BOOM Jackson v8n6 - Incubating the Creative Economy

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March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine

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“(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

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11 JXN Creative/Inclusive Gallery1 just got a facelift. 12 Jumping Up +BDLTPOnT Þ STU USBNQPMJOF QBSL JT IFSF 12 HAL’lelu’Y’all $FMFCSBUF )BM 8IJUFnT MFHBDZsJO B UVY PS OPU 14 Midtown Biz 4P XIBU FYBDUMZ JT JO UIF BSUZ EJTUSJDU UIFTF EBZT 15 Historical Business 4QFOHMFSnT $PSOFS XBT UIF DFOUFS PG +BDLTPO 16 EXPAT Inspiring the Next Generation .S +POFT IBT B QBTTJPO GPS IFMQJOH ZPVOH QFPQMF 18 PROGRESS What’s Happening? 4PVUI +BDLTPO XBOUT JUT PXO CVTJOFTT TUSJQ

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19 BIZ Salvaging Community 5IF 3FDMBJNFE .JMFT DPNFT UP UPXO 'POESFO 'JSTU 5IVSTEBZ DPNFT CBDL BOE SFBMMZ OFWFS MFGU 20 On the Team 5IFTF GPMLT BSF EFUFSNJOFE UP SFWJWF EPXOUPXO 20 BEST OF JACKSON Stemming the Economy 5IF DJUZnT CFTU XPSLQMBDF BDDPSEJOH UP ZPV 21 Meet Your Local Bank #BOL1MVT JT BMM BCPVU DPNNVOJUZ 21 Watercolor Dreams 8ZBUU 8BUFST MFUT VT QFFL JOTJEF IJT BSUZ CBH 23 MENU GUIDE 1BJE BEWFSUJTJOH

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40 ARTS Colorful Expansion 'JTDIFS (BMMFSJFTn TFBTPO 44 MELODIES Not So High Brow 5IJT PQFSB TJOHFS JT CVTUJOH QFSDFQUJPOT 46 EVENTS Spring Forward 8IBU UP TFF 8IFSF UP HP 50 LOCAL LIST 10 Top Ways to Be Creative in Jacktown $MBZ )BSEXJDLnT GBWPSJUF QMBDFT JO +BDLTPO

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editor’s note

A World of Art Editor-in-Chief and CEO Donna Ladd Art Director Kristin Brenemen Managing Editor Amber Helsel

Editorial Assistants Adria Walker Editorial Writers Benjamin Hollingsworth // LaTonya Miller Maya Miller // R.L. Nave Julie Skipper // Zachary Oren Smith Listings Editor // Latasha Willis Photography Imani Khayyam Ad Design Zilpha Young Business and Sales Advertising Director // ,JNCFSMZ (SJGÞO Sales and Marketing Consultants // Myron Cathey Sales Assistant // Mary Osborne Distribution Manager // Richard Laswell Bookkeeper // Melanie Collins Assistant to the CEO // Inga-Lill Sjostrom Operations Consultant // David Joseph President and Publisher Todd Stauffer CONTACT US Story pitches // editor@boomjackson.com Ad Sales // ads@boomjackson.com BOOM Jackson 125 S. Congress St., #1324, Jackson, MS 39201 p 601.362.6121 f 601.510.9019 Would you like copies of BOOM Jackson for recruiting, welcome packets or other corporate, institutional or educational uses? Call 601.362.6121 x16 or email inga@jacksonfreepress.com. BOOM Jackson is a publication of Jackson Free Press Inc. BOOM Jackson, which publishes every other month, focuses on the urban experience in Jackson, Miss., emphasizing entrepreneurship, economic growth, culture, style and city life. © 2016 Jackson Free Press Inc.

Cover photo of Gallery1 director Shon McCarthy by Imani Khayyam. See more on page 11

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round this time last year, I wrote ute to what’s called the creative economy, or those jobs that fall within the creative an editor’s note for BOOM Jacksector, from art to culinary arts to conson about how I’m not much of an artist, but that the creative struction (see page 20). The best thing Gov. Phil Bryant has landscape here allows even amateur artists like me to find their craft, hone it in, even done for the state of Mississippi is declaring a Year of the and if they so choose, Creative Economy. reap the rewards. While I have an issue It’s not as easy as with the idea of creative it sounds. You have to economy in an inherently first sit down and crepoor state (although the ate, which in and of itself creative sector does help probably sounds pretty the economy), the sentisimple. But it’s tricky, bement is nice and gives me cause you actually have hope that artists and creto do it. You’ll never be atives can make it here. the next great Pablo PiThe state’s rich history casso or Andy Warhol if Managing Editor in literature and music you don’t practice your Amber Helsel and art is what keeps craft, and do it daily. me here, and it’s nice to Then you have to get know that should I get the word out there, which chance to join their ranks, I can. can be a daunting task. “What if they don’t I dedicate this issue to all the naysaylike my work?” artists may worry. Or, ers who say Mississippi has nothing good “What if selling my art makes me a sellhappening within its borders. While the out?” I’ve dealt and am still dealing with state does have its issues, the artists and both of those issues. creatives prove how resilient we are. Websites such as Etsy and social-meThis issue celebrates the creativity all dia sites such as Facebook and Instagram around us. We examine the business surare great places to start, but, in my experirounding creative incubators and co-workence, people want to be able to put a face to ing spaces. Throughout almost every seca name. tion we talk about the artists and creativity Years ago, it might have been harder for artists in Jackson to get recognized. in Jackson. But most of all, we celebrate all the great things Jackson has to offer. These days, I don’t think that’s necessarily So whether you’re an artist, or sometrue. Creative incubators and co-working one who just wants to celebrate it, take spaces are popping up everywhere, and this issue, flip through it, absorb the inforthere seems to be no shortage of art-cenmation and celebrate the city we live in. tered events, from Third Thursdays at the Assistant Editor Amber Helsel enjoys Mississippi Museum of Art to Fondren’s First Thursday (see page 19 for more in- music, art, food and food-related art. She can school you in a round of obscure “Harry formation on its return in March). Potter” trivia any day of the week, except Local businesses like Deep South Pops, Cups Espresso Café, Sneaky Beans Tuesday. She begrudgingly does CrossFit and many others try to stamp out the high- (though not all that begrudgingly). Email her your story ideas at editor@ brow stigma that has surrounded art galleries by allowing artists of all kinds and boomjackson.com. 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-

March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine

IMANI KHAYYAM

Assistant Editor Micah Smith

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// by Amber Helsel

boomjackson.com

contributors

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Maya Miller

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

Zachary Oren Smith

Freelance 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.

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Benjamin Hollingsworth

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

LaTonya Miller

LaTonya 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. Work. Live. Play. Prosper.

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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

IMANI KHAYYAM

& Gallery1

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// story and photos by Imani Khayyam

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JXN // jump

In the High Heaven // by Zachary Oren Smith

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IMANI KHAYYAM

fter a few years spent working in finance in Nashville, Ryan Spencer decided he wanted to do something more entrepreneurial. So he stopped by a site in Nashville where Circus Trix, the largest developer of indoor trampoline parks in the world, was building a trampoline 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 High location in Mississippi, opened. Heaven “I don’t even want to call it a trampoline Trampoline Park park,â€? Spencer, High Heaven’s general manopened on Oct. 31, 2015. ager, says. “We are in the business of fun, not trampolines.â€? For this reason, Circus Trix tailors each of its facilities to the area where it opens. For example, dodgeball is a Spencer has high hopes for High Heaven’s future. favorite here in Jackson, but Spencer says it didn’t work so well at their “Five years down the road, are trampolines going to be the thing? locations in Scotland and Germany. “People would get hit overseas,â€? I don’t know, but whatever people think is fun, that’s what we want to Spencer says, “and would think it was a fight!â€? In a world where video games allow us to leap through the air and provide,â€? he says. High Heaven has activities such as trampolines; a ninja obsneak across buildings, High Heaven provides people with the chance stacle course; a slackline; and more. For more information, to do it themselves. â€œâ€Ś We want people to come here and push their visit highheaven.us. limits in a safe place,â€? Spencer says.

COURTESY JACKSON CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

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

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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. 12

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March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine

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Work. Live. Play. Prosper.

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JXN // 411

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idtown is a Jackson neighborhood that’s on the up-and-up. It has its issues, 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.

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What’s in Midtown? // by Amber Helsel

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March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine

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Spengler’s Corner:

The Center from Which Jackson Grew // by Zachary Oren Smith

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

IMANI KHAYYAM

he Southron, one of Jackson’s first newspapers, ran a story in 1837 that described the city’s early infrastructure: “No buildings whatsoever, except perhaps a solitary frame house of small proportions and dingy aspect.”

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

The truth was that the Old Capitol building—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 permanent houses, but for the most part, Jackson’s growing population had exhausted its infrastructure’s capacity. Enter Joseph Spengler, a German immigrant with a familial tradition in the hospitalWork. Live. Play. Prosper.

Spengler eventually sold the deed to his brother, Hubert Spengler. And so went the better part of 100 years, as the property remained within the family. Since moving his family’s law firm into the location, John Arthur Eaves Jr. has dubbed himself the caretaker of Spengler’s Corner. He says that the growth of the Spengler family can be used to understand the differences 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 90degree 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 fixtures and more ornate façade found on the 107 N. State St. section are the work of Hubert’s son-in-law, Joseph Piazza, a Italian architect. The presence of these two different national architectural styles framed the Spengler Hotel’s clientele. Much of the hotel’s history since its opening has been of the alignment of power. The hotel was one of Jackson’s early unofficial seats of power, peopled by the likes of Jefferson Davis, John A. Quitman and a coterie of Mississippi state legislators. When Gen. William 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 officers’ quarters. During Reconstruction, the property housed representatives of the U.S. government. Since the city was first surveyed in 1822, Spengler Corner has had many incarnations: drug store, law office 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. 15

JXN // mission

A Servant of Mankind // by LaTonya Miller

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COURTESY DAMIEN THADDEUS JONES

In 2014, he co-founded the Houston outh Jackson native Damien Thaddeus teresting to see the back and forth between Justice Coalition in the wake of the Michael Jones, or just Damien Thaddeus as he the members and how what they were doing Brown shooting in Ferguson, Mo. “I wanted really affected the community,� he says. typically goes by, is on a mission. The to capture all the millennial energy,� he says. Jones, 31, also travels the country encoursocially conscious “servant of manThe coalition hosted a townkind,� as he calls himself, is deterhall meeting that more than 600 mined to arm as many young Afripeople attended to push for body can Americans as he can with the cameras and grand-jury reform mindset and resources they need in Texas. “We raised hell at City to succeed in life. Hall and the statehouse to get Jones, who has lived in body cameras,� Jones says. “It Washington, D.C., since March was pretty fun.� 2015, is the equity and justice outNow, he’s settled in Washreach specialist for the Union of ington, D.C., but travels to give Concerned Scientists there. The motivational talks for young group works to build a healthier people, including back in his planet and safer world. Jones is hometown. On Feb. 20, he was tasked with identifying and orgathe keynote speaker at a youth nizing ethnic communities that summit for Butterflies by Grace, suffer from the effects of global Designed by Faith, a Jackson warming and helping them beorganization his mother, Eva come safer and healthier. One Jones, started that helps women way is to ensure they have acwho have experienced domestic cess to solar panels, he says. violence and abuse. After graduating from Piney “I want to use my gifts and Woods School in 2003, Jones my training to invest into Jacksolater received a degree in politiDamien Thaddeus Jones, a Jackson native, is on a mission to nians,� he says. cal science from Texas Southern help young black people—and to stop police violence. Jones says he plans to reUniversity. He became engulfed turn to his home state some day. in politics while attending TSU “My parents (William and Eva from 2011 to 2014 where he inJones) still live in Jackson, so I would prefer, terned in Houston City Hall, volunteered for aging young people to reach their potential. He when I get to that point—raising a family—to President Obama’s re-election campaign and is anxious to give directly back to his homethen worked as a legislative aide to state Sen. town of Jackson and says he wants to speak to have my children close to my parents. Jackgroups of young people here, whether it’s at a son is an ideal place,� he says. Rodney Ellis. “It’s where I was raised, and I turned out But the political seed was planted long school, a church, civic function or anywhere before then. “My dad and I would always else. He says he likes offering his expertise alright.� For more information, visit damien through any means, including keynote adwatch the (Jackson City) Council meetings thaddeus.com. every Tuesday night, and it would just be in- dresses and panel discussions.

16

March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine

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17

JXN // progress

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

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COURTESY WIER BOERNER ALLIN ARCHITECTURE

ight now, driving south on Highway 18 venerable establishment from downtown; the A Hotel Explosion? could almost qualify as a scenic drive. controversy reignited talk about entertainment Two new hotels could be coming to FonFrom Highway 80, you pass by the in the area. The City of Jackson voted to ask the dren, with help from city taxpayers. The Jackson hulking Metrocenter Mall, chain and state of Mississippi to allow 10 downtown bars City Council OK’d a tax-increment-financing 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 historic town of Raymond. A plan under way from the City of Jackson might turn that lazy landscape into a bustling thoroughfare. In January, city officials met with residents along the five-mile section. The public meeting at Metrocenter 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,â€? Stamps said. Even though some 40 percent Wier Boerner Allin Architecture is moving into the Fondren Point building, BOOM Jackson’s of land along the corridor is vaPME PGĂžDFT 5IFZnSF TQSVDJOH JU VQ BOE CVJMEJOH JU PVU ĂžSTU UIPVHI cant, Stamps, whose ward includes the corridor, said residents overwhelmingly said they decidedly would not sup- to remain open late under resort status. White district for Whitney Place and a second nearby port liquor stores of less than 300 square feet, said the restaurant is still deciding whether it hotel announced earlier this year. check-cashing stores, payday-loan centers or would exercise an option to buy the building The TIF would provide $3.1 million for insmall used-car lots. from the state, which now owns it. frastructure upgrades to support the two projJackson economic-development leaders Entergy Mississippi could give downtown ects, which represent a $60-million investment. see Highway 18 with untapped potential be- development another jolt with a new distribuThe projects would include two hotels, totalling cause it has among the highest traffic counts in tion-operations center between Tombigbee and 203 rooms, 87,000 square feet of leasable office the metro area, and it lies completely within city South streets off Jefferson Street. In January, space and 48,000 square feet of retail space. The limits. Development along County Line Road, Entergy Mississippi Chief Executive Officer projects would create 250 construction jobs and by contrast, must be split between Jackson and Haley Fisackerly told the Jackson City Council 100 permanent jobs, officials from the City’s Ridgeland; Stamps said he envisions Highway that the project calls for refurbishing a building economic-development office said. 18 as a future Lakeland Drive, where all the revEntergy owns on South Street. Whitney Place proposes a hotel from deenue generated would go into the City’s coffers. The center will monitor Entergy Mississip- velopers Sunny Desai and Jason Watkins. In Next, the City planning department will start pi’s distribution system, which covers 45 coun- 2014, Desai announced plans for a boutiquedeveloping a master plan for the area. ties in western Mississippi. When complete, 50 style Hampton Inn near the corner of Duling employees will work in the building on a daily Avenue and Old Canton Road, but he later withbasis and up to 100 during a major storm. Fidrew those plans. In addition to Whitney Place, Back from the Brink Jackson-based Eldon Development LLC has Not only did Malcolm White, owner of sackerly said that the $13 million project will be completed in 2017. plans for a boutique hotel called The Fondren, a Hal & Mal’s, back off from threats to move his 18

March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine

boomjackson.com

$20 million, 100-room hotel near State Street and Mitchell Avenue that developers say would create $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 Department’s Precinct 4. The three-story, 7,800-squarefoot 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 commercial 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 additional 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-leasing. Located near University of Mississippi Medical Center on Lakeland Drive, the development is a $30 million, 241-unit luxury apartment building 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 threebedroom. Now, a studio will run $950 per month with three-bedroom units costing up to $2,000.

BOOM’s Old Haunt Is New Again Wier Boerner Allin Architecture, a firm whose work has included popular Jackson establishments 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 Fondren 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 Coliseum, 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 Jackson 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 overall personality of the Fondren community, and we consider purchasing it to be an investment in the neighborhood. It also has the perfect location 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.

Business Revival and Revamp // by Amber Helsel COURTESY BRI LOCHIATTO

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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. Work. Live. Play. Prosper.

he Storied Salvage Company in midtown 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 Strong Ron Chane, Fondren First Thursday’s creative director, posted on Facebook in December 2015 that FFT as people knew it was done; however, 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 return 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. 19

BIZ // change

Teaming Up for Jackson

Keeping the Wheels Turning at UMMC // by Amber Helsel

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COURTESY LAURA JOHNS

our years ago, Ben Allen, the presi- nonprofit organization that has been actively helping lead a change in Smith Park for the dent of Downtown Jackson Partners, visited and looked at statistics last few years. TeamJXN’s second initiative for for cities such as Chattanooga, Ba2016 is a partnership with Jackson Trailton Rouge, Birmingham and Memphis. He blazers. “We are realized that these partnering with successful southern the Jackson Trailcities all had someblazers to see the thing in common: Museum to Marorganizations and ket trail to compleyoung professionals tion,â€? Johns says. in the local commuThe Museum to nity that served as Market trail, which cheerleaders for the is five miles long, area. “Those cities stretches through have seen, since these Belhaven, downorganizations have town and Belhaven formed, a huge posiHeights. tive impact of people In the long investing in the city term, TeamJXN to try to make posihopes to have a tive things happen,â€? storefront where says Laura Johns, Jacksonians and executive director of Laura Johns is the executive visitors can find TeamJXN. “Ben saw director for TeamJXN. out various inforthat as an opportumation about the nity for Downtown city, from maps to Jackson Partners to lists of local restaurants. stem this TeamJXN organization.â€? “We really want to be a resource for The organization understands it can’t solve all the problems in the world at one the community and visitors to see what’s time, so it has key initiatives that it focuses so great about Jackson and what we all love about Jackson,â€? she says. â€œâ€Ś Our overarchon. “We try to look at things that impact the entire community, but specifically Jackson ing goal is to drive positive momentum and and the core downtown area,â€? Johns says. support things that are going to drive posi“Ben always likes to say, ‘No one goes to tive momentum in the city.â€? For more information, visit teamjxn. New Orleans and stays in Metairie.’ We com. Memberships cost $100 for an orwant to make sure that the core is strong.â€? ganization to join, and it costs $25 for Currently, TeamJXN is supporting individuals. BOOM Jackson publisher the renovation of Smith Park downtown in a partnership with Friends of Smith Park, a Todd Stauffer is vice chair of TeamJXN. *RY 3KLO %U\DQW GHFODUHG WKH <HDU RI WKH &UHDWLYH (FRQRP\ LQ 0LVVLVVLSSL ,W ZDV D PRQWK FHOHEUDWLRQ RI WKH FUHDWLYH MREV WKDW KDYH SURSHO WKH VWDWHÂśV HFRQRP\ IRUZDUG $QG ZHÂśYH EHHQ WDONLQJ D ORW ODWHO\ DERXW WKH LGHD RI D FUHDWLYH HFRQRP\ 6R ZKDW H[DFWO\ GRHV LW PHDQ" ,W GRHVQÂśW MXVW UHIHU WR 0LVVLVVLSSLÂśV DUWLVWV DQG FUHDWLYHV

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March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine

FILE PHOTO

// by Adria Walker

UMMC

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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., 601-9824443) / 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, 601-2002000, stdom.com) boomjackson.com

Banking

for the Community // by Zachary Oren Smith COURTESY BRUCE ULRICH/GIL FORD PHOTOGRAPHY

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Johnny Donaldson is BankPlus’ bankingcenter president for Jackson.

hether from signing a receipt or updating information at the doctor’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 cover 34 communities with 60 locations throughout 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 accomplishes this by leaving community outreach to the banking-center presidents, he says. Ulrich points to the ways the bank invests resources into the community in the Jackson metro. Along with helping to sponsor events such as the International Gumbo Fest and Fondren’s First Thursday, BankPlus is the country’s largest Community Development 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-

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)

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 community outreach it provides, BankPlus hopes to continue growing throughout the state.

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Jackson Visual Artist: Wyatt Waters

(tonydavenportimages.com) (enhancedmixture.net)

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21

e n M u n G o s u k i c d a e J Aladdin Mediterranean Grill p 26 Fenian’s Pub p 27 Fusion Japanese & Thai Cuisine p 28 The Green Room p 27 Hal & Mal’s p 26 Johnny T’s Bistro & Bar p 27 The Pig & Pint p 25 Sugar’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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V O T E D IB E S T IB IB Q SMALL PLATES Fried Boudin Balls … 6.99 Pork Belly Corn Dogs … 7.99 Pimento Cheese … 6.99 Chips & Queso ... 6.99 Sausage & Cheese Plate … 8.99 P&P DISCO FRIES

IB E S T O F J A C K S O N 2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 6 MEMPHIS STYLE SMOKED WINGS 6pc ... 6.99 / 12pc ... 10.99

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

‘QUE PLATES Choice of 2 sides: Collard Greens / Fries / Smoked Tomato Cole Slaw / Potato Salad / Pasta Salad Baked Beans / Pork Rinds / Side Salad / Fried Green Tomatoes

NACHOS

Award Winning Pepsi-Cola Glazed Baby Back Ribs Half-Slab … 14.99 Full Slab … 25.99 Pulled Pork Plate … 11.99 Brisket Plate … 14.99 1/2 Smoked Chicken Plate … 13.99 ‘Que Sampler Platter … 22.99

Cheddar Cheese / Smokehouse Beans / Pickled Onions / Pico de Gallo Mississippi “Sweet” BBQ Sauce / Sour Cream

Pitmaster Sampler ... 29.99

French Fries / Queso / Smokehouse Beans / Pickled Onions / Pico de Gallo Jalapenos / Mississippi “Sweet” BBQ Sauce / Sour Cream

Pulled Pork Nachos … 10.49 Smoked Chicken Nachos … 10.49 Brisket Nachos … 11.49

Pulled Pork Nachos … 9.49 Smoked Chicken Nachos … 9.49 Brisket Nachos … 10.49

TACOS Pulled Pork BBQ Tacos (2)…7.49 Smoked Chicken BBQ Tacos (2) … 7.49 Brisket BBQ Tacos (2) … 8.49 Fried Green Tomato Tacos (2) ... 7.99 BBQ Taco Sampler (3) … 10.49 IB U R G E R S & S A N D W I C H E S Choice of 1 side: Collard Greens / Fries / Smoked Tomato Cole Slaw / Potato Salad / Pasta Salad Baked Beans / Pork Rinds / Side Salad / Fried Green Tomatoes

BBQ Pork Sandwich … 8.99 BBQ Chicken Sandwich … 8.99 BBQ Brisket Sandwich ... 9.99 The P&P Reuben ... 9.99 Fried Bologna Sandwich ... 8.99 Fried Green Tomato BLT … 8.99 Smoked Chicken Salad Sandwich … 8.99 The Bacon Melt …10.99 Boudin Burger …10.99 SALADS BLT Salad … 8.99 House Salad ... 5.99 Smoked Chicken Caesar ... 9.99

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Pulled Pork / Brisket / ¼ Chicken

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

Grand Champion Sampler for 2 ... 49.99

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

PIGLET PLATES (Served w/ Fries & Soda, Lemonade or Iced Tea)

Kid’s Burger ... 6.99 / Kid’s Chicken Tenders ... 6.99 Kid’s Corndog ... 6.99 SIDES Collard Greens / Fries / Smoked Tomato Cole Slaw Potato Salad / Pasta Salad / Watermelon Smokehouse Beans / Pork Rinds Fried Green Tomatoes / Side Salad ... 2.49 DESSERTS Bananas Foster Pudding … 3.99 World Famous “Parker House” White Chocolate & Cranberry Bread Pudding … 3.99 Milk & Chocolate Chip Cookies ... 2.99 TAKEOUT ONLY (Takeout Only... No Substitutions...)

The P&P 6 Pack ... 50.99 The P&P 12 Pack ... 94.99 The P&P BBQ Pork Taco Pack ... 49.99 The P&P Baby Back Rib Pack ... 64.99 The P&P Pulled Pork BBQ Nacho Pack ... 69.99

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2.95 5.49 3.75 4.49 4.49 4.49 4.49 7.59 7.99 7.59 8.59

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

Appetizers

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Desserts

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3.99 4.99 5.49 5.49 6.49 5.49 5.99 6.49 4.79 4.99 5.49

1.95 1.95 1.95 1.65 3.69

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

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March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine

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March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine

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29

BITES // growler

The Bulldog has 62 beers on tap. IMANI KHAYYAM

Barking Mad at The Bulldog // by Amber Helsel

elements that worked in the other places, such as the pub feel. However, Alexander says, because Jackson is a different market—with different 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 flavors, such as hot chocolate and cinnamon, and which liquors are sold most often in Jackson. Also, while the two New Orleans locations are bar-service only, which means they have smaller food menus, Jackson has a fullservice 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 dishes such as flatbreads and entrees like the Thaiglazed tuna steak. Just as the Louisiana locations have access to products from brewers that Jackson doesn’t, such as Saint Arnold Brewing Company, 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 training 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 fill them with. The BullIMANI KHAYYAM

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pub is a place for drinking and games, socializing and pontificating, and Jackson 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 outside, with its earth-toned exterior and ornate gold sign. Most of the furniture and fixtures 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 arcade area with games such as pinball and “Mortal 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

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

dog also does beer flights, which are a series of smaller beer samples. Last winter, for instance, the bar did a New Belgium Brewing Co. flight 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 Saturday 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 Friday and Saturday. After the kitchen closes, The Bulldog offers a limited menu. For more information, visit bulldog-jackson.draftfreak.com.

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

30

March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine

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Coolest Workspaces

Coalesce // by Amber Helsel

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pengler’s Corner is the oldest building with continual 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 paper-goods shop Thimblepress, but soon, it will also house Coalesce. Coalesce is a business that lawyer Matthew McLaughlin and his wife, Shannon McLaughlin, of consulting business 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 Work. Live. Play. Prosper.

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 Wonder Lab, North Midtown Arts Center, Creative Loft Space and The Hub in Midtown. A creative incubator typically gives artists and creative-centered businesses resources including 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 companies. In 2006, the National Business Incubation Association reported that tech incubators made up 39 percent of business incubators. 33

Creative Incubators, Co-working Spaces and the Creative Economy // by Maya Miller

34

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

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 IMANI KHAYYAM

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ain splatters against the glass in photographer 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 perfect 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, Vietnam 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, occupying 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,

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a lens, documenting the history of places such as the Mississippi Delta and Southeast Asia. She’s also dabbled in mixedmedia 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 Dreamers Incubators 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

March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine

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 extension of himself. He owns multiple businesses in Fondren and New York City, such as Swell-oPhonic, 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 moving the Studio Chane screenprinting shop to the former location of Mulberry Dreams. Chane says he designed the lab to be as open as possible, giving artists space to grow. “It’s a good thing that there’s starting to be more artists and more space,� Chane says. boomjackson.com

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

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 IMANI KHAYYAM

“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 tenants, 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 experiments 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 synergy 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 working 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 building with two adjacent warehouses. From the street, it looks like a remnant of Jackson’s thriving 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 designer Will Brooks of JellyDonut Studio. Lewis came across the space when he was searching for a space to park the catering truck for Campbell’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

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

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 Collaborating Deep in midtown, which those who live there often refer to as North End, there are a number of creative incubators. Around the corner, 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-

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 artists 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 PRUH ,1&8%$7256 VHH S

Work. Live. Play. Prosper.

35

IMANI KHAYYAM

IMANI KHAYYAM

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Kamilah Grim Occupation: Clothing designer Incubator: The Hangar

Will Brooks

Occupation: Graphic Designer Incubator: The Mill Will Brooks, owner of JellyDonut Studio, says that working in an incubator allows for complete creative freedom. Brooks creates vinyl decals, custom buttons, prints, digital work and other graphic design work. He is influenced by pop culture and says many of his pieces are illustration-based. Brooks began doing freelance graphic design after graduating from Antonelli College in Jackson with an associate’s degree 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 always 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 incubators) is it’s a network.�

craft. He has a variety of tools to enhance his clients’ 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 deejay,� 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 illus36

After being laid off from her job at Siemens as a project coordinator in 2015, Kansas City, Mo., native Kamilah Grim decided to shift her focus to her clothing business, 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 traditional 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 themselves to have a space that’s their own,� she says.

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 ShambĂŠ Jones. “Everybody feeds off of everybody,â€? 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.â€? Having worked the arts circuit since the ’80s and ’90s, both Jett and Nichols are experienced in the creative movement happening in Jackson. For the two of them, the key to creating art is to make something organic that represents 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 startup businesses going. As an attorney, he’s worked with brand consulting, investing and

March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine

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 completely different. With a rustic brick, dark wood and modern glass design, Mantle will have varioussized 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 receive 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 someone’s head,� Lomax says. “Anyone who can do work with a computer can find a home here.� Downtown, right on the corner of Capitol boomjackson.com

IMANI KHAYYAM

IMANI KHAYYAM

Charles Washington Occupation: Photographer Incubator: 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 professional 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.”

IMANI KHAYYAM

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

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 ThimWork. Live. Play. Prosper.

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, technology 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 downtown Jackson—and soon Coalesce will be ready for the next wave of graphic designers, programmers and architects, placing them at a walkable distance from the Capitol, Smith Park and museums. 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

Sadie Allen Occupation: Media Marketing Incubator: North Midtown Arts Center What began as a hobby in college has become a career for Mercedes “Sadie” Allen, owner of Sadie Daily Media. Allen, a 2013 Mississippi State University graduate 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 company that offers photography and videography for events. She’s held multiple pop-ups around Midtown and the Mill with photobooths 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.

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,” McLaughlin 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 individuals don’t cross paths or have a collision point. We want to create that collision.” See workspace photos at boomjackson.com. 37

DO-GOODERS LQàXHQFH TAYLOR HOLLINGSWORTH

(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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oticing a lack of opportunities for Jackson’s creative youth to foster their artistic growth, local artists (and cousins) Myesha Wallace and Astin J. Sullivan 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 create 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.” 38

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 artists. “We genuinely feel that opening avenues of artistic self-expression will not only develop teamwork and confidence, but can improve concentration 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 beyond to act as mentors in various fields. In the past, locals such as Phillip Rollins, Roderick Red and Justin Ransburg have served as mentors.

March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine

Eventually, the duo wants to have at least six artists, each working with their own mentor every spring semester. Sullivan and Wallace are currently raising money to continue the program. The organization also hosts a series of workshops called “Art Is Work,” a sort of core curriculum 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 searching for a space for Inspire Jackson, though Sullivan says they want to stay close to midtown. For more information, find Inspire Jackson on Facebook. boomjackson.com

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39

ARTS // vision

Celebrating

Mississippi Art // by Julie Skipper

F

about nine years and art galleries in general for about 20 years, nurtures 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 Patterson, who left to pursue his photography full time, to opening an art brokerage and representing artists. She says that her business blossomed for one reason: “I always just loved local artists and was friends with them.� This year, Fischer Galleries 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 expansion 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 exhibition 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 indicative of her classic style. It’s a Morton, Miss., resident Doyle Gertjejansen is one of the featured artists in Fischer Galleries this year. still life of lemons arranged in a simple glass bowl sitting on top of a patterned fabric. That series, also in black and white, conveys a sense of humor and enjoy- 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, 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 brushwork and use of light and shadow. Another Mississippi painter’s work shows in March, when she bends over to work in a field, totally engaged in what she’s doing. Charles Carraway, a contemporary painter who chairs Jackson State 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 PRUH ),6&+(5 VHH S ischer Galleries began the year with the Art Lovers’ Soiree at the Dickie’s Space on Feb. 4. The event was a collaborative effort between several arts organizations, companies and individual artists. During the event, the Loft space showcased paintings from Baxter 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.

COURTESY FISCHER GALLERIES

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March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine

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ARTS // capture ),6&+(5 IURP S

University’s art department, will hang beside Thomas Frontini’s pieces. The two artists’ work complement each other in that both create images in a surreal 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 feeling of a “presence.� This year’s COURTESY FISCHER GALLERIES

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

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March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine

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 imagined tree, again against a barren 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 figure is present. In that way, Frontini’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 landscapes in an Impressionistic style comprised of lots of small brushstrokes. In May, the galleries’ Loft warehouse space will host large-scale abstract mixed-media paintings from Doyle Gertjejansen. Gertjejansen 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 connection 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, enthusiastically 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 nonrepresentational. As the spring lineup indicates, Nessel, like her clients, remains fiercely loyal to Mississippi 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. President St. on the fourth floor; Fischer Galleries at 119 is open by appointment at 119 S. President St. Find the businesses online at fischergalleries.com or on Facebook, or call 601.291.9115.

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Got a Business or Business Idea? Get Professional Advice. John B. Dongieux is an attorney, a practicing CPA, and a former IRS Field Agent providing legal, CPA, and Tax services. Our Practice Areas include: corporate formations (LLCs, S Corps and C Corps) and corporate reporting, tax planning and preparation, estate planning, wills and trusts.

Work. Live. Play. Prosper.

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MELODIES // like calling the cows

J

Open to Opera // by Micah Smith IMANI KHAYYAM

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

Music Toolbox // by Micah Smith

L

ike 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.

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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 offer CD duplication and mastering sources. Even if Tunecore isn’t for you, similar services such as CD Baby are worth a look.

March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine

ackson-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, highbrow 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 going 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 graduating from Northwest Rankin High School in 2001. He attended Mississippi 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 “Gianni 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.

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, letting 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. boomjackson.com

IMANI KHAYYAM

BEST OF JACKSON ™ // watch PARTAY

Bringing the (Uptown) Funk IMANI KHAYYAM

// by BOOM Staff

IMANI KHAYYAM

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

MITCH DAVIIS

Broad Street Baking Company provided king-cake treats.

Doctor Strange, aka Todd Stauffer

Attendees show up and show out during the costume contest.

I

f 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 Revolution’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.

Work. Live. Play. Prosper.

AMBER HELSEL

DONNA LADD

AMBER HELSEL

Cathead Distillery served cocktails.

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Events // vibe

<0A27

3

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.

5

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 network of black-owned businesses in the metro area. Vendor booths and advertisers welcome. Free; call 601.543.9600; expo.jacksonblackpages.com.

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“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.

10

Houndmouth March 10, 8 p.m. The alternative 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 jordan@ardenland.net; dulinghall.com.

5 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 %FMUB 4UBUF 6OJWFSTJUZ 8 4VOĂ&#x; PXFS 3PBE 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.

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 info@halsstpaddysparade.com; halsstpaddysparade.com.

22

Millsaps Arts & Lecture Series: The Early Andean Ceramic Collection in the Mississippi Museum of Art March 22, 7 p.m., at Millsaps College, Ford Academic 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; millsaps.edu/conted.

18

8 CeeLo 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 jane@halandmals.com.

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12

“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.

19

Opening of “Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape Americaâ€? 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 USBWFMJOH FYIJCJU UIBU PGĂž DJBMMZ opens March 19 and hangs through April 30. Free; call 601.982.8264; msfame.com.

March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine

26

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.� Registration 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 EVENTS@BOOMJACKSON.COM

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FILE PHOTO/ TRIP BURNS; GRAMMY MUSEUMÂŽ MISSISSIPPI; FLICKR/ANNAINAUSTIN; FLICKR/TAKAHIRO KYONO; DUSDIN CONDREN; COURTESY MS SPORTS HALL OF FAME; VISIT MISSISSIPPI; FLICKR/FLARE

9

Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters March 9, 7:30 p.m., at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.). English singer-songwriter 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.

Bringing The Community Together: Promoting Racial Harmony and Facilitating Understanding

Monthly Discussion Luncheons Second 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 Circles Ongoing for adults and youth, see website Jackson 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 Ball Saturday, April 23, 2016 The Friendship Ball honors two individuals, Dr. Hollis Watkins and Dr. Dan Jones, who have made a difference 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.

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Work. Live. Play. Prosper.

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Events // celebrate

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1

“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.

1

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.

14

21

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 info@mscmg.net; mscmg.net.

22

“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 info@lemuriabooks.com; lemuriabooks.com.

15

Crossroads Film Festival April 1-3, at Malco Grandview Cinema (221 Grandview Blvd., Madison). &OKPZ EP[FOT PG JOEFQFOEFOU ĂžMNT XPSLTIPQT BOE parties during at the three-day event. Discounts for members, students and seniors. Admission TBA; DBMM FNBJM JOGP!DSPTTSPBETĂžMNGFTUJWBM DPN DSPTTSPBETĂžMNGFTUJWBM DPN

1 4

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 jordan@ardenland.net; ardenland.net.

16

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 $PSQPSBUF 0GĂžDF (248 E. Capitol St.). Participants rappel down the side of the TUPSZ 5SVTUNBSL $PSQPSBUF 0GĂžDF CVJMEJOH 1SPDFFET CFOFĂžU 'SJFOET PG $IJMESFOnT Hospital. Registration required. Space limited. Minimum $1,000 fundraising requirement (includes $25 reservation fee); call 601.899.9696; email edgers@overtheedgewithfriends.com; overtheedgewithfriends.com.

23

“Carmen� April 23, 7:30 p.m., at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.). The Mississippi Opera presents the Georges Bizet production about a gypsy temptress. Local choirs and dancers from Ballet Mississippi also perform. $60; call 601.960.2300; msopera.org.

29

“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.

POST YOUR OWN EVENTS OR SEND INFO TO EVENTS@BOOMJACKSON.COM

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March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine

boomjackson.com

FLICKR/SPENCER WRIGHT; FLICKR/NATALIE MAYNOR; CLAY HARDWICK; FLICKR/LIBRARY OF CONGRESS; FILE PHOTO/TRIP BURNS; COURTESY ROLSTON QUARTET; FLICKR/ JOHN S. AND JAMES L. KNIGHT FOUNDATION

12

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.

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.

2016 Best of Jackson Winner Thanks for voting us Best Place for Unique Gifts! 152 Grants Ferry Rd. Brandon, MS 39047 601-992-9925 1896 Main St. Madison, MS 39110 601-853-8911 Open Monday-Friday: 10am - 5:30pm Open Saturday 10am-4pm www.appleanniesgiftshop.com

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0 1

MY LOCAL LIST

Clay k c i w Hard

5 4 6

3

7 2

8

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1. Midtown With 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.

50

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) 5IJT JT B NVMUJ VTF TQBDF GPS ĂžMN 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, BOE CFBDIFT JUnT EFĂžOJUFMZ NZ recreational area of choice.

March - April 2016 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine

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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. boomjackson.com

RIP BURNS/FILE PHOTO; FILE PHOTO / TRIP BURNS; IMANI KHAYYAM; IMANI KHAYYAM; IMANI KHAYYAM; COURTESY ART SUPPLY HEADQUARTERS; COURTESY RUSSELL C. DAVIS PLANETARIUM; IMANI KHAYYAM; FILE PHOTO/ TRIP BURNS; COURTESY KOINONIA COFFEE HOUSE; IMANI KHAYYAM

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