Invitation Oxford - April 2018

INVITATION Oxford APRIL 2018

Official guide to the Double Decker Arts Festival Exhibitors Map • Drinks & Dining Alfresco • Music, Art + More

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APRIL 2018

28

ON THE COVER

FEATURES 28 Art and Soul

50 Lunch Bag Love

Profiling local talent: a musician, a painter, a potter and the Oxford Artists Guild.

An Oxford mom brightens her daughter’s school day.

36 On Location

54 Clarinet Quintet

IN EVERY ISSUE

Guitar chops and authenticity draw critical acclaim for Mississippi native Charlie Worsham.

Woodwind maestros serenade local audiences for fun and practice.

10

Letter From the Publisher

39 Dining Alfresco

58 Two Brooks Farm

14

Calendar

18

Shoutouts

New off-Square spaces for breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks outdoors.

Single-estate rice grows in harmony with a wetland ecosystem in Sumner.

20

InstaLove

44 New Beginning for the End

65 Finning Around

24

In Season

102

Out and About

Oxford’s iconic record shop moves to a new location on the Square.

After a devastating injury, a local woman finds relief in an unexpected place: underwater.

104

I Am Oxford

Local artist Sarah Kathryn Dossett designed the official poster for this year’s Double Decker Arts Festival. Read more about Dossett on page 18.

6 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

EVENTS 70

Feed the Hunger Pack-a-Thon

86

NAACP Luncheon

72

Oxford Date Night

88

Wild Turkey Federation Banquet

74

Taste of Oxford

90

Black Alumni M-Club Reception

76

International Book Tasting

94

Regents Got Talent

78

Mardi Gras Ball

96

Say Yes to the Dress

82

“Fiddler on the Roof”

98

OTS/CHS Scholarship Banquet

84

Southside Gallery Reception

44

50

58

April 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD

7

THE PUBLISHER

D

ouble Decker is often my favorite weekend in Oxford. There’s something special about hundreds of artists coming together to share their crafts. Couple that with the support and appreciation others have for these artists and musicians, and you have a recipe for one of the greatest artists’ weekends in the Southeast.

Invitation Oxford is proud to be the official guide to the 2018 Double Decker Arts Festival.

Inside, you’ll find a map of vendors, the music lineup for the weekend and much more.

Oxford is home to its fair share of artists.

We have highlighted some, like the Oxford Artists Guild, which is approaching its 50th year. Guild members are just some of the people who years ago conceptualized the Double Decker festival as we know it today.

Of course, there are plenty of talented people here who don’t exhibit their work, at least not in galleries or at festivals. Read about Oxford mom Peggie Wilson (page 50), who decorates her daughter’s lunch bag every day, and a group of clarinetists, led by music professor Michael Rowlett, who have formed a clarinet quintet (page 54).

We are thrilled to celebrate with our readers this month the gifts of creativity shared by artists of all kinds every day of the year, but especially the weekend of April 28.

RACHEL M. WEST, PUBLISHER

10 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

Top: Lunch bag art. Middle: A painting by Nicole Gladden; pianist Bill Perry. Above: Clarinet quintet.

INVITATION Oxford publishers

Phil and Rachel West

editorial

EDITOR IN CHIEF Allison Estes CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Emily Welly EVENTS EDITOR Mary Moreton STAFF WRITER Ginny McCarley CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Michael Newsom Keith Gore Wiseman Sunny Young Baker SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Olivia Barrow

art

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Hallie Thomas STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Joe Worthem CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Olivia Barrow Brittany Brown Carina Marino Alise McCreary Jessica Richardson Megan Wolfe

production

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Emily Suber

EDITORIAL INTERN Abby Adcock COPY EDITOR Kate Johnson

advertising

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

office

BUSINESS MANAGER Hollie Hilliard 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 or to buy an announcement, visit invitationoxford.com.

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

Invitation Oxford respects the many diverse individuals and organizations who make up north Mississippi and strives to be inclusive and representative of all members of our community.

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS MAGAZINE

April 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD

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calendar APRIL 2018

4/13

4/20-22

Opening night for an exhibition featuring Maysey Craddock’s paintings, which are inspired by ruined structures and sites in the South. The exhibition runs through July 7.

6-8 p.m., University of Mississippi Museum. museum.olemiss.edu

Ole Miss Theatre presents the classic tragedy of murder and madness. Tickets $15-$21, student tickets $7.

Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 2 p.m., the Ford Center. theatre.olemiss.edu

4/14

4/22

“Pass It On” is the inspiring true story of her father’s friendship with William Faulkner.

4 p.m., Off Square Books squarebooks.com/junior/sbjbksocreviews.php

This year’s global initiative is to end plastic pollution. Discover 40 ways to help at earth day.org/earth-day-tips. Locally, independently owned Door 2 Door Recycling offers curbside recycling pickup, including glass, for a fee. door2doorrecycling.com

“Ruin Is a Secret Oasis” Reception

4/4

Moon Taxi Concert The Nashville-based indie-alternative rock band has released a new album, “Let the Record Play.” Tickets $25-$30, guests under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian over 21. $3 underage fee collected at the door (cash only).

Doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m., The Lyric Oxford. thelyricoxford.com

4/7

Reads, Beats, and Eats Benefit for Lafayette County Literacy Council celebrating Oxford’s literary culture, music and food. Music by Damein Wash and Ricky Burkhead, food by Tallahatchie Gourmet, with special guest Beth Ann Fennelly. Tickets $50.

7:30 p.m., the Barksdale-Isom House. lafayetteliteracy.org

Book Signing: Dr. Gloria J. Burgess

4/16-22

2018 North Mississippi Classic

Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”

Earth Day 2018

Web.com Tour’s PGA tournament, managed

by Century Club Charities. Tickets $10-$100, children 17 and under free with a paid adult.

The Country Club of Oxford. northmsclassic.com

4/16-22

Oxford and University Green Week Community events, speakers, sustainability fair and Arbor Day celebration. greenweek.olemiss.edu

4/8

Regions Bank Grove Bowl The Rebels kick off the 2018 football season with a spring scrimmage. Free admission.

1 p.m., Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. olemisssports.com

4/12

Mini Masters Drop-in workshop for toddlers with parent or guardian, led by Andi Bedsworth. The theme for this class will be robots. $5 per family.

3:45-4:30 p.m., the Powerhouse. oxfordarts.com

14 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

4/17

4/24

Oxford Community Market

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella”

Farmers market official reopening party featuring vendors, activities for kids, cooking demos, music and refreshments.

3-6:30 p.m., Old Armory Pavilion, 1801 University Ave.

This Tony Award-winning Broadway musical is a contemporary take on a beloved classic. Tickets $63-$75, student tickets $17-$25.

7:30 p.m., the Ford Center fordcenter.org

4/24

Oxford Art Crawl Free monthly double-decker bus tour with stops at art spaces and pop-up art shows.

6-8 p.m., start at any participating location.

662-236-6429 oxfordarts.com

4/27-28

Double Decker Arts Festival The 23rd annual Double Decker Arts Festival features nearly 200 food and art vendors and an array of performances by a mix of local and touring musicians. doubledeckerfestival.com

Ole Miss Baseball

4/18 vs. Arkansas, 6:30 p.m.

4/20-22 vs. Georgia, Friday 6:30 p.m., Saturday 1:30 p.m., Sunday 6 p.m.

4/26-28 vs. LSU, Friday 7 p.m.,

Saturday 6:30 p.m., Sunday 3 p.m.

Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field

Ole Miss Softball

4/11 vs. Belmont, 6 p.m.

4/14-16 vs. Mississippi State, Friday 4 p.m., Saturday 6 p.m., Sunday 6 p.m.

4/18 vs. ULM, 6 p.m.

4/25 vs. UT Martin, 6 p.m.

Ole Miss Softball Complex

April 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD

15

shoutouts

Sarah Kathryn Dossett and Studio Whimzy

APRIL 2018

The ACT 8 Experience: “Print Proud, Digital Smart” University of Mississippi students and others interested in print and digital media can attend the ACT 8 Experience, presented by the Magazine Innovation Center and Samir “Mr. Magazine™” Husni. (ACT stands for Amplify, Clarify and Testify about the future of print in a digital age.)

The conference features speakers and guests from around the world — eminent professionals in the fields of print and digital media and marketing. The $395 registration fee includes events, seminars and meals, and the opportunity to participate in roundtable discussions with speakers on the current and future state of the magazine industry.

ACT 8 takes place April 17-20 at the Meek School of Journalism and New Media. More at maginnovation.org.

On our cover this month is the official Double Decker Arts Festival poster, by Sarah Kathryn Dossett, the featured artist for the 2018 event.

Dossett has a B.F.A. in art from the University of Mississippi. She started Studio Whimzy in 2010 as a way to bring art to the community.

Studio Whimzy offers adult workshops in painting and ceramics, as well as an after-school art education program, art camps and birthday parties for kids.

Studio Whimzy also holds monthly “Z Events,” led by instructors, where participants create a complete masterpiece in one session using a step-by-step method. Reservations are required for all events. More at studiowhimzy.com.

Oxford The

civic

chorus

Presents

Journey Through Song

A Passport to Music from around the World May 7 - 7:00 PM - Nutt Auditorium

Juleps & Jockeys

Oxford Civic Chorus

Sponsored by United Way of Oxford & Lafayette County, the second annual Juleps & Jockeys fundraiser takes place May 5 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Oak Hill Stables. This year the event will include a live broadcast of the “Run for the Roses,” mint juleps, an auction, Southern cuisine and more. United Way partners with Leap Frog, Boys & Girls Clubs, Meals on Wheels and many other programs that make a difference in the lives of area residents on a daily basis.

Last year’s event raised $40,000; this year United Way’s goal is to double that amount. Gather as a community for a fun-filled day of festivities that will raise money to improve lives and meet needs throughout Oxford and Lafayette County.

Tickets are $50. To purchase, call 662-236-4265, stop by the office at 440 N. Lamar Blvd., or visit unitedwayoxfordms.org/tickets.

More at unitedwayoxfordms.org.

In 1998, a University of Mississippi music student and a music department faculty member co-founded Oxford Civic Chorus with 40 volunteers who wanted to be involved in choral singing.

Twenty years later, led by artistic director Thomas Ardrey with accompanist Dr. Steven Taranto, Oxford Civic Chorus is still enriching the L-O-U community through choral performances.

Members range from high school students to retirees. Rehearsals are on Monday nights, and informal auditions for those interested in joining are held in August and January.

The next concert is “Journey Through Song: A Passport to Music From Around the World,” May 7 at 7 p.m. at the David H. Nutt Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students.

To sponsor a song in the upcoming concert, email Stephanie Young at occ38655@gmail.com. More at oxfordcivicchorus.org.

18 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

April 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD

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GREEN MATTERS written by Allison Estes

“Learn green. Live green.”

That’s the mission statement of Green Matters, a lifestyle media company dedicated to making news and topics about sustainability accessible to all. It’s easy to become discouraged by the enormous challenges we face in confronting environmental issues like pollution and global warming. A welcome breath of optimism, Green Matters’ Instagram page is a rabbit hole of inspiration, with post after post on innovations in sustainability, both simple and profound. From global solutions, such as desert greenhouses, edible plastics and renewable energy sources, to simple actions like “plogging” (picking up litter while jogging), Green Matters spreads the word on ways to make a big difference in ensuring a healthy planet for generations to come.

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21

SUSHI

written by Sunny and Elias Baker recipes by Taichi Omori photographed by Joe Worthem

C

hef Taichi Omori’s journey from California to the South was meant to be a short stint.

“I didn’t intend to stay, but I met [my wife] and made Oxford my home,” Omori said. The couple welcomed a daughter in October. Now the executive chef of Jinsei Oxford, Omori brings his passion for fresh ingredients and simple, delicious sushi to every dish.

Born in Tokyo, Omori began cooking meals for himself and his little brother after school while their parents worked. Later Omori trained as a chef in Japanese restaurants, learning the secret to delicious cuisine the hard way.

“Those early years were rough,” he said.

“My mentors were very strict and never really taught. We were expected to watch and learn.”

Omori moved to the United States when he was in his 20s. While working in Los Angeles, he was recruited to help open Jinsei

24 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

in Birmingham, Alabama, and then in Oxford.

“It’s an adjustment getting used to living in a small town,” Omori said. “I’m still adjusting. I love living in the South, though.

There’s a warmth down here I didn’t really experience in California.”

His sushi at Jinsei has excited the community, and for good reason. For Omori, the key to delicious food is the ingredients.

“I was taught to focus on bringing out the best in the ingredients,” he said. He uses fish shipped from Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo.

Expert knife skills protect delicate ingredients and keep them fresh.

“I’ve tried to create a menu [at Jinsei] that provides traditional dishes and also those that won’t be intimidating to the new or less adventurous customer,” Omori said.

He encourages home cooks to try their hand at sushi.

“It’s all about having fun, playing with flavors and learning,” he said. “And if you come up with a great roll, please share your recipe.”

Sushi Rice This sticky rice is a quintessential ingredient in sushi recipes.

1½ cups uncooked short-grain rice (about 3 cups cooked) 3 tablespoons rice vinegar 3 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt Prepare rice according to package directions. While the rice is cooking, mix together the vinegar, sugar and salt. When the rice is ready, add the vinegar mixture a little at a time, folding in thoroughly to combine. Do not stir.

Allow to cool to room temperature before using.

Tuna Salad Hand Roll This twist on a simple roll is popular with both children and adults in Japan.

One 6-ounce can white-meat tuna packed in water, drained 1 tablespoon shallots, finely minced 1½ tablespoons mayonnaise ½ teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon sesame oil ½ teaspoon sesame seeds Salt and pepper, to taste Sheets of nori (dried seaweed) Sushi Rice ½ English cucumber, julienned In a bowl, mix together first 6 ingredients.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Assemble the hand rolls using half-sheets of nori (approximately 6-inch x 2½-inch strips). Press about 1 tablespoon Sushi Rice into one end each nori strip. Add a generous teaspoon of the tuna salad and some of the cucumber, then roll the nori into a cone shape.

Hot Oil Tuna Don’t be afraid to try sashimi at home for a quick small plate.

1 clove garlic, grated 1 tablespoon grated ginger 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 scallion, both white and green parts, julienned Handful of alfalfa sprouts 6 slices sashimi-grade tuna 3 tablespoons sesame oil In a small bowl, combine garlic, ginger, vinegar and soy sauce. In another bowl, combine scallions and alfalfa sprouts.

Arrange tuna slices on a plate. Drizzle with sauce. Heat sesame oil in a small pan over high.

When it starts to smoke a little, take it off the heat, and pour it over the tuna. Top with the sprout and scallion mix.

April 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD

25

ART Ã&#x; SOUL Mississippi has long been a mecca for the muses, with no dearth of talent right here in Oxford.

28 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

written by Ginny McCarley

photographed by Joe Worthem

W

ith venues from the small to the mighty, and no end of gifted artists and musicians to fill the bills, lovers of the arts in Oxford can indulge almost any day or night of the week. Try the Small Hall for an intimate acoustic evening, the Powerhouse for theater or art and craft exhibits, The Lyric for a concert or the Ford Center for a national touring company. Southside Gallery on the Square turns 25 this year, and the Oxford Artists Guild is almost 50. Profiled here are just a few of the many talented musicians, potters and painters in Oxford.

BILL PERRY

For pianist Bill Perry, music is the family business.

Along with his father, legendary Mississippi blues musician Bill “Howl-NMadd,” and his sister, Sharo, Perry began performing professionally around the South in the early 1990s.

Though he played primarily blues and R&B with his family, Perry began developing his own style, a jazz fusion with hip-hop beats, eventually forming the popular group Enigma Jazz Project.

Since then Perry has studied music theory at the University of Mississippi; released three rap records under the pseudonym Mr. BM; and composed and performed a visual concept album, “Mother Universe and All Her Children.” He now teaches music lessons at Roxford University, an extracurricular music school that provides individual lessons as well as the opportunity for students to be a part of rock bands.

Perry, who has been a professional musician his entire adult life, is inspired to create

music because of the emotion it evokes.

“At the end of the day, the creation of the song, the way it makes me feel as well as listening to music inspires me,” Perry said.

“I know how I feel in those moments when the right chord comes. It’s like having these little epiphanies, little moments of enlightenment, every time.”

April 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD

29

MICHAEL SATTERFIELD

Just minutes outside of Oxford, on a bucolic 4-acre plot of land on a gravel road across from expansive cotton fields, potter Michael Satterfield has transformed an old barn into a destination pottery studio, workshop and home for his family.

Satterfield is well known in Oxford, thanks to his beautiful pottery that pays homage to his home state with unique collections and glazes, including Gumbo, Indigo, Riverbottom and Hotty Toddy.

With a background in sculpture and metalwork (Satterfield has a B.F.A. in sculpture from Delta State University and an M.F.A. with an emphasis in sculpture from the University of Mississippi), he envisioned this workspace as a chance to tap those talents and create a destination for pottery lovers.

Almost everything in the building, from the metal on the walls to the wooden shelves, is a found object from the Mississippi Delta, where Satterfield grew up.

“I try to find and reuse,” Satterfield said.

“This place is about me as an artist. Everything you see, I built. This place has been my sculpture, in a way.”

Satterfield built the studio with his family in mind. There is a room for his 9-year-old daughter, Presley, and his soon-to-be-stepson, Cruz, with plenty of space for them to run around outside and help out in the studio on the weekends.

“One day, I hope they’re behind the counter, selling Cokes and making pottery,” Satterfield said. “I hope it’s a family affair.”

30 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

April 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD

31

NICOLE GLADDEN

Nicole Gladden has spent her life creating art, although her trajectory hasn’t always been straightforward. She took several years off to home-school her children and care for her parents, but now, with a new studio designated solely as a creative space, Gladden has jumped back into painting again.

Her body of work can be separated into three distinct styles: abstract pieces, illustrative narratives and women with birdcage skirts.

For Gladden, the series of women with birdcage skirts was a chance to explore vulnerability, inspired by current events.

“I am really enjoying this series,” Gladden said. “[Within the last year] I saw a lot of strong females willing to stand up for their values and willing to put their vulnerabilities on display.

I was really inspired by that.”

Though she enjoys the flexibility of making her own work schedule, Gladden also relishes

32 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

showing her art at festivals and interacting with clients after spending so many hours painting alone in her studio. She is an exhibitor at the Double Decker Arts Festival.

“I love when people are curious and ask about the process behind my work,” she said.

“I’m fairly extroverted, so by the time the festival rolls around, it’s really exciting to me to engage with the public about art.”

OXFORD ARTISTS GUILD

The Double Decker Arts Festival, now a multiday affair attracting visitors from around the country, began as a small festival called Art and All That Jazz, hosted by the Oxford Artists Guild.

The guild, which has existed for almost 50 years, is one of the oldest organizations in Oxford. What began as a group of four women has grown into a thriving organization with more than 100 members.

While the guild no longer hosts an art and music festival, it always has a tent at Double Decker, with art, sculpture and other items made by Oxford artists. This year nearly 30 artists from Oxford will participate. “[The goods] really range in skill level and medium,” guild president Debbie Myers said.

“From ceramics to metalwork to paintings, just about everything is covered by members of the guild. It really shows how active artists are in Oxford.”

Janet Barnes, a watercolorist who joined the guild nearly 30 years ago, sells both original paintings and prints of her work in the guild’s tent. Her son, Mark Barnes, is also a member and travels from North Carolina to sell baskets made of kudzu.

“It has changed a lot,” said Barnes, who has been participating in the festival since its beginning. “It’s just a great thing to do. Every year it gets a little bit bigger.”

Opposite page, clockwise from left: Nicole Gladden and paintings “Dog Sitter” and “Illuminating in the World Only the Art Bunny Knows.” This page, top: Gladden’s studio, with “Spring Awakening” on left easel. Above left: “By and By, a Greedy Sea of Beginnings.” Above right: “There Would Be No Secrets.”

April 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD

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LMT#2017

on location with charlie worsham

written by Michael Newsom

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF CHARLIE WORSHAM

Guitar chops and authenticity draw critical acclaim for a Mississippi native.

Charlie Worsham speaks with a kind of calm humility that belies what you might expect from someone who has been praised in Rolling Stone for his guitar ability and his “rebellious streak.”

The Grenada native, who now lives in Nashville, has released two country albums that have drawn critical acclaim. “Beginning of Things,” released in 2017, was a follow-up to 2013’s “Rubberband.”

“Beginning of Things” is aptly named.

Warner Bros. is on board for a third record from Worsham, but the name fits because he seems energized by the album, proud of it, but also primed for much more. It’s also a kind of road trip into the north Mississippi hills where his story begins.

“That record, what it stands for for me, is that I fell back in love with music,” Worsham said. “I had been pretty burned out, and I sort of rediscovered and reclaimed my musical heritage and my geography. Mississippi is one heck of a place to be from when you’re talking about music, so that’s what I feel when I think about that record.”

Like many artists, he thinks about the question of writing what he feels, and how that may or may not line up with what’s commercially successful. Though he hasn’t yet experienced major commercial success, he is confident in his brand of music.

That confidence has to be part of your playbook when you move to Nashville like he did 11 years ago.

“I believe what I always have believed,” Worsham said. “I think it’s gonna work out. I know it is. I have two failed records. I am on a major label, and they still want to make another record. That used to happen. That doesn’t happen anymore. I am supposed to be dropped after the first record. This community has lifted me up. They have my back, and I think that I keep my head down and I keep working at it.”

Worsham’s brand is formed in who he is,

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not who music execs might think he should be to sell records. In the process of making “Beginning of Things,” he was advised that the listener should know where he came from. He took it literally, thinking of the things that make up the geographical space that is Grenada.

The lyrics to the song “I-55” depict a man who appreciates going home and the simple joys of driving. It’s easy to imagine Worsham himself as the person he describes in the song, going back home to Grenada. At the core, he’s that man: a grown, successful musician who still remembers being a kid and taking his Sony Walkman into the woods, picking up sticks and pretending to trade riffs with Marty Stuart.

He’s comfortable with being that person in his songs. He has to be.

“[The audience] knows when somebody is not real,” Worsham said. “I really know that. There would be no reason for me to be something I’m not. It would backfire.”

Recently, as he was driving to a gig on a Friday night, he talked about plans to record a banjo part on a song with Vince Gill, one of his idols, and being at the center of an evolving country music scene.

“Country is in a little bit of an identity crisis, but at the same time it’s sort of a great time for country music,” Worsham said. “The opportunity to fit in has never been better, as long as you’re willing to exist outside the definition of what that is, which I guess would be what you hear in the top 20 songs on radio any given week.”

Worsham has also written a book about his musical odyssey, with a foreword by his longtime idol, country music icon and fellow Mississippian Marty Stuart. “Follow Your Heart: A Guitar, a Tattoo, and One Man’s Country Music Journey,” published by Spring House Press, will be released June 1. Proceeds from the book will go toward Worsham’s Follow Your Heart Scholarship Fund for children in Grenada County with uncommon talent and a strong desire to pursue the arts.

Writing a book about his musical journey has also given Worsham a sense of peace about how far he’s come. These days, he shares the stage with legends like Stuart. He will join Miranda Lambert on select dates on her 2018 Livin’ Like Hippies tour. He makes records. He makes music videos.

“It is easy to get bitter,” Worsham said. “I’ve let myself go there too much, but when I look back and when I think about the stories, it’s like, ‘Man, that’s pretty crazy.’ If it all ended tomorrow, I’d have some pretty crazy stories to tell.”

He thinks a lot about what that kid from Grenada would think of his life now.

“I just try to wake up every day and remember how much I have to be grateful for, and it’s always a little surreal,” Worsham said.

“There are things that have become normal that, if I went back and told my 12-year-old self, ‘This is what you did last week,’ my 12-year-old self would be like, ‘No way! Get out of town!’”

April 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD

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Dining AlFresco When you can’t get enough of the mild April weather, try these new off-Square spaces for breakfast, lunch, drinks or dinner outdoors. written by Ginny McCarley photographed by Joe Worthem

W oxford canteen

ith temperatures rising, there’s no better way to celebrate spring in Oxford than to sit outside and enjoy a delicious meal or a cold beverage on a pleasantly warm day. And you won’t have to fight crowds on the Square, thanks to several new restaurants that have opened around town.

Just a short walk up North Lamar from the Square, chef Corbin Evans has opened a new iteration of Oxford Canteen, formerly housed in an alley by The Lyric theater.

Located in a former gas station-turned-car wash, the restaurant serves three meals a day and has both cheerful yellow inside seating and a large, open patio space.

The menu is seasonal and constantly changing (with plenty of gluten-free options). Staples like Breakfast Tacos, Dirty Greens and Grains, and Beef Brisket Grilled Cheese on sourdough are a few dishes patrons can expect to enjoy.

If you need a caffeine fix, Lulu’s Vietnamese-Style Iced Coffee — a frosty drink lightly sweetened with condensed milk — is perfect on a warm day.

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southern craft stove + tap A five-minute drive from the Square, at Oxford Commons, Southern Craft Stove + Tap offers up Southern-American bistro food in a family-friendly environment.

Though the restaurant has a spacious open-air patio, large folding garage doors with windows make even inside tables feel outdoorsy and inviting. There’s a fenced-in play area with games such as pingpong and corn hole to keep kids entertained so parents can enjoy a leisurely meal.

The kids menu features perennial favorites like chicken tenders and sliders. On the adult menu, entreĂŠs like hand-cut rib eye and pan-seared Sriracha-lime salmon should keep parents happy too.

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thacker 564

Down Old Taylor Road, Thacker 564 is a new restaurant co-owned by Michelle Rounsaville, owner of My Michelle’s, and Trey Bridgers.

Grab a table on the patio and order a cocktail from the menu developed by Rounsaville. Try the popular Claude the Elder, a mix of Bulleit Rye, St. Germain, orange juice, lemon, bitters and ginger puree. Nearly all of the specialty cocktails are seasoned with fruit purees to keep the flavors fresh and added sugar to a minimum.

The menu is billed as artisan bar food, with slider sandwiches, hearty appetizers and fresh salads all made for sharing. Options such as Faulkner’s Fav (bourbon and brown sugar-glazed smoked ham with Brie and mint Dijon sauce on brioche) and Sorority Row (a slider with blackened chicken, fried house-made pickles, My Michelle’s famous pimiento cheese and ranch dressing) pay homage to the area.

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lost pizza co.

About half a mile from the heart of campus, Lost Pizza Co. has two stories and a large patio, with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating.

The restaurant group owns more than a dozen other locations but just opened the Oxford location in early fall. Known for its unique pies, favorites like The Otis, for carnivores, with seven types of meat, the veggie-loaded Happy Hippie and weekly specialty pizzas ensure something for everyone.

The restaurant, decorated with found items and antiques from the Mississippi Delta, also serves hot tamales and has a full bar.

So escape the crowds, order a cold drink with some delicious food and enjoy the fair weather (and ample parking) at one of Oxford’s new alfresco dining destinations.

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New Beginning for the End Oxford’s little shop of vinyl heads uptown. written by Michael Newsom photographed by Joe Worthem

When the needle hits, there’s a pop, a few seconds of light crackling, then the magic happens. The rich, room-filling sound of vinyl music is something that isn’t easy to replace once you’ve had a taste of it.

For many, the full sonic experience, coupled with having artwork and liner notes you can hold, becomes an obsession. Riding the wave of vinyl’s resurgence since opening on North Lamar Boulevard in 2012, Oxford’s End of All Music has built a reputation and a strong following.

The success of the store has made owner David Swider bullish on the future, so he’s moved it into an upstairs spot at 103 Courthouse Square.

“We opened at a good time with the end of the era of the iPod and at the beginning of vinyl resurgence,” owner David Swider said.

“We got really lucky.”

Vinyl loyalists swear off MP3s, instead spending hours each week listening to and talking about records. They talk about loving the smell of the sleeve of a record that was pressed decades ago. Searching for them then becomes a kind of sport. Scoring an original Chess blues 78, an “unpeeled” banana-cover Velvet Underground, a Beatles “butcher cover” or a first pressing of a Phil Spector-produced album is the LP collector’s equivalent of winning the Super Bowl.

Cassette tapes have been reborn in recent years because they offer a good-quality sound and a low manufacturing cost. Many now sell for about $7 new. Unlike cassettes, though, the appeal of vinyl records never really went away, and they remain especially popular these days.

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Owner David Swider in End of All Music’s new location on the Square.

The reason is simple for Swider, who calls it “the coolest way to own music.”

“You get the total package,” he said. “Big artwork, superior sound, and records also retain their value really well. They’re both collectible and functional, and also a conversation piece, as well as a good way to listen to music. If you

go to somebody’s house and they say, ‘Look at my iTunes music’ or ‘Look at my shelf full of records,’ one of those is definitely going to sound better than the other.”

The new location gives Oxford a music store on the Square for the first time in more than a decade. It still has the same chill blue

Above: Vinyl lovers can flip through bins, browsing or treasure hunting. Left: One of the listening stations in the store. Right: Covers on display.

wall color as the old store, more than 7,000 records and a coveted view of the alwaysbustling Square.

Local accents grace the store, including the shelving that holds the records and the store’s front counter. The shelves were created by Ryan Pierce, a woodworker from Water Valley, and

Oxford-based Limber Timber. A photo of the legendary Memphis-based indie-rock band Big Star, shot by Mississippi photographer Maude Schuyler Clay in the 1970s, hangs above the fireplace, tying the room together.

On opening weekend, dozens of vinyl lovers meandered around the new location,

thumbing through the easy-to-navigate inventory, which includes records by a range of musicians, from pop icons like Adele to world artists like Fela Kuti and Bob Marley and locals like R.L. Burnside and Bass Drum of Death.

The day after it opened, Ben Ricketts, of Oxford, and Jake Rogers, of Corinth, were April 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD

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Above: Posters and album covers grace the walls above stacks of local music, blues and world music. Right: Cassette tapes have made a come-back in recent years due to their good sound, portability and modest prices.

holding court in the store about all things music and surveying the albums. According to Ricketts, the lure of shopping for vinyl is always strong.

“Vinyl is like part of your house,” Ricketts said. “It’s like audio furniture or it’s almost like an art collection. I’m all for digital music, but there’s just something about physical music.”

Ricketts and Rogers are both collectors who visit many shops across the country but agreed that End of All Music is their favorite.

When they are shopping for records at some faraway store, they say conversations there will turn to where they’re from; then they’re usually asked about End of All Music.

For Rogers, the reach of the store was powerfully illustrated two years ago when he stepped off a plane in Santo Domingo,

46 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

Dominican Republic.

“I saw this girl get off of a jet and she had an End of All Music shirt on, and I did too, and we were just like, ‘What?’ ” Rogers joked.

“I think David [Swider] is opening another franchise there.”

While many chain music stores died off with the rise of iTunes and other platforms for digital music, locally owned stores are thriving thanks to the allegiance of music buyers like Ricketts and Rogers. In this climate, Swider said the future seems bright for shops like his.

“Independent record stores have been around longer than the big chain stores, and they’ll be around a lot longer than Spotify will be,” Swider said. “There’s no algorithm that can replicate the feeling of being in a good independent record store.”

April 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD

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Lunch Bag Love An Oxford mom brightens her daughter’s school day. written by Ginny McCarley photographed by Joe Worthem

P began as quick sketches, a flower or

eggie Wilson’s brown-bag drawings

a heart. Her daughter, Gabriella, was starting kindergarten, and drawing on her snack bag was a way to help Gabriella make the transition to a long school day without her mom.

“It was just a little message to make her feel good,” Wilson said. “School can be tough.”

Gabriella is in second grade now, and Wilson has drawn on her bag every day for the last two years. These days, the drawings are not your typical hurried hearts or scribbled

50 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

messages. Wilson sits down every night after her girls are asleep and devotes about half an hour to sketching a drawing, coloring it in, and writing a message.

Though she has had no formal training aside from a few art classes in high school and college, the pictures are detailed and vibrantly colored. For Wilson, the process is therapeutic.

“It’s my time to unwind,” she said.

The pictures are typically inspired by upcoming holidays, and many feature characters from the comic strip “Peanuts.” This year,

during the month of February, Wilson sketched different hearts. In March, she created a variety of St. Patrick’s Day-themed drawings. Close to the Double Decker festival, she might sketch an image of Oxford’s courthouse.

Of all the drawings Wilson has made for her daughter, one sticks out: Inspired by a photo of Gabriella wearing a cape, her hair in braids, Wilson made a personalized superhero sketch based on the photo.

“That’s one of my favorites,” Wilson said.

“I told her she was my superhero.”

“It was just a little message to make her feel good.

School can be tough.”

-Peggie Wilson

Above left: Peggie Wilson with daughters Gabriella and Alexandria. Wilson has been drawing and writing loving messages on Gabriella’s lunch bags since kindergarten.

Though Wilson knows the tradition won’t last forever, she plans to keep it up as long as Gabriella wants.

“I’m just going to continue every year until she says, ‘Mom, I don’t want to do this,’” Wilson said. “I’ll probably cry, because that’s when I’ll know my baby is growing up.”

Gabriella’s teachers at Lafayette Elementary School have expressed amazement at the drawings. Sometimes, they told her mother, Gabriella will set it on her desk to look at while she’s doing her schoolwork.

For Gabriella, the bags are wonderful works of art.

“They’re really good,” Gabriella said.

“They’re the best thing drawn on bags that I’ve ever seen in the whole entire world.”

Wilson’s other daughter, Alexandria, is just 3 and does not yet attend school, but she’s already counting down the days until she gets her own personalized brown bags. Both Gabriella and Alexandria look forward to seeing what their mom has drawn each morning.

“Every morning when they get up, they

run to the kitchen [to see] what I drew,” Wilson said. “Since I draw at night, every morning it’s a surprise.”

Though she has come to enjoy the creativity involved in the process of making the bags, for Wilson it is still primarily a way to help her daughter feel loved all day when she’s away at school.

“I feel like she’s going to have a better day because she knows I took the time [to draw something],” Wilson said. “That’s really why I continue to do it.”

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clarinet

QUINTET Woodwind maestros serenade local audiences for fun and practice. written by Ginny McCarley photographed by Joe Worthem

W

hat do a retired oil executive, a retired band director, an aspiring animator and two university professors have in common? The five make up a clarinet quintet that has just begun playing around the Oxford area.

University of Mississippi professors Michael Rowlett and Adam Estes organized the group to give their advanced adult students a chance to play together. Rowlett is an associate professor of clarinet and music literature, and Estes is an assistant professor of music. Both teach lessons on multiple reed instruments. “We just decided to get together and play music for fun and in the community,�

Rowlett said.

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Oxford’s Clarinet Quintet (left to right): Heather Rodgers, Joy Hawkins, Adam Estes, Michael Rowlett and Randy Rawlings. University of Mississippi music professors Rowlett and Estes started the group as a way for their advanced clarinet students to play and perform together.

The group’s first gig was during the Christmas season, when they played carols at Memory Makers, a day program for adults with Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia.

“It was really great,” Rowlett said. “One of the reactions we had when we played was, ‘Gosh, I’ve never heard clarinets do that type of thing.’ It is fun to bring something new to them.”

Though the group has performed only Christmas music so far, there is a wide variety of music arranged for clarinet, including classical, jazz and pop pieces.

For quintet member Randy Rawlings, who also takes private lessons, the group is an inspiration to practice more. Rawlings, who retired to Oxford in 2014, majored in music at Middle Tennessee State University and was a high school band director in Nashville before working in sales at an oil company.

Though he played occasionally at church and on special occasions, he did not begin playing

regularly again until April 2017.

“I enjoy it a lot,” Rawlings said of the group. “If you’re not playing or performing, then it’s hard to have a reason to [get your clarinet out and] play. You can put it off. But when you have material assigned to you and you have to work on it, then you tend to want to do that because if you don’t, it’s pretty noticeable.”

Heather Rodgers, who recently completed an M.F.A. in animation from the University of Edinburgh, has been taking clarinet lessons from Rowlett since she was a high school student in Oxford and continued to play throughout her undergraduate and graduate career. At Bennington College in Vermont, she commuted to New York City to study with internationally acclaimed clarinetist Mariam Adam. While in Scotland, Rodgers played in several university groups and led the clarinet section for operas and musicals.

“Music is a huge part of my life,” she said.

“I wanted to make sure I kept it up and found people to play with. Everybody who is a part

of this group is just there for fun and for the sake of making music, so it’s great to be a part of that.”

Joy Hawkins, a retired band director, was involved in a clarinet choir in Jackson before moving to Oxford. Once in Oxford, Hawkins talked with Rowlett about starting a similar group in the area.

“I enjoyed playing and wanted to be able to play some in Oxford,” Hawkins said. “I’m thrilled to be able to say we’ve gotten something started. I’ve been playing for almost 40 years, and I just really enjoy [it], and I love music.”

For Rowlett, the clarinet quintet highlights one of the benefits of Oxford.

“Really, it’s unusual to have so many talented players in a town our size,” Rowlett said.

“That is definitely an advantage of living here, because they are professional-level players even if it wasn’t what they did for their career. It’s really cool [to have a mix of ] young and old players. We’re definitely planning on having some more activities together this spring.”

April 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD

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TWO BROOKS FARM In harmony with the wetlands, a family’s rice farm produces a whole-grain delicacy sold around the state. written by Keith Gore Wiseman

photographs courtesy of Two Brooks Farm and Rory Doyle

A

t dawn on a misty Delta morning, in a quiet backwater near the Little Tallahatchie River, herons and egrets forage amid swaying stalks of rice.

Two Brooks Farm, on the banks of Cassidy Bayou near Sumner, Mississippi, is home to 10th-generation farmers Mike and Charlotte Wagner. The couple owns and operates the 4,000-acre farm, which produces singleestate rice, or rice that is grown, harvested and packaged right on the farm.

Two Brooks grows six varieties of rice: white Delta Belle and brown Beulah Land Tan long-grain rice; Missimati, which is highly aromatic with a popcorn aroma like basmati rice; Blue Jasmoon, a jasmine-type rice; Sable, a small-seeded and exceedingly healthy black rice; Scarlett, a longgrain red rice; and wild red rice.

The operation is a family affair. Mike is president, the Wagners’ son Lawrence manages the farm, and daughter Abbey is the marketing

manager. The Wagners take their farming practices, and their stewardship of the ecosystem, very seriously.

“We cultivate our rice for the sake of humanity, our environment and our planet,” Mike said. “Our farmland has to feed people, year in and year out, forever. It must also feed nature’s multitudes, provide homes for wildlife and filter water.”

Mike wanted to incorporate natural processes that he observed in the bayou into his commercial farming operation, to ensure high yields and food value while lessening the toll on the land. Unlike most other rice on the market, Two Brooks rice is free of fungicides and insecticides. Their yields are on par with conventionally grown rice but have a very small carbon footprint.

“We want to get as many calories with as few inputs as possible,” Lawrence said. “We don’t want to add anything to the growing environment without a resulting calorie gain.”

While rice will grow in a mud puddle, it does better in a long-term aquatic environment, where microorganisms break down straw, filter water and supply food for thousands of birds and other animals.

Year after year, the birds are attracted to the spent straw in the fields. As they forage there, they take the place of machines by

Opposite page: Brother and sister Lawrence and Abbey Wagner help manage farm operations. Two Brooks rice varieties are non-GMO and thrive in Mississippi growing conditions.

Above: Nutrient-rich blue gumbo clay soil resists degradation and never needs chemical fertilizers.

April 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD

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Above: Mature rice, ready for harvest. Below: Lawrence and Abbey with Deputy, the family dog.

trampling stalks into the ground, smoothing the soil and depositing nitrogen to fertilize the next year’s crop.

When the migratory birds have flown, rice seed is dropped by airplane into the flooded fields during April and sometimes into May. After Labor Day and throughout September, the rice is harvested with two Claas combines equipped with tracks for flotation.

As co-chair of the International Promotions Committee of the United States Rice Producers Organization, Mike helped teach often-impoverished people in Central and South America how to boost nutrition by further incorporating rice in their recipes.

During these trips, he realized that the same need exists in Mississippi, where people may eat enough calories but not get enough nutrients through them. Now, Two Brooks products are available all over Mississippi,

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Two Brooks sells nine types of rice or rice blends, as well as rice flour and rice grits, in 2-pound bags or 25-pound bulk boxes. Missimati Bayou Bouquet (left) is an aromatic white rice, and Beulah Land Medley (right) is a field blend of whole long-grain brown rice and wild red rice.

along with recipe cards suggesting delicious ways to use rice for added nutrition.

In Oxford, J. Olive and Neon Pig both carry Two Brooks rice and rice flour, which are also sold at B.T.C. Grocery in Water Valley and at many other locations in the state. Two Brooks products are also available directly from the farm’s website, twobrooksfarm.com.

“People love the rice grits, especially,” J. Olive manager Rachel Reagan said. “Two Brooks provides recipes, so folks feel comfortable trying something new. Judging from repeat customers, the method has led to great success in Oxford’s kitchens.”

People have also been enjoying Two Brooks Sable rice in the shrimp jambalaya at Snack Bar, at least once when the Wagners happened to be sitting nearby.

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“The most rewarding part of this experience is sitting down at a restaurant and listening to others around you order your product and secretly watching them enjoy every bite of it,” Lawrence said. “I recently got to do this at Oxford’s Snack Bar.” While the Wagners have taken extra­ ordinary steps to be stewards of the land while producing superior-quality products, they remain humble.

“Our compromise toward coexistence may not be perfect, but we at Two Brooks Farm think it necessary for the future of posterity and planet,” Mike said.

Two Brooks welcomes visitors who call in advance to arrange tours and sometimes hosts retreats for chefs.

More at twobrooksfarm.com.

GOOD GRAINS

1 2

Two Brooks rice has the same calories, carbohydrates, fiber and protein content as conventionally grown rice, and twice as many calories as organic rice.

The long-grain white or brown rice has the highest amylose starch content of any rice grown in the U.S. Amylose isn’t digested; instead, it ferments, feeding healthy gut bacteria and aiding in glycemic control.

3 4

Both the Sable (black) and Scarlett (red) rice contain higher levels of anthocyanins than other rice. Anthocyanins are the same powerful antioxidants found in blueberries.

The Missimati and Blue Jasmoon varieties are highly aromatic. Blue Jasmoon makes a fine jasmine stir-fry, and Missimati makes wonderful salads served hot or cold.

April 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD

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After a devastating injury, a local woman finds relief in an unexpected place: underwater.

written by Allison Estes photographed by Joe Worthem and Steve Bramlett

Oxford native Janet Schove was beginning a new chapter in her life. She had finally gotten through a stressful divorce, after making the difficult decision to call it quits on an even more stressful 13-year marriage. Just weeks later, she retired from a 25-year career as a teacher and administrator in the Mississippi public school system, completed the move into her new house, and was looking forward to a little peace and freedom.

“I just had to let go,” Schove said. “I wanted nothing; I just wanted to be. It had been too toxic for too long, and it was totally time to de-stress.”

Her plan was to take some time off, decompress and just enjoy life for a little while, and then perhaps look for another job. And for a little over a month, that’s just what she did.

Until one day, while stopped at an intersection, she was rear-ended by a distracted driver.

The accident left Schove with severe damage to her neck and spine, and in constant pain.

Physical therapy was unbearable. Various stateof-the-art treatments brought little or no relief.

In addition to chronic pain from compressed nerves, she began to suffer frequent migraine headaches that left her unable to do more than curl up in a darkened room for days at a time.

Before the accident, Schove had been an avid long-distance cyclist, riding three times a week, sometimes up to 75 miles. That summer, she had ridden in the Bike Ride Across Georgia, a nearly 400-mile, six-day trek.

“I loved it. Loved it,” Schove said. “How many hobbies can you do with other people and regardless of the group size, enjoy the conversation as you’re engaging in a very active sport? To be in my late 40s, and flying down a hill … your heart is racing, the wind is

Janet Schove with instructor Steve Bramlett. Schove says she still dreams about cycling trips — and of course, scuba.

rushing by, other cyclists are rushing down the hill with you. It’s exhilarating.”

Now it was all she could do to get up and feed her dogs. She often had to rely on friends for simple errands like grocery shopping or checking the mail. She couldn’t sit long enough to go to a movie or enjoy a meal with family.

She was offered what would have been an ideal job in a nearby school district but had to turn it down because she could not endure driving or sitting at a desk.

“The divorce, the retirement, the move and the wreck all happened in 2013,” Schove said.

“At the time I didn’t realize how life-changing it April 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD

65

“

The divorce, the retirement, the move and the wreck all happened in 2013. At the time I didn’t realize how life-changing it was going to be. In devastating ways.

But it also opened the door, much later, to pursue another lifelong passion.

-Janet Schove

”

was going to be. In devastating ways. But it also opened the door, much later, to pursue another lifelong passion.”

Four years after the accident, still in constant, sometimes intense pain, and having exhausted all the options for therapy and medication, Schove decided to forge ahead and try something she had wanted to do all her life: scuba diving.

“It was a deep desire; it was a need,” Schove said. “When I was a kid, I loved watching Jacques Cousteau. Then in my 30s I kept large marine tanks in an effort to bring the ocean to me. It really was just always a call. And then one day I woke up and [said], ‘Why am I not pursuing this dream?’ ” Her first call was to The Dive Shop in Memphis. Experts there referred her to scuba instructor Steve Bramlett. In order to take lessons, Schove learned, she would need fins, a snorkel, boots and a mask. She also had to get medical approval.

Her doctor wasn’t sure. Changes in pressure could trigger migraines.

“I told him, ‘This is something I feel like I have to try. This is a lifelong dream for me.’ He looked at me, and he said OK. Either I could or I couldn’t.”

In the first lesson, Bramlett had Schove don a tank and buoyancy-control device, and showed her how to breathe with a regulator.

She was afraid the weight of the tank would be intolerable but found that in the pool the equipment was supported by its own buoyancy.

And to her amazement, when she was submerged in water with the pressure off her neck and spine, for the first time since the accident she was pain-free.

“There was no pull; there was no weight,” Schove said. “Everything about that first lesson was memory-making. Lifetime memory.”

66 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

Top left and above: Training and predive planning with Steve Bramlett at Blue Water Park in Pelham, Alabama. The 26-acre quarry pool ranges in depth from 4 to 140 feet. Surface water temperatures reach 86 degrees Fahrenheit in summer but average 53 degrees at the bottom year-round. Top right: Schove shows off her open-water dive certification patch.

Later that same lesson, Schove remembers, nobody else was in the pool. “I was finning around. It was a bright sunny day, and the reflection of the sunlight was dancing off the bottom of the pool, and I knew one day in the foreseeable future I was going to be diving over corals. It was very symbolic to me, of the beauty that was ahead. That was a real epiphany. That it really was going to happen.”

On a chilly day last October, with other scuba students at a quarry pool in Pelham,

Alabama, Schove braved a 28-degree wind chill, murky water and 40-foot depths to earn her open-water dive certification. This year in July, through a trip arranged by The Dive Shop, Schove will spend nine days diving in Roatán, Honduras, home of the second-longest coral reef in the world.

Schove still has dreams about cycling, though she can never again ride a bike. But learning to dive has made former dreams a reality and given her a new outlook on life after the

accident. She remembers that first lesson with reverence, as well as Steve Bramlett’s wisdom.

“He held out his hands and said, ‘Give me your mask and your hands, and go facedown.’ And I did, and he just left me there.

I didn’t have a mask, so I couldn’t see, but I could breathe. And I thought, ‘Why is he having me do this?’ And then I just relaxed. It’s one of the first lessons Steve taught me, and it has stuck with me: ‘As long as you can breathe, it’s gonna be OK.’” April 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD

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FEED THE HUNGER PACK-A-THON

Ole Miss hosted the eighth annual Feed the Hunger Pack-a-Thon March 3 at Oxford Intermediate School. More than 700 students and community members packed 200,000 meals to send to various countries. photographed by Brittany Brown

Melissa McCann, Hannah Flitton and Elizabeth Goldhammer

Keetan Phillips, Lyndsay Crane and Malynn Clark

Kitty, Mary and Mary Margaret Case

Jarvis Avant, Jonathan Lovelady, Alex Watkins, Joseph Nelson and Jaret Lieberth

70 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

Haithem Mahmoud, Will Thomas and Khalil Martin

Isabella D’Alba, Georgia Hagy and Abbie McIntosh

Luly Beauchamp, Chappell Maxcy, Emmy Reese and McLean Thompson

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OXFORD DATE NIGHT

Oxford Date Night was held March 2 at the Ford Center. The event was presented by Chick-fil-A and featured live comedy routines by Paul Harris and Steve Geyer. photographed by Jessica Richardson

C.J. Miller and Jamie Petty

Courtney Ross and Carley Wilkinson

Ginger and Mike Ethridge

Will and Amy Tidwell

David and Cammie Lang

Nikki and Russell Currey

Sammie and Shalonda Smith

Colt Lee and Lucy Fyfe

72 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

Bob Johnson and Krissy Brunshidle

Heather and Presley Hitchcock with Jason and Tami Armstrong

Richard and Lea Fyfe

Kaylie Allen and Dylan Walkers

Staci Kellum and Luke Eickmeier

Frank and Kim Kwas

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TASTE OF OXFORD

The 11th annual Taste of Oxford was held Feb. 22 at The Jefferson. The event featured food stations, a live auction and a bourbon tasting room. Proceeds benefited St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. photographed by Megan Wolfe

LeeLee Desler, Annie Robertson and Kate Green

Gloria Harris and Cherise Garcia

Nick Reppond and Angie Sicurezza

John and Amy Chapman

Lisa Tollison, Patti Sanders, Shirley Crawford and Ginger Cooke

Leigh Anne and Joc Carpenter

74 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

Brett Barefoot, Billy Young and Mark Sawyer

Randy Hatfield and Shane Henderson

Geri Smith with Jack and Gay Stubbs and Lassie Flowers

Nicolle Thiry and Brian Vonderheide

Caroline and Miles Forks

Amanda and Trey Warrington

Lori Elliott and Amy Dennis

Carol Strider and Lisa Chandler

Deleah Gillom and Marcus Johnson

April 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD

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INTERNATIONAL BOOK TASTING

The second annual International Book Tasting was held Feb. 10 at the Lafayette County and Oxford Public Library. The family-friendly event included international food tastings, culture and live music. photographed by Megan Wolfe

Kasi and Cove Hoggard

Seiko Collins with Sena, Kahori and Nina Lu

76 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

Kavitha Salhish, Jyothsna Sankar, Nisha Mishra, Shilpa Shirur, Swapna Srinivasan and Rayan Anjanappa

Elias, Melvin and Andrea Brock

Poppy Bowling and Juneau Classen

Taylor, Gabriella, Peggie and Alexandria Wilson

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MARDI GRAS BALL

Oxford’s Official Mardi Gras Ball was held Feb.13 at The Lyric Oxford. The communitywide event featured a DJ and New Orleans-inspired food. photographed by Megan Wolfe

Morgan Stringer, Jonathan Walker and Samantha Ashford

Meri Claire McCurley and Jonah McBeth

Caroline Heller, Sarah Heying and Frankie Barrett

Maddison Colston and Georgia Hogue

Hooper Schultz and Anna Grace Usery

78 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

Emory Mullis, Julia Lott and Jordan Hume

David Abraham and Amelia Clayshulte

Jonathan Kent Adams and Kevin Cozart

Stephanie Winter and Joseph Smith

Caleb Brown, Cassandra Crosby, Lakyn Collier and Makeuli Essert

Martha and Jon Scott

Aaron Williamson and William Chandler Craig

Rachel Stoler and Mary Grace Stewart

Terri Le and Tracy Craft

Ellis Starkey and David Higginbotham

Lucas Smith and Chip Davis

April 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD

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THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM PRESENTS

Ruin is a Secret Oasis MARCH 13–JULY 7, 2018 Opening Reception: Thursday, April 12, 2018, 6–8:00 p.m.

Maysey Craddock’s work in Ruin is a Secret Oasis references ruined structures found throughout the south: rich, charged, vibrating places—reflecting a narrative of reclamation and change.

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Exhibition made possible by support from the Jane Becker Heidelberg Endowment for the Arts.

Lafayette County Literacy Council presents

Reads, Beats& Eats Celebrating local literary culture, music and food with special guest Beth Ann Fennelly

Saturday, April 7th

7:30 pm • VIP Meet & Greet at 7:00 pm

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Master of Ceremonies John T. Edge

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Ole Miss chapter of Pi Beta Phi Sorority April 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD

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“FIDDLER ON THE ROOF” The Oxford High School theater department performed of the musical “Fiddler on the Roof” Feb. 15-17 in the Kayla Mize Auditorium at Oxford Middle School. photographed by Brittany Brown

Daniel and Lana Parrish with Mylene Cromwell

Channing Green and Julian Martin

Elias Addy and Andrew Henderson

Traci Moore and Linda Harden

Holly and Walker Abel with Cindy Mayfield

Julia Dennis, Cassidy Rock and Maddie Cook

Parker, Doug, Bill and Shirley Adamson

Eli Waxler and Ella Seddon

Marni Herrington and Keri Jo Finnie

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SOUTHSIDE GALLERY ARTIST RECEPTION

Southside Art Gallery held an artist reception on Feb. 16. The event featured original pieces from 16 artists on display during the February group exhibition. photographed by Megan Wolfe

Sabra and Ron Laumbach

Beth Ann Fennelly with Nolan Franklin

84 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

Joe Abide and Maddie McHugh

Katelynn Dillard and Esther Moreau

Marti Funke and Jimmy Thomas

Ellis and Kathi Tomsky with Jimmie Rogers, Edna Daniel and Joe Parks

Maude Schuyler and Langdon Clay

Martha Kelley and Earl Dismuke

Jonathan Kent Adams and Carlyle Wolfe

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NAACP LUNCHEON

The Oxford-Lafayette branch of the NAACP held a luncheon on Feb. 24 at the Lafayette Civic Center.

The annual event included fellowship and awards. photographed by Jessica Richardson

Almelia Frierson

Mae Shelby and Frank Archie

Harold and Minnie Cooper

86 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

Elizabeth Alexander and Marcus Lewis

Lindsey Sanford, Ruth Ball and Zannie Leland Jr.

Preston Taylor and Jeff Busby

Bedeliah Ball and Mattie Holland

Lou Archie and Margie Mathis

Ciara and Zachary Jones with Laura Woodall

Kay Armstrong and Jimmie Smith

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NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION BANQUET The Oxford chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation held a spring banquet March 1 at the Oxford Conference Center. The event included dinner, a raffle, games and a live auction. photographed by Megan Wolfe

Josh Cooper and Brandon Inmon

Johnny McKinion and Derek Alkire

88 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

Will and Abby Aycock with Shane Bryant and Ericka Quon

Joshua Gregory and Chad Ramsey

Perry and Kathy Rowe with Christina and John McDougal

Dwight Jones and Deanna Jackson

Mason Reeves, Ty Freeman, Hugh Brown and Lee Mize

Drew Hardy and Heather Mitchell

Christa and Debby Humphreys

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BLACK ALUMNI REUNION M-CLUB RECEPTION The University of Mississippi Black Alumni Reunion hosted a reception for M-Club members March 2 at the Pavilion Club. The M-club Alumni Chapter is open to all varsity athletics letter winners, managers, trainers and videographers. photographed by Megan Wolfe

Britte Hardy-Aromashodu and Devin Aromashodu with Shawn Goff

Victoria Ray and Teresa Jones

Derek Cowherd, Peggie Gillom Granderson and Lawrence Johnson

90 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

Ross Bjork and Deano Orr

Willie and Pat Foster

Courtney and Bryan McClellan-Brown

Norman Seawright, Michael Fountain, Buford McGee and Phil Freightman

Carolyn Evans and Marie Elliott

Xavier Hoskins and Joseph and Felicia Harvell

Lynnette Johnson and Tammy Cobb

Louis Jackson and John Darnell

Shawn Cobb, Sebastian Williams and Shawn Sykes

April 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD

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

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @invitationoxford

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REGENTS GOT TALENT

Regents School of Oxford held a talent show March 8 at the Powerhouse. The event featured more than 30 talent acts plus original artwork. photographed by Megan Wolfe

Katherine Paine and Stella Dornbusch

Hayes Leach and Coop Bell

Natalie and Rachael Prather

94 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

Delta Daughtery and Nila Vae Cochet

Amy, Maxim and Major Dornbusch

Ricky Wilkerson and Eleanor Todd

Mac Cole, Sean Jenkins and Brody Everett

Porter Callery and Connor Nix

Ahmari Lockhart and Charlie Dear

Will Hopson and Lily Snyder

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SAY YES TO THE DRESS

Oxford High School hosted the second annual Say Yes to the Dress formalwear event March 8. More than 100 students participated in selecting their prom dress, shoes and accessories. photographed by Alise McCreary

Vanetta Griffin and Jo’Kiffany Watson

Kayla Spencer, Rebecca Melton and Jessie Quello

Kamesha Lay and Jacqueline Johnson

96 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

Madison Hickey, Stacy Raspo, Mary Bea Green and Regan Hill

Lashea and Sherron O’Hara with Ebony Sawyer

Gabby and Christy McAnally with Regina and Sue Kelley

Rose Hickey and Beth Mead

Ginger and Alexandria Millican

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OTS/CHS SCHOLARSHIP BANQUET Students who graduated from Oxford Training School or Central High School gathered for a scholarship banquet March 10 at the Lafayette Civic Center. photographed by Joe Worthem

Amelia Bates and Joe Milliner

Clarence and Venessar Williams with Arnetchers Dudley

Adeyinka Adams-Brown and Kasidy Certion

98 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

John and S.T. Adams with Tonya and Isaiah Moody

Shirley Pegues with Ashley, Greg and Mary Pettis

Camille Anderson, Kevin Braziel, Felecia Pegues, Jessica Dooley and William Sanders

Phillis George and Sandra E. Carver

Timothy and Jackie Hardin

April 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD

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OUT AND ABOUT BLACK ALUMNI REUNION AWARDS GALA

Shauneille Mason, Carolyn Horton Wade, Beverly Wolfe-Davis and Pamela Black

THE PARLOR’S BILLY B MAKEUP EVENT

Hannah Beard and Jacey Beth Stites

Kelsea White, Seth Dickinson, Hadassah Strong-Cooper, Thomas McFann and Victoria Robinson

OXFORD HIGH SCHOOL COOKING CLASS

Madison Barker, Billy B. and Tabitha Phillips

LAFAYETTE HIGH SCHOOL MOST BEAUTIFUL

William Carrington and Benjamin Hale

Tamyra Baggett and Richard Wright

THACKER MOUNTAIN RADIO HOUR

Ally Withrow, Emma Hayes Roberts, Lilly McElreath, Cylie Robertson and Reese Carwile

Carlye Mann and Madison Wawrek

Courtney Kamm and Hannah Glass

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GARSH

interviewed by Michael Newsom photographed by Joe Worthem

Austin Smith and his brother Jordan have formed the band Garsh and will release new music throughout 2018 ahead of a planned full-length album. Austin sat down with us to talk about the duo’s musical journey.

Q: You’re

making some interesting, original music right now. Have you always wanted to be a musician?

A: Yes, I was interested in music from an early age. I learned some piano first, from various family members, then violin around age 10.

But it wasn’t until I picked up the bass guitar and tried my hand at playing around with funk music like The Commodores and Parliament that I knew this would be a lifelong passion.

Q: What is it about the Oxford music scene that you love the most?

A: Oxford is an awesome town to play in simply because people have an interest in listening to live music, more specifically live local music. There is also a really cool community of musicians in Oxford that are very supportive of one another, often playing in multiple projects.

Q: Talk about your collaboration with your brother, Jordan Smith, on Garsh. What can listeners expect?

A: We’ve tried to blend some of the genres that we’re passionate about: Southern rock, country, blues, R&B. They are definitely not all apparent simultaneously but are heard in different songs. I guess we are really just trying to make something unique.

Q: Who or what inspires you these days?

A: I listen to a lot of different genres, but there

Austin Smith (right) and his brother Jordan plan to release new music and an album with their band, Garsh.

104 INVITATION OXFORD | April 2018

is nothing more inspiring to me than hearing unique sounds. This is an interesting time to listen to music because there is so much genreblending and revival of old sounds mixed in with new styles. This is something Jordan and I try to do with our music because it’s really interesting to play with.