Horse Grill and The Apothecary at Brent’s Drugs, broke ground on a new project on Feb. 18. The firm, which opened in the Fon-dren Corner building in 2010, is moving into and renovating the Fondren Point building, the former decade-long home of the Jackson Free

Press Inc., which owns BOOM Magazine.Harry Haas of Jones & Haas, Architects,

the firm that designed the Mississippi Coli-seum, designed Fondren Point. The building’s history and location were prime factors in Wier Boerner’s decision to move operations there.

“The building has a great history in the Fondren neighborhood both for its creator and for the work its former residents like the Jack-son Free Press have done for the neighborhood, which we are glad to call home,” Wier Boerner Studio Manager Ryan Hansen said.

“Fondren Point is a great match to the over-all personality of the Fondren community, and we consider purchasing it to be an investment in the neighborhood. It also has the perfect loca-tion on the southern end of the community to generate plenty of exposure.”

Wier Boerner acquired the building in November 2015. After the purchase, it began renovations that included knocking down walls to create two large one-room spaces on both the first and second floors. Wier Boerner is moving its operations into the second floor—BOOM’s old offices—between April and July 2016. The firm is leasing the first floor to another company that has asked not to be identified yet.

See more Progress at boomjackson.com.


JXN // progress

Keeping the Wheels Turning at UMMC// by Amber Helsel

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Four years ago, Ben Allen, the presi-dent of Downtown Jackson Part-ners, visited and looked at statistics for cities such as Chattanooga, Ba-

ton Rouge, Birmingham and Memphis. He realized that these successful southern cities all had some-thing in common: organizations and young professionals in the local commu-nity that served as cheerleaders for the area. “Those cities have seen, since these organizations have formed, a huge posi-tive impact of people investing in the city to try to make posi-tive things happen,” says Laura Johns, executive director of TeamJXN. “Ben saw that as an opportu-nity for Downtown Jackson Partners to stem this TeamJXN organization.” The organization understands it can’t solve all the problems in the world at one time, so it has key initiatives that it focuses on. “We try to look at things that impact the entire community, but specifically Jackson and the core downtown area,” Johns says. “Ben always likes to say, ‘No one goes to New Orleans and stays in Metairie.’ We want to make sure that the core is strong.” Currently, TeamJXN is supporting the renovation of Smith Park downtown in a partnership with Friends of Smith Park, a

nonprofit organization that has been actively helping lead a change in Smith Park for the last few years. TeamJXN’s second initiative for 2016 is a partnership with Jackson Trail-

blazers. “We are partnering with the Jackson Trail-blazers to see the Museum to Mar-ket trail to comple-tion,” Johns says. The Museum to Market trail, which is five miles long, stretches through Belhaven, down-town and Belhaven Heights. In the long term, TeamJXN hopes to have a storefront where Jacksonians and visitors can find out various infor-mation about the city, from maps to

lists of local restaurants. “We really want to be a resource for the community and visitors to see what’s so great about Jackson and what we all love about Jackson,” she says. “… Our overarch-ing goal is to drive positive momentum and support things that are going to drive posi-tive momentum in the city.” For more information, visit teamjxn.com. Memberships cost $100 for an or-ganization to join, and it costs $25 for individuals. BOOM Jackson publisher Todd Stauffer is vice chair of TeamJXN.

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Laura Johns is the executive director for TeamJXN.

UMMC

Teaming Up for Jackson // by Adria Walker


BIZ // change

Best Place to Work: University of Mississippi Medical Center

(2500 N. State St., 601-984-1000, umc.edu)

Finalists: Mangia Bene (3317 N. State St., 601-982-4443) / Mississippi Children’s Museum (2145 Museum Blvd., 601-981-5469, mississippichildrensmuseum.com) / Soulshine Pizza Factory (1111 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 1, Ridgeland, 601-856-8646, 5352 Highway 25, Suite 1100, Flowood, 601-919-2000)/ St. Dominic Hospital (969 Lakeland Drive, 601-200-2000, stdom.com)

Whether from signing a receipt or updating information at the doc-tor’s office, BankPlus’ clickable green and white ballpoint pens are

probably a familiar sight around Mississippi. The business got its start in Belzoni, Miss., in 1909. Today, it has expanded to cov-er 34 communities with 60 locations through-out the state. “At its heart, (BankPlus) provides a unique brand of customer service,” Bruce Ulrich, the bank’s manager of marketing and communications, says. BankPlus accom-plishes this by leaving community outreach to the banking-center presidents, he says. Ulrich points to the ways the bank in-vests resources into the community in the Jackson metro. Along with helping to spon-sor events such as the International Gumbo Fest and Fondren’s First Thursday, BankPlus is the country’s largest Community Develop-ment Financial Institution, which provides credit and financial services to underserved markets and populations. The company does this by offering small-dollar loans, a means of avoiding high-interest equivalents that pay-

day loan services offer. Each month, the banks also offer free seminars to improve customer financial literacy in the form of Credit Plus. Outside its own customers, BankPlus has a budget for funding groups in the community. Ulrich says that the banking-center presidents decide where the funding goes. In the Jackson area, BankPlus is major contributor to Friends of Children’s Hospital, the fundraising group that helps support Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital. Through the services it offers and the com-munity outreach it provides, BankPlus hopes to continue growing throughout the state.

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Johnny Donaldson is BankPlus’ banking-center president for Jackson.

Banking for the Community// by Zachary Oren Smith


W

watercolor

Peekaboo

Best Local Bank or Credit Union: BankPlus

various locations, BankPlus.net

Finalists: Bancorp South (various locations, bancorpsouth.com) / Community Bank (multiple locations, communitybank.net) / Hope Credit Union (multiple locations, hopecu.org) / Trustmark (multiple locations, trustmark.com) / Magnolia Federal Credit Union (multiple locations, magfedcu.org)

Jackson Visual Artist: Wyatt Waters

(Wyatt Waters Gallery, 307 Jefferson

St., Clinton, 601-925-8115)

Finalists: Ellen Langford (ellenlangford.com) / Ginger Williams-Cook (gingerwilliams.tumblr.com) / Jerrod Partridge (jerrodpartridge.com) / Tony Davenport (tonydavenportimages.com) / William Goodman (enhancedmixture.net)

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Aladdin Mediterranean Grill p 26Fenian’s Pub p 27

Fusion Japanese & Thai Cuisine p 28The Green Room p 27

Hal & Mal’s p 26Johnny T’s Bistro & Bar p 27

The Pig & Pint p 25Sugar’s Place p 28

Surin of Thailand p 24

Menu Guide (pages 23-28) is a paid advertising section. For these and more visit www.jfpmenus.com

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S M A L L P L A T E SFried Boudin Balls … 6.99

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P & P D I S C O F R I E SFrench Fries / Queso / Smokehouse Beans / Pickled Onions / Pico de Gallo

Jalapenos / Mississippi “Sweet” BBQ Sauce / Sour Cream Pulled Pork Nachos … 10.49

Smoked Chicken Nachos … 10.49Brisket Nachos … 11.49

N A C H O SCheddar Cheese / Smokehouse Beans / Pickled Onions / Pico de Gallo

Mississippi “Sweet” BBQ Sauce / Sour Cream Pulled Pork Nachos … 9.49

Smoked Chicken Nachos … 9.49Brisket Nachos … 10.49

T A C O SPulled Pork BBQ Tacos (2)…7.49

Smoked Chicken BBQ Tacos (2) … 7.49Brisket BBQ Tacos (2) … 8.49

Fried Green Tomato Tacos (2) ... 7.99BBQ Taco Sampler (3) … 10.49

IB U R G E R S & S A N D W I C H E SChoice o f 1 s ide :

Collard Greens / Fries / Smoked Tomato Cole Slaw / Potato Salad / Pasta Salad Baked Beans / Pork Rinds / Side Salad / Fried Green Tomatoes

BBQ Pork Sandwich … 8.99BBQ Chicken Sandwich … 8.99BBQ Brisket Sandwich ... 9.99

The P&P Reuben ... 9.99Fried Bologna Sandwich ... 8.99Fried Green Tomato BLT … 8.99

Smoked Chicken Salad Sandwich … 8.99The Bacon Melt …10.99Boudin Burger …10.99

S A L A D SBLT Salad … 8.99

House Salad ... 5.99Smoked Chicken Caesar ... 9.99

M E M P H I S S T Y L E S M O K E D W I N G S6pc ... 6.99 / 12pc ... 10.99

Pecan Wood Smoked Wings / House-Made Pickles / Smoked Garlic Ranch Dressing

‘ Q U E P L A T E SChoice of 2 sides:

Collard Greens / Fries / Smoked Tomato Cole Slaw / Potato Salad / Pasta Salad Baked Beans / Pork Rinds / Side Salad / Fried Green Tomatoes

Award Winning Pepsi-Cola Glazed Baby Back RibsHalf-Slab … 14.99Full Slab … 25.99

Pulled Pork Plate … 11.99Brisket Plate … 14.99

1/2 Smoked Chicken Plate … 13.99‘Que Sampler Platter … 22.99

Pulled Pork / Brisket / ! ChickenPitmaster Sampler ... 29.99Half Slab of Baby Back Ribs + Choice of 2:

Briskit / Pulled Pork / Half Smoked Chicken / House Smoked SausageGrand Champion Sampler for 2 ... 49.99

Full Slab of Baby Back Ribs + Choice of 2:Brisket / Pulled Pork / Half Smoked Chicken / House Smoked Sausage

P I G L E T P L A T E S(Served w/ Fries & Soda, Lemonade or Iced Tea)

Kid’s Burger ... 6.99 / Kid’s Chicken Tenders ... 6.99 Kid’s Corndog ... 6.99

S I D E SCollard Greens / Fries / Smoked Tomato Cole Slaw

Potato Salad / Pasta Salad / Watermelon Smokehouse Beans / Pork Rinds

Fried Green Tomatoes / Side Salad ... 2.49

D E S S E R T SBananas Foster Pudding … 3.99

World Famous “Parker House” White Chocolate & Cranberry Bread Pudding … 3.99

Milk & Chocolate Chip Cookies ... 2.99

T A K E O U T O N L Y(Takeout Only... No Substitutions...)The P&P 6 Pack ... 50.99The P&P 12 Pack ... 94.99

The P&P BBQ Pork Taco Pack ... 49.99The P&P Baby Back Rib Pack ... 64.99

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M26 March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine jfpmenus.com

Soup&Salad 2.955.493.754.494.494.494.497.597.997.598.59

Add meat on your salad for $3.50Add feta on your salad for $0.50

Appetizers14.693.954.504.504.50

(mixed hummus & foul) 4.504.504.504.502.503.504.005.953.502.502.50

Entreesserved with salad, hummus, rice and white or whole wheat pita bread

12.9911.6910.6911.6911.6912.69

12.9916.99

12.9912.6911.6916.9915.9917.6910.9910.6912.9911.6915.999.69

Sandwiches3.994.99

chicken or lamb 5.495.49

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Desserts1.951.951.951.653.69

27Jackson Menu Guide.

2016� Best� of� Jackson� Winner�

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Daily Beer Specials12pm� -� 7pm

Pool� League Mon - Fri Night

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444 Bounds St. Jackson MS

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SMALL PLATES HOMEMADE CHEESE BALLS 10

CRAB CLAWS MKT PRICESALMON BALLS 12 WING PLATTER 12 DEVILED EGGS 6

FRIED SHRIMP BASKET 24 CATFISH & GRITS 16 CATFISH PLATTER 15

CRAB CAKE 18 SHRIMP TOAST 14

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES 12

ENTREES HOUSE SPECIAL 22

JOHNNY T'S BURGER 12 TURKEY BURGER 10

CHICKEN ALFREDO PASTA 15 SHRIMP ALFREDO PASTA 16

CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA 15 CAJUN SHRIMP PASTA 16

GRILLED CHICKEN W/ RICE 16 GRILLED SHRIMP W/ RICE 20

ATLANTIC SEAFOOD PLATTER 33 GRILLED SALMON 16SHRIMP & GRITS 16

SAUTÉED SHRIMP 24

SIDES 4 FRIES

SWEET POTATO FRIES SAUTÉED SPINACH

SEASONED RICE STEAMED BROCCOLI VEGETABLE MEDLEY

GREEN BEANSCRAWFISH CREAM SAUCE

- denotes Signature Item

EXECUTIVE CHEF BRIAN MYRICK GENERAL MANAGER JOHN TIERRE

538 N. FARISH ST. DOWNTOWN JACKSON

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POTATO CROQUETTES 7PUB WINGS 8FRIED PICKLES 6IRISH POUTINE 6DEEP FRIED REUBEN SLIDERS 8SCOTCH EGG 7

PUB BURGER* 10FENIAN’S BURGER* 12DEEP SOUTH REUBEN 12ROASTED CHICKEN SANDWICH 10FISH TACOS 9VEGGIE CIABATTA 10

LEEK & POTATO SOUP 6SHAVED BRUSSEL SPROUTS 8CAESAR 8

SHEPHERD’S PIE 11BEEF & GUINNESS STEW 12IRISH CHICKEN CURRY 12CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE 14SAUSAGES & MASH 12

COLCANNON 4HAND CUT CHIPS 4MASHED POTATOES & GRAVY 4CAESAR SALAD 4LEEK & POTATO SOUP 4BROWN BUTTER BRUSSEL SPROUTS 4HONEY ROASTED BABY CARROTS 4SAUTEED GARLIC KALE 4DELTA BLUES RICE 4

WHISKEY BREAD PUDDING 5GUINNESS CHOCOLATE POT DE CRÈME 5BANOFFEE 5

M28 March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine jfpmenus.com

BreakfastGrilled Cheese B.L.T. 3.99

Breakfast Biscuit 1.99Choose Bacon, Patty Sausage, Smoked Sausage or Turkey Bacon

Add cheese .50 Add egg .75Texas Toast Breakfast Sandwich 4.19

Choose Bacon, Patty Sausage, Smoked Sausage or Turkey BaconFull Breakfast 4.99

2 Scrambled Eggs, Grits, Choice of Meat, Biscuit or ToastAdd .50 each for cheese grits or cheese eggs

Choose Bacon, Patty Sausage, Smoked Sausage or Turkey BaconChicken & Waffl e 8.99

A la carteBiscuit or Toast 2 Eggs 1.75

Side Grits Extra Breakfast Meat 1.50Juices Coffee Bottled Water 1.25

20 oz Soda 2.19

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Monday Tuesday Smothered Pork ChopWednesday Baked Chicken

Thursday Friday Chef’s ChoiceFresh Vegetable Sides

Collard Greens, Green Beans, Black-eyed Peas, Yams, French Fries, Fried Okra, Green Salad, Macaroni & Cheese, Coleslaw

Additional sides 1.99

Catfish, Chicken Tenders, WingsCATFISH 1 side 2 sides 9.89

CHICKEN TENDERS 1 side 2 sides 7.99FRIED WINGS 1 side 2 Sides 8:49

Burgers & Po-Boyswith Fries

1/3 lb. Hamburger (5.3 oz.) 7.992/3 lb. Double Hamburger

Catfi sh Po-boy Shrimp Po-boy 8.99Chicken Po– boy Philly Cheese Steak 7.99

Downtown Club Smoked Ham 4.99Roasted Turkey 4.99

SaladsGarden Chef Grilled or Fried Chicken

Grilled Catfi sh Popcorn Shrimp 9.89

Sugar’s Place Downtown168 W. Griffi th St. Jackson, MS 39201

Open Monday - Thursday from 7am - 6pm

Friday from 7am-9pm

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Open Monday - Thursday from 7am - 6pm

2 LOCATIONSMadisonbehind McDonald’s on hwy 51

6 0 1 . 7 9 0 . 7 9 9 9

Flowoodbehind the Applebee’s on Lakeland

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A pub is a place for drinking and games, socializing and pontifi cating, and Jack-son pub The Bulldog checks each of those boxes.

When you drive up to The Bulldog in north Jackson, just off Ridgewood Road, it carries the air of an old-fashioned English pub on the out-side, with its earth-toned exterior and ornate gold sign. Most of the furniture and fi xtures inside are a deep brown color, and the ceiling tiles are copper. The lighting is dim, and TVs are mounted near the ceiling. The Barkade, an ar-cade area with games such as pinball and “Mor-tal Kombat,” is near the entrance. While this restaurant and bar is part of The Bulldog chain, which is headquartered in Louisiana, the Jackson Bulldog differs from its three sister locations in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. “It’s like a hybrid store,” Bulldog Jackson General Manager Valerie Alexander says. The owners—brothers Eddie and Herbie Dyer, and Alec Wilder and Rusty White—incorporated the

elements that worked in the other places, such as the pub feel. However, Alexander says, be-cause Jackson is a different market—with differ-ent laws about bars having kitchens—than New Orleans or Baton Rouge, they were able to gear drink specials and menu more toward the area. Many beverages are based on popular seasonal fl avors, such as hot chocolate and cin-namon, and which liquors are sold most often in Jackson. Also, while the two New Orleans lo-cations are bar-service only, which means they have smaller food menus, Jackson has a full-service kitchen. “It still shares a common thread with our other Bulldogs, but we have items that the other ones don’t,” Alexander says. These include dish-es such as fl atbreads and entrees like the Thai-glazed tuna steak. Just as the Louisiana locations have ac-cess to products from brewers that Jackson doesn’t, such as Saint Arnold Brewing Com-pany, some are exclusive to Jackson, including Biloxi Brewing Company. Alexander says she tries to make sure The Bulldog represents all

the Mississippi breweries. It has a selection of 62 beers,

which servers have to go through special train-ing to memorize, although Alexander says it’s impossible to learn it all at once. The bar has growlers for $7 plus the cost of the beer customers fi ll them with. The Bull-

dog also does beer fl ights, which are a series of smaller beer samples. Last winter, for instance, the bar did a New Belgium Brewing Co. fl ight for the brewery’s special-edition Ben & Jerry’s salted caramel brownie ale. The Bulldog (6111 Ridgewood Road, 601.978.3502) is open Monday through Satur-day from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to midnight. Sunday through Thursday, the kitchen closes at 10 p.m. and at 11 p.m. on Fri-day and Saturday. After the kitchen closes, The Bulldog offers a limited menu. For more infor-mation, visit bulldog-jackson.draftfreak.com.

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The Bulldog in Jackson has a gaming area called the Barkade.

Unlike the New Orleans locations, The Bulldog in Jackson has a larger menu, including entrees such as the Thai-glazed tuna steak.

Barking Mad at The Bulldog// by Amber Helsel

BITES // growler


The Bulldog has 62 beers on tap.


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Coolest Workspaces

Coalesce// by Amber Helsel

Spengler’s Corner is the oldest building with con-tinual commercial use in Jackson (see page 15). It’s seen many incarnations over the years, but it’s managed to keep up with the times.

Currently, it’s home to businesses such as art and pa-per-goods shop Thimblepress, but soon, it will also house Coalesce. Coalesce is a business that lawyer Matthew McLaugh-lin and his wife, Shannon McLaughlin, of consulting busi-ness McLaughlin Garner Group LLC, are spearheading. It’s part of a recent influx of business incubators and co-working spaces. Coalesce, a co-working space, is geared toward giving small and existing businesses a place to work

and collaborate (see page 37 for more information). In this issue’s cover story, we explore the co-working space Coalesce, and incubators The Mill, Mantle, The Won-der Lab, North Midtown Arts Center, Creative Loft Space and The Hub in Midtown. A creative incubator typically gives artists and creative-centered businesses resources in-cluding a place to work and management training. A co-working space is a shared working environment for different businesses and entrepreneurs. A technology incubator is a business incubator geared toward tech com-panies. In 2006, the National Business Incubation Associa-tion reported that tech incubators made up 39 percent of business incubators.

Rain splatters against the glass in pho-tographer Anne Bryant’s studio on a crisp Thursday morning. As she flips through a portfolio filled with images

of her travels abroad, she’s calm and refined, with wandering eyes that seem to find the per-fect shot in everything she sees. Her studio, clean and cream-colored, which complements the exposed wood and painted concrete floors of The Wonder Lab, resides underneath Fondren Corner in a space created just for artists like her. As she reflects upon images of Singapore, Viet-nam and Egypt, classical music plays throughout her small space, and for a moment, she seems to slip back in time. The Wonder Lab (2906 N. State St.), which is the brainchild of local artist and business owner Ron Chane, first debuted in October 2015. Bryant was his first tenant, occu-pying the coveted window spot right on the corner of the building, where dozens walk by hourly. A comfy, white sofa invites people in, where she takes portraits of people and even babies or pets. Bryant, who was born in Laurel, Miss., has been in the photography business for more than 15 years. She became interested in the art form through her grandfather, who took photos of World War II and his travels. However, she didn’t take a photography class until she enrolled at Parsons School of Design in New York City, where she spent her nights poring over prints in darkrooms before graduating in 2006. Since then, Bryant has worked for multiple companies, landing gigs shooting photography for outlets such as Rolls-Royce Magazine, “The Martha Stewart Show” and Glamour Magazine. As an artist, she’s traveled all over the world,

from Laos to Egypt, even living in Singapore for three years. She says she’s always loved the way things used to be and how they looked behind

a lens, documenting the history of places such as the Missis-sippi Delta and South-east Asia. She’s also dabbled in mixed-

media and abstract art, but so far, she plans on sticking to her photography roots. “I’ve always loved capturing those defining moments and even everyday moments that will never happen again,” she says. “The nostalgic feeling from photos that other people can get is what fascinates me.”

A Community of DreamersIncubators like The Wonder Lab have

popped up all over the country in areas such as Asheville, N.C., Birmingham, Ala., and Austin, Texas. A creative incubator is a working space

made for artists to collaborate and bounce ideas off each other. Each artist has an individual work area within a larger, more open setting that

often has the added advantage of lower rent or overhead costs. The emergence of spaces such as The Wonder Lab in Fondren and midtown’s The Mill, The Hub and the North Midtown Arts Center have benefitted artists who either grew up in Jackson or have grown to love the city.

Chane says he created TWL as an exten-sion of himself. He owns multiple businesses in Fondren and New York City, such as Swell-o-Phonic, Wilai, Studio Chane and Project Chane New York. He designed and built The Wonder Lab with the help of Kenny Willis, who has since opened KW Design & Construction, after mov-ing the Studio Chane screenprinting shop to the former location of Mulberry Dreams. Chane says he designed the lab to be as open as pos-sible, giving artists space to grow.

“It’s a good thing that there’s starting to be more artists and more space,” Chane says.

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Creative Incubators, Co-working Spaces and the Creative Economy

// by Maya Miller

“There are people that want to be in art; there’s strength in art, so it takes incubation for artists to be able to do anything.”

The Wonder Lab is a 1,900-plus-square-foot coworking space that has been divided off into seven sub-spaces, all complete with their own lime-green door with a lock and key. With art from tenants and locals, The Wonder Lab feels like its name—a place dedicated to inspiring and nurturing the creative spirit in others.

Though it’s only been open for a few months, The Wonder Lab has served a few ten-ants, including Bryant, Chane and painter Kellie Grantham. Even Chane himself works out of a “pod,” as he calls the sub-spaces, a term he says came to him after the lab’s inception. There, he experi-ments with unusual media, such as soy sauce, latex paint and chickenwire, to make pop art and abstract work on canvases that Grantham makes.

This coexistence and community helps create syn-ergy among artists, which Chane hopes will breed the next generation in Jackson’s creative economy. When his tenants leave, Chane calls them “success stories,” and he’ll always be open to work-ing with them again.

“It’s a big-city idea in a fertile, concentrated city,” he says. “We’re doing things individually while building a community of dreamers.”

Creative Minds and Hustler Spirits

Just a few blocks east beside the train tracks near midtown is a small industrial build-ing with two adjacent warehouses. From the street, it looks like a remnant of Jackson’s thriv-ing railroad and construction industries. Now, it’s a byproduct of the great migration of citizens upward and outward into commercial and retail areas in Madison and Ridgeland.

The trio of buildings, which owner Robert Lewis named The Mill, is home to creators such as animator Ann Mendenhall and graphic de-signer Will Brooks of JellyDonut Studio. Lewis came across the space when he was searching for a space to park the catering truck for Camp-bell’s Bakery, which he previously co-owned with Mitchell Moore. The space proved to be big enough for the truck and then some, and in September 2015, he opened The Mill, with nine office spaces, a board room and a kitchen.

“What I want is creative-minded people

with the hustler spirit—someone who wants to make a go of it on their own in a collaborative spirit, but each office is individual,” Lewis says. “They have their own passage in what they want to accomplish in their life, and hopefully, other tenants can supplement what they do on their own projects.” With the main building, he hopes to keep creativity with artists bouncing ideas off each other. However, he is considering building a holistic community with hydroponic gardens on the property, CrossFit training in one of the warehouses and a sort of craftsmen corner in the other, where automobile restorations could take place right next to pottery lessons.

The collabora-tive effort and seemingly Utopian plan lends to the sense of community Lewis hopes to achieve. He’s working on collabo-

rations with web designers and filmmakers, and is searching for a nutritionist or fitness trainer to lay the groundwork for the warehouse during the spring.

Promoting and CollaboratingDeep in midtown, which those who live

there often refer to as North End, there are a number of creative incubators. Around the cor-ner, past Phillip Rollins’ record and pop-culture shop, Offbeat and thriftstore N.U.T.S. sits The Hatch, which is only a few blocks over from The Hangar. Both offer work spaces and sup-

port to midtown artists as part of The Hub, an entrepreneurial initiative of Millsaps College’s Else School of Management that Midtown Partners owns.

Nearby on Millsaps Avenue, the North Midtown Arts Center, which predates all other creative incubators in the metro area, is home to more than a dozen artists. There are painters, graphic designers, one artist who builds guitars and another who films stop-motion animation.

Rob Nichols, who many know as DJ Scrap Dirty, has been in NMAC since 2009. He’s the owner of Creative Loft Space, a photo studio where he allows artists to come in, shoot a video and relax while he plays a set or hosts his own mixers. The studio houses paintings on the walls from local artists, and right next door is his office space complete with deejay equipment.

“You know, you have dead space (because) there’s no energy in it,” Nichols says. “I want people to create. Once they create, the whole

city starts vibing and vibrating. It’s a frequency that goes on. That’s where the music comes in, that’s why I call it the Creative Loft Space. You’re here to create.”

Nichols has been with local radio station 97.7 for more than 17 years and has appeared on networks such as BET, VH1 and MTV. As a deejay, he sets the vibe for events and the local house-music, soul and hip-hop scene, but as a marketer, he says he knows how to promote art-ists without having all the extra people involved. He says he’s always open to working with other artists, but they have to be serious about their


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Rob “DJ Scrap Dirty” Nichols has run a business, Creative Loft Space, in the North Midtown Arts Center, since 2009.


craft. He has a variety of tools to enhance his cli-ents’ media output, including an “infinity wall,” a rounded surface to avoid shadows that is often used for filming commercials and videos.

“Back in the day, with me, it was hard for me to have deejay equipment for recording and all of that type of stuff. I didn’t have that as a dee-jay,” he says. “So, me having this wall gives other photographers and cinematographers access to something that they really need.”

Only two doors down from Nichols is illus-

trator Chuck Jett, owner of Empty Coffin Studio, who is known for his acrylic and oil paintings, as well as filmmaking. He often collaborates with his NMAC neighbors, including Nichols and artist and craftsman Shambé Jones. “Everybody feeds off of everybody,” Jett says. “You got to respect everyone’s point of view. … You’ve got to promote each other and push names to keep people flowing in a very small market.” Having worked the arts circuit since the ’80s and ’90s, both Jett and Nichols are experi-enced in the creative movement happening in Jackson. For the two of them, the key to creat-ing art is to make something organic that repre-sents your soul without selling it.

Entrepreneurial Cooperative

Not far from midtown, one incubator has begun catering to another form of local creatives. Just two years ago, Christopher Lomax was searching for ways to get start-up businesses going. As an attorney, he’s worked with brand consulting, investing and

technology industries. An Internet search led him to tech incubators, which, after a second search came up fruitless, left him with an idea that kept growing over time.

This past year, after leasing a space in Fondren, Lomax started Mantle Co.working. He says that he saw an opening in the market for a place for tech start-ups to grow.

Mantle, which will open in March, is on the second floor of the historic Duling Hall. The 5,000-square-foot space has kept the shape of the old classrooms, but the purpose is complete-ly different. With a rustic brick, dark wood and modern glass design, Mantle will have various-sized spaces that can fit either single work areas or start-up companies. Lomax is also taking applications for Mantle Inc.ubator, a program through which a few accepted applicants will re-ceive a year’s worth of coworking space for free, free business consulting and legal advice.

“(Mantle) is a way to potentially morph into an actual thing rather than just sitting in some-one’s head,” Lomax says. “Anyone who can do work with a computer can find a home here.”

Downtown, right on the corner of Capitol

Kamilah Grim Occupation: Clothing designerIncubator: The Hangar

After being laid off from her job at Siemens as a project coordinator in 2015, Kan-sas City, Mo., native Kamilah Grim decided to shift her focus to her clothing busi-ness, Kamie’s Kreations. The single mother to one son, Marcus, says that she’s always worked at various places and seemed to find new interests before she got burned out. She moved to Jackson seven years ago and started sewing clothing in 2014.

Last October, she moved Kamie’s Kreations into The Hangar in midtown, and since then, she’s been sewing traditional African printed garb, including long tradi-tional dresses, pleated skirts and tunics. She says that normal colors don’t inspire her as much as prints, the weight of the fabric and the shapes things take on her models and mannequins. While she taught herself to sew, she says incubators like The Hangar have influenced how she works and markets herself.

“It’s important for people like me who don’t have a lot of money and are doing it by them-selves to have a space that’s their own,” she says.

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Will BrooksOccupation: Graphic DesignerIncubator: The Mill

Will Brooks, owner of JellyDonut Studio, says that working in an incuba-tor allows for complete creative freedom. Brooks creates vinyl decals, custom but-tons, prints, digital work and other graph-ic design work. He is influenced by pop culture and says many of his pieces are illustration-based.

Brooks began doing freelance graph-ic design after graduating from Antonelli College in Jackson with an associate’s de-gree in graphic design in 2004, and he’s done everything except build websites ever since. He has been in The Mill since October of last year.

“We may be individuals, but you al-ways have to have someone to bounce ideas off of,” Brooks says. “Incubators are about working together and sharing ideas and projects. The purest thing (about incu-bators) is it’s a network.”

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Sadie AllenOccupation: Media MarketingIncubator: North Midtown Arts Center

What began as a hobby in college has become a career for Mercedes “Sadie” Al-len, owner of Sadie Daily Media. Allen, a 2013 Mississippi State University gradu-ate with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, began blogging as a way to get her start in photography. Since then, she’s grown her online presence into a mobile media com-pany that offers photography and videogra-phy for events. She’s held multiple pop-ups around Midtown and the Mill with photo-booths for people to take quick snaps and sold her own t-shirt line.

Allen says that she hopes to branch out into more digital consulting and learn a little bit about everything media.

“I want to bring awareness to political issues through arts and culture,” she says.

Charles Washington Occupation: PhotographerIncubator: North Midtown Arts Center

Charles “Chuck” Washington started his photography business, Fulloflava, in 2011 after he created his first blog. What started out as an avenue to get people interested in things such as sports and sneakers turned into a photography and video company where Washington does wedding work, events, personal shoots and family portraits.

A self-taught photographer, Washington has always been interested in art. He opened his own studio after college but decided to take time off to travel. Incubators like the North Midtown Arts Center have given him the freedom to work out in the field but have a profes-sional spot when he needs it.

“It brought a lot of people there to help you learn things in general,” he says. “There’s a lot of talented people there doing artistic things. You can run across a house deejay, a sculptor, a painter. ... It’s like a good center place, like a nucleus for us to meet and bring good energy.”


and State streets, is a short strip of buildings that don’t quite look like the rest. It could pass for a film set in the 19th century. This lot, known as Spengler’s Corner Historic District (see page 15), is the oldest commercial block in Jackson and is the home of local business such as Thim-

blepress, an art and paper goods shop, and soon, Coalesce, a cooperative work environment from Matthew McLaughlin and his wife, Shannon.

Coalesce, which means to come together to form one group or community, aims to offer a unique work environment for its clients. As a lawyer, he has worked in various industries such as start-ups, craft-beer brewing, energy, technol-ogy and housing development. He says he’s seen a surge of businesses relocating downtown and intends for Coalesce to provide something different for Jackson’s business community. Last May, the McLaughlins bought the building—once “Lot One, Square One” for down-town Jackson—and soon Coalesce will be ready for the next wave of graphic designers, program-mers and architects, placing them at a walkable distance from the Capitol, Smith Park and mu-seums. With private single-office suites located in another building the McLaughlins own near Spengler’s Corner, Coalesce will house about 10 private desks and a work bar that can fit 15 “café memberships” for those who don’t require a permanent area to work or simply don’t need a full space. There will be an amphitheater where

tenants can hold larger-scale presentations or pitches. McLaughlin says he wanted to capture a sense of the place that existed before anything else in Jackson.

“We want people that are going to join the organization in a give first perspective, not necessarily a take first perspective,” McLaugh-lin says. “We want it to be a good mix of tech people, but also a mix of people that aren’t in the tech space, because we feel like those individu-als don’t cross paths or have a collision point. We want to create that collision.”

See workspace photos at boomjackson.com.

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Christopher Lomax will open start-up workspace Mantle Co.working in March.

Noticing a lack of opportunities for Jack-son’s creative youth to foster their ar-tistic growth, local artists (and cous-ins) Myesha Wallace and Astin J. Sul-

livan founded community arts initiative Inspire Jackson in July 2013. Inspire Jackson, which is currently looking for a permanent space near midtown, gives fledgling artists a change to cre-ate with other young creatives through group discussions that focus on community challenges and cooperative art engagement. “Moving back from Atlanta, I fell in love with midtown, the artistry and the like-minded people,” Wallace says. “Yeah, she called me and basically screamed, ‘I found this community; it’s so cool!” Sullivan says. “(It) is a central location, with so many events; it works out for us. The local artists are so helpful, willing to do whatever they can.” When Wallace moved back from Atlanta in July 2012, Sullivan was working in China at a film studio. Sullivan would occasionally Skype with her cousin in the morning from a class Wallace was teaching. “My class was interested: ‘Why is she there? What is she doing?’ They didn’t know why anyone would move to China, unless it was with the Army.”

Sullivan says she would tell them about working in the studio, show them the currency and tell them what it was like to live in China. Wallace believed these interactions showed how schools weren’t taking art seriously and that the students had limited exposure to the outside world. Sullivan moved back from China in 2012, and in July 2013, they decided to host a summer project. At first, they thought they would do a community mural, but it took too long to get all the permits. Sullivan says they eventually fell out of love with the idea. However, the kids liked having Sullivan and Wallace around so much, that the two said, “Want just do it forever?” The cousins say art has the ability to be more than a hobby for the program’s young art-ists. “We genuinely feel that opening avenues of artistic self-expression will not only develop teamwork and confidence, but can improve con-centration and motivation,” Wallace says. For 11th- and 12th-grade students who wish to pursue a career in the craft, Inspire runs an apprenticeship program, pulling artists and artisans from the midtown community and be-yond to act as mentors in various fields. In the past, locals such as Phillip Rollins, Roderick Red and Justin Ransburg have served as mentors.

Eventually, the duo wants to have at least six art-ists, each working with their own mentor every spring semester. Sullivan and Wallace are cur-rently raising money to continue the program. The organization also hosts a series of work-shops called “Art Is Work,” a sort of core cur-riculum introducing the students to the myriad paths of artistic expression. At these workshops, local artists give comprehensive introductions to their craft, take questions and teach children about the trade. Topics include graphic design, writing, film, painting and product design, but the options are virtually limitless. Inspire also has a series of workshops geared toward writers called “Art Is Word” and community art projects called “Art Is Love.” Recently, the organization hosted its third annual Make Love Experiment, which featured “Art Is Word” participants. “We both work to support this organization, and the only reason we don’t like that is because it takes away from working on Inspire,” Sullivan says. “So this is definitely a labor of love.” Wallace and Sullivan are currently search-ing for a space for Inspire Jackson, though Sul-livan says they want to stay close to midtown. For more information, find Inspire Jackson on Facebook.

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(Left to right) Myesha Wallace and Astin Sullivan founded community-arts initiative Inspire Jackson in 2013.

Inspiring Artists// by Benjamin Hollingsworth


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ARTS// vision

Fischer Galleries began the year with the Art Lovers’ Soiree at the Dickie’s Space on Feb. 4. The event was a collaborative effort be-tween several arts organizations, companies and individual artists. During the event, the Loft space showcased paintings from Bax-

ter Knowlton and Kay Holloway’s black-and-white photographs of writers, including Eudora Welty, Richard Ford, Ellen Douglas and Willie Morris. Also showcased were Holloway photographs she took on a trip to Italy.

That series, also in black and white, conveys a sense of humor and enjoy-ing life, with images such as a fashionable lady wrangling three leashed dogs down a cobblestone street, or one of a woman’s ample backside as she bends over to work in a field, totally engaged in what she’s doing. Marcy Fischer Nessel’s passion for seeing artists produce new work and connecting the clients at Fischer Galleries with pieces they love is infectious. Nessel, who has worked for Fischer Galleries for

about nine years and art galleries in general for about 20 years, nur-tures a sense of “mutual support between the artists and the gallery” as well as with her clients and art lovers in the wider community. She moved from working for photographer and gallery owner James Pat-terson, who left to pursue his photography full time, to opening an art brokerage and representing artists. She says that her business blos-somed for one reason: “I always just loved local artists and was friends

with them.” This year, Fischer Galler-ies is expanding. Nessel has had the Fisher Galleries Loft space at the Dickie’s Building since 2012 and this year adds a first-floor gallery space at 119 S. President St., which she used to manage when it was Gallery 119. The expan-sion to additional space will allow her to have even more shows, utilizing both spaces. “I typically schedule artists a year in advance, so having the 119 space will help a lot in allowing me to show even more,” she says. Beginning on Feb. 25, the gallery began showcasing the art of Eleanor Greaves Sutherland at the 119 space. The Greaves Sutherland show is the artist’s first exhi-bition in 16 years. Sutherland lives in nearby Flora, and Nessel estimates that she is “probably among the top 10 (living) Mississippi painters.” The artist’s favorite painting, “Lemons in a Bowl,” is indica-tive of her classic style. It’s a still life of lemons arranged in a simple glass bowl sitting on top of a patterned fabric.

The color and texture of the fruit and fabric contrast with a simple gray wall and force the viewer to appreciate the artist’s technique, brushwork and use of light and shadow. Another Mississippi painter’s work shows in March, when Charles Carraway, a contemporary painter who chairs Jackson State

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Morton, Miss., resident Doyle Gertjejansen is one of the featured artists in Fischer Galleries this year.

Celebrating

Mississippi Art// by Julie Skipper


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ARTS// capture

University’s art department, will hang beside Thomas Fron-tini’s pieces. The two artists’ work complement each other in that both create images in a sur-real style. Nessel has followed Carraway through his career and says his work is notable for its quiet, almost spiritual nature; he paints empty rooms that nonetheless convey the feel-ing of a “presence.” This year’s

show includes works in which landscapes are visible, and this element of scenery represents new imagery for him. Two of Frontini’s pieces of the show showcase the surreal nature of his work. In one, titled “Ancient Altar #1,” a waifish tree with a twisted trunk sits on top of a white rough-hewn pedestal in the foreground, while in the background, a smaller tree-like structure with a trunk but arms that hang like a mobile stands. What appear to be gourds hang from the tree’s “branches,” and a fuzzy horizon line divides a big pale blue sky from a golden ground. In “Tree of Burden #2,” the artist depicts another imag-ined tree, again against a bar-ren landscape of blue sky and golden ground—this one with a large, bulbous trunk encircled with rocks. The tree’s branches are bare; instead, what appear to be rocks of various sizes tied with rope or string dangle from

the limbs. The carefully placed rocks circling the base of the tree, and the rocks being tied and hung from the branches indicates human involvement in the scene, even though no fig-ure is present. In that way, Fron-tini’s work shares an aspect with Carraway’s—though not visible, someone has been there. Moving into April, a show from Charlie Buckley, who lives in Tupelo, will feature work with contemporary land-scapes in an Impressionistic style comprised of lots of small brushstrokes. In May, the gal-leries’ Loft warehouse space will host large-scale abstract mixed-media paintings from Doyle Gertjejansen. Gertje-jansen sells his art all over the world, but taught at Louisiana State University for years and owns a farm in Morton, Miss. Through a mutual gallery con-nection in New Orleans, the artist became aware of Fischer

Galleries and began visiting the space. After discussions with him about showing there, she jumped at the chance, enthusi-astically adding that his work is “fabulous” and she can’t wait to host it. His work is colorful, with big strokes of texture, but also incorporates defined shapes and lines while remaining non- representational. As the spring lineup indi-cates, Nessel, like her clients, remains fiercely loyal to Missis-sippi and regional artists. “Our (southern) writers, musicians and painters are (my) client’s favorites, even if they’re buying for homes in other states,” she says. Fischer Galleries Loft is in downtown Jackson at 736 S. Presi-dent St. on the fourth floor; Fischer Galleries at 119 is open by appoint-ment at 119 S. President St. Find the businesses online at fischergal-leries.com or on Facebook, or call 601.291.9115.

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Kay Holloway’s work, including her photo of author Richard Ford, was on display at the Fischer Galleries Loft.

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Jackson-based opera singer John Christopher Adams is well aware of the misconceptions about his genre. If the foreign languages don’t scare people away, the perceived “snooty, high-brow crowd” will, he says. But he has good news: Neither of

those is really a problem. “Most people say: ‘Well, we’re not going to understand what’s going on. I don’t want to hear someone singing in Italian or this, that and the other,’” Adams says. “I often tell them, ‘Hey, we’re go-ing to have the English (translation) right above the stage, so you’ll be able to follow along.’ But if I’m doing my job as a singing actor, you’re not even going to need to look up.” As for the snobbery, Adams, 33, offers himself as a counterpoint. He grew up his grandfather’s farm in Fannin, Miss., and he first learned to project his voice by calling in cows from the pasture. “If I can find something in opera that appeals to me, I know it can be the same for everybody else,” he says. For Adams, opera is therapeutic. He feels like he sometimes communicates better in song than in speech. Beyond that, he says, it’s just fun. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of work. Before he can get to the months of learning the music, Adams spends two to three weeks translating the piece so that he knows what’s happening at any moment. “A lot of people think that we just wake up in the morning and sing,” he says. “It doesn’t quite go like that. I went to school for nine years straight to study this. I don’t know how long doctors go, but I felt like I should’ve been a surgeon by the time I finished.” Adams launched himself into his opera education after graduat-ing from Northwest Rankin High School in 2001. He attended Mis-sissippi College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in music in 2006. He returned to MC in 2013 to play one of his favorite roles, Jean Valjean in “Les Misérables.” He earned his master’s degree and artist’s diploma in operatic studies at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music in 2010, and in 2011, he moved to Jackson, where he has performed with the Mississippi Opera in productions such as “Gi-anni Schicchi” and “Così fan tutte.” He says all the time and effort is worth it, though, if he can change the course of someone’s life with what he does, even for a day. “There are so many moments in opera that echo what goes on in our lives every day,” Adams says. “Just find the show that you go see to expose yourself to it, and watch how quickly you fall in love with a genre that people think isn’t lovable.” For more information, visit jcatenor.com.

Like any craft, music comes with plenty of hard work. Here are a few resources to

let you focus more on the passion and less on the pains-in-the-butt.

1. Tunecore This service can be like a Swiss army knife for independent musicians. It can help you connect with online music sellers, such as iTunes, provide analytics of where and what you’re selling, and of-fer CD duplication and mastering sources. Even if Tunecore isn’t for you, similar services such as CD Baby are worth a look.

2. Square Reader If a fan wants to support you by purchasing merch, you don’t want a “cash only” sign to be a barrier. Square offers a free card reader that plugs into your phone or tablet. The online store even tracks your inventory for you, let-ting you know how many of each t-shirt size or CD you still have rattling around the van.

3. Weebly As great as Facebook and Instagram can be for connecting with fans far and wide, nothing beats a solid website. However, few people have the design skills to make that happen on a regular basis. Weebly offers clean-looking templates that are incredibly easy to customize and update to match with your individual image.

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Jackson-based opera singer John Christopher Adams says the genre is more accessible than people realize.

Open to Opera// by Micah Smith


MELODIES // like calling the cows

Music Toolbox// by Micah Smith

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Bringing the (Uptown) Funk// by BOOM Staff


BEST OF JACKSON™ // watch

If you missed Best of Jackson this year, well, we can’t help you there. You missed quite a party. This year’s theme was “Don’t Believe Us, Just Watch,” which is a play on a line from Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk.” Here’s some of what you missed. The food at the party was incredible. We had many vendors, including Revolu-

tion’s Corner, Seafood R’evolution and Sylvester’s MS Style BBQ. Cathead Distillery, which just moved into a downtown location, served cocktails that night, and Servitude served the beer and wine, which Capital City Beverages and Kats Wine & Spirits supplied, respectively. Stephen Barnette of Davaine Lighting did some amazing light shows, with the strobes pulsing with beat of the music. DJ Phingaprint provided the tunes for the event, and One Block East hosted the after-party. But the best part of the party was you, fellow Jacksonians. You guys truly brought the house down at the party, with your dancing and partying. Congratulations to all of the 2016 Best of Jackson winners and finalists. You are what make Jackson so great.

The JSU Drum Majors bust out to “Uptown Funk.”

PARTAY

Doctor Strange, aka Todd Stauffer Attendees show up and show outduring the costume contest.

Broad Street Baking Company provided king-cake treats.

Cathead Distillery served cocktails.


Fondren’s First Thursday March 3, 5-11 p.m., in Fondren. Studio Chane hosts the mostly monthly neighborhood event, and the main focus will be the arts for 2016. Includes shopping, food vendors, live music, open

houses, a pet adoption drive and more. Free; call 601.720.2426; fft.city.

Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters March 9, 7:30 p.m., at Thalia

Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.). English singer-song-writer Robert Plant is the former lead for Led Zeppelin. The Sonics also perform. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. $39.5-$129.5; call 601.292.7121;

ardenland.net.

“Constellations” March 18-20, 7:30 p.m., at Warehouse Theatre (1000 Monroe St.). The play about the potential future of an encounter

between a man and a woman is part of the “Unframed Series” at New

Stage Theatre. For mature audiences. Admission TBA; call 601.948.3533, ext.

222; newstagetheatre.com.

Grammy Museum Mississippi Grand Opening Weekend March 5, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., March 6,

noon-5:30 p.m., at Grammy Museum Mississippi

Cleveland). The new museum is a showcase of Mississippi’s impact on modern music. $12, $10

seniors and military with ID, $6 students and youth, children under 6 and members free; call 662.441.0100; email info@grammymuseumms.

org; grammymuseumms.org.

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” March 12, 8 p.m., at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.). The musical is based on the biblical story about the trials and triumphs of Joseph,

Israel’s favorite son. $25-$75; call 800.745.3000; jacksonbroadway.com.

Millsaps Arts & Lecture Series: The Early Andean Ceramic Collection in the Mississippi Museum of Art March 22, 7 p.m., at Millsaps College, Ford Aca-demic Complex (1701 N. State St.). The

speaker is Yumi Park, assistant professor of art at Jackson State University. $10, $5 students; call

601.974.1130; mill-saps.edu/conted.

Jackson Black Business Expo March 5, noon-5 p.m., at Tougaloo College (500 W. County Line Road, Tougaloo). Jackson Black Pages hosts the event in the Owens Health and Wellness Center’s gymnasium. The

purpose of the event is to establish a working net-work of black-owned businesses in the metro area. Vendor booths and advertisers welcome. Free; call 601.543.9600; expo.jacksonblackpages.com.

Houndmouth March 10, 8 p.m. The alter-native country band performs to promote its latest album, “Little Neon Limelight.” Doors open at 7 p.m. $20 in advance, $25 at the door, $3 surcharge for

patrons under 21; call 601.292.7121; email [email protected]; dulinghall.com.

Hal’s St. Paddy’s Parade March 19, 1 p.m., in downtown Jackson. Named after the late

restaurateur Harold “Hal” Taylor Jr., the annual Mardi Gras-style parade begins at the corner

of State and Court streets. This year’s theme is “HAL’lelu’Y’all.” Visit the website for a schedule.

Free; email [email protected]; halsstpaddysparade.com.

Mad Hatter Tea Party March 26, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at Mississippi Children’s Museum (2145 Highland Drive). Wear your Easter best while learning about tea party etiquette and watching a scene from “Alice in Wonderland.” Reg-

istration required. Included with admission ($10, children under 12 months free); call 601.981.5469; mississippichildrensmuseum.com.

JACKSON AREA EVENTS UPDATED DAILY AT JFPEVENTS.COM.

POST YOUR OWN EVENTS OR SEND INFO TO [email protected]

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Opening of “Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America” March 18, 5-7 p.m., at Mississippi Sports

Hall of Fame (1152 Lakeland Drive). The pep rally celebration is in recognition of the Smithsonian Institution

opens March 19 and hangs through April 30. Free; call

601.982.8264; msfame.com.

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8CeeLo Green March 8, 9 p.m., at Hal & Mal’s (200 Commerce St.). The Grammy-winning pop and soul artist’s latest album is called “Heart Blanche. Doors open at 8 p.m. For ages 18 and up. $33.50; call 800.745.3000; email [email protected].


ON THE ROOFTOPCOME UNWIND AT JACKSON’S ONLY ROOFTOP GARDEN

226 N State St, Jackson, MS 39201(601)359-900

oldcapitolinn.com

Bringing The Community Together:Promoting Racial Harmony and Facilitating Understanding

Monthly Discussion LuncheonsSecond Wednesday, 11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.Join us to “lunch and learn” with provocative speakers and discussions held at the Mississippi Arts Center in partnership with the City of Jackson.

2016 Dialogue CirclesOngoing for adults and youth, see websiteJackson 2000 presents dialogue circles, a series of facilitated, curriculum-based discussion sessions that can open minds, change hearts and build lasting friendships. Thanks to The Nissan Foundation for their generous support.

2016 Friendship BallSaturday, April 23, 2016The Friendship Ball honors two individuals, Dr. Hollis Watkins and Dr. Dan Jones, who have made a di!erence in race relations and understanding in the Jackson community. Come join us at the Mississippi Museum of Art for food, drink, dancing, live music and to honor these individuals.

More information: www.jackson2000.org

Thanks to our dialogue programs sponsor

14“Dead Wake” April 14, at Lemuria Books (Banner Hall, 4655 Interstate 55 N. Suite 202). Author Erik Larson signs books. Time TBA. $16 book; call 601.366.7619; email [email protected]; lemuriabooks.com.

Crossroads Film Festival April 1-3, at Malco Grandview Cinema (221 Grandview Blvd., Madison).

parties during at the three-day event. Discounts for members, students and seniors. Admission TBA;

-


Zoo Brew April 1, 5-9 p.m., at Jackson Zoo (2918 W. Capitol St.). The ninth annual event includes a craft

beer tasting with more than 60 samples, food, live music, a wing-eating contest and animal viewing until dusk. $30 in advance, $35 at the gate, $15 designated driver, $60 VIP; call 601.352.2580; jacksonzoo.org.

“Red” April 12-16, 7:30 p.m., April 17, 2 p.m., April 19-23, 7:30 p.m., April 24,

2 p.m., at New Stage Theatre (1100 Carlisle St.). The play is based on the life of abstract painter Mark Rothko. $28, $22 students; call 601.948.3533,

ext. 222; newstagetheatre.com.

Dinner and a Movie: A Food Truck Festival April 21, 5-8 p.m., at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.). The annual party in the Art Garden includes a cash bar, food for sale from local food trucks and MMA chef Nick Wallace’s ‘sipp

Sourced pop-up menu, a screening of “Toy Story 3.” Free; call 601.960.1515; msmuseumart.org.

Mothers April 15, 9 p.m., at Hal & Mal’s (200 Commerce St.).

The Athens, Ga., rock band’s latest album is called

“When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired.” Doors open at 8 p.m. $7 in advance, $10 at the door, $3 surcharge for patrons under 21; call 601.292.7121; email [email protected]; ardenland.net.

“Carmen” April 23, 7:30 p.m., at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pasca-goula St.). The Mississippi Opera

presents the Georges Bizet production about a gypsy tempt-ress. Local choirs and dancers from Ballet Mississippi also perform. $60; call 601.960.2300; msopera.org.

Zippity Doo Dah Weekend April 1-2, in Fondren. The annual event is in conjunction with the Sweet Potato Queens Convention (March 30-April 3). The Sal & Mookie’s Street Carnival and the Zippity Doo Dah Parade take

place April 2. Admission varies, some events free including the parade; zddparade.com.

Rolston String Quartet April 22-23, 7:30 p.m., at St. James Episcopal Church (3921 Oakridge Drive). In Fowler Hall. Luri Lee, Jeffrey Dyrda, Hezekiah Leung and Jonathan Lo make up the ensemble. $20; call 601.594.2902;

email [email protected]; mscmg.net.

Taste of Mississippi 2016 April 4, 7-10 p.m., at Highland Village (4500 Interstate 55 N.). The annual fundraiser for Stewpot includes food from 45 restaurants, 10 beverage distributors, a silent auction and live music. $65 in advance, $80 day of

event; call 601.353.2739; tasteofms.org.

Over the Edge with Friends April 16, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., at Trustmark

(248 E. Capitol St.). Participants rappel down the side of the

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Hospital. Registration required. Space limited. Minimum $1,000 fundraising requirement (in-cludes $25 reservation fee); call 601.899.9696; email [email protected]; overtheedgewithfriends.com.

“Title of Show” April 29-May 1, 7:30 p.m., at Warehouse Theatre (1000 Monroe St.). The play is about two struggling writers who rush to develop a musical. For mature audiences. The show is part of the “Unframed Series” at New Stage

Theatre. Admission TBA; call 601.948.3533, ext. 222; newstagetheatre.com.

JACKSON AREA EVENTS UPDATED DAILY AT JFPEVENTS.COM.

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MY LOCAL LIST

1. MidtownWith dozens of art studios and creative spaces, the midtown arts community is what keeps me excited about Jackson.

2. TurnUp Studios (155 Wesley Ave.,

769.257.0141)

This is where magic happens. Occasionally, it’s a performing-arts space, often painting studio ... oh, and my residence.

3. Offbeat (151 Wesley Ave., 601.376.9404)

This is the best spot in town for vinyl, comics, vibes and regular local concerts.

4. Dickie’s Building (736 S. President St.)

This unique, renovated building is home to one of the best galleries in town, Fischer Galleries, along with other small businesses.

Jackson native Clay Hardwick,

who works under the name

echomech Creative, has made a

name for himself in the art and

filmmaking world.

Here are his top 10 favorite

places in

Jackson.

1

2

3

45

6

7

8

9

10

10Clay

Hardwick

5. Art Supply Headquarters (707 Monroe St., 601.948.4141)

Art Supply Headquarters has always been my go-to for local, quality art supplies of all types.

6. Russell C. Davis Planetarium (201 E. Pascagoula St., 601.960.1552)

screenings, galactic education and the occasional lasers.

7. Pearl River One day, everyone will realize the asset the Pearl River basin is. With plenty of unauthorized hiking, wildlife,

recreational area of choice.

8. Lemuria Books (4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite

202, 601.366.7619, lemuriabooks.com)

This is by far the best local book store in town.

9. Koinonia Coffee House 136 S. Adams St.,

601.960.3008, koinoniacoffeehouse.net)

Koinonia is my favorite place for Saturday morning brainstorming over fresh espresso. It’s also a great place for community gatherings.

10. Tillman Pedestrian Bridge (North Mill

Street)

The iconic spiral ramp accesses my favorite place to see Jackson’s skyline and spy on the busy train yard below.


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