Christmas Ornaments Twinkle in Oxford

By: CaCera Richmond

Oxford, Miss. – It’s back! After a year’s hiatus, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council is gearing up to host their annual Holiday Party and Ornament Auction. The auction features individually created holiday ornaments by recognized artists. Over 60 ornaments have already been sent out. But don’t worry; it is not too late for you to join in on the fun.

“This is a signature event for the arts council and artists asked for it to return,” says YAC Director Wayne Andrews. “We have been working to reach out and invite artist from Oxford and Lafayette County to be involved. A committee of people have been contacting artist over the past month but with so many talented artist we hope we have not missed anyone”. If you are a Mississippi artist and want to design an ornament there is still time. Just call the arts council. They have blank ornaments ready for you to pick up – or are happy to accept one you designed.

The Holiday Party and Ornament Auction one of the events the Arts Council uses to say thank you to the over 500 members and donors who support the various arts programs supported by the council. The event will feature a food tasting by several local restaurants including Andy’s Steak House, City Grocery, and Nagoya along with an assortment of beverages and live music. Doors open Friday night, December 12, 2009, at six. It is free to members of the Arts Council. Not a member? Not a problem, membership packages start as low as 20 dollars. Get into the holiday spirit by bidding on one of kind ornaments while enjoying the warmth and excitement at this holiday event that supports the Arts Council.

The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council is a non-profit organization that is committed to bringing diverse and extraordinary artistic and cultural opportunities to the community and artist of the region. It strives to provide arts programs that enrich the community, provide access to a diverse range of programs, and supports the artists and arts programs in the community. This year alone, the Arts Council has presented over 300 days of arts programming in the community. Established in 1975, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council is the official arts agency for Lafayette County and the City of Oxford.

To get your ornament or sign up to become a member, call the Arts Council at 662-236-6429 or by email at yacoperatons@gmail.com

Shop for the Perfect Christmas Gift in Your Own Backyard

By: CaCera Richmond

Oxford, Miss – Are you searching for the perfect Christmas gifts or decorations? Come check out the Holiday Arts Market. Featuring 22 artists contributing wood work, paintings, jewelry and more you are guaranteed to find something that will fit any need.

“The fun thing about the Arts Market is that you can shop and be exposed to some great art that capture the Holiday cheer at the same time,” says Yoknapatawpha Arts Council Director Wayne Andrews. “The event is designed to provide local artists with an opportunity to sell their work during the holiday season. The Arts Council and our Co-Sponsor the Oxford Arts Guild are working to provide opportunity for local artist to showcase their talents”

The Holiday Arts Market is co-sponsored by the Oxford Artists guild. It will take place from 9am to 5pm, December 1-7, 2009 inside the Powerhouse Community Arts Center. So don’t waste hours in the mall fighting the holiday rush. Spend an afternoon browsing the selections and enjoying the talents of Oxford citizens.

The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council is a non-profit organization that is committed to bringing diverse and extraordinary artistic and cultural opportunities to the community and artist of the region. It strives to provide arts programs that enrich the community, provide access to a diverse range of programs, and supports the artists and arts programs in the community. This year alone, the Arts Council has presented over 300 days of arts programming in the community. Established in 1975, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council is the official arts agency for Lafayette County and the City of Oxford.

For more information, contact the Arts Council at 662-236-6429 or by email at yacoperatons@gmail.com

Holiday Ornament Auction!! A Tradition returns to the Powerhouse for Christmas '08!

YAC hosts an annual ornament auction. The auction raises money for the arts in Oxford and Lafayette County. This year, the Ornament Auction returns December 12, 2008. We are looking for artists that would like to design an ornament for the auction! The Arts Council provides you with a basic holiday ornament. You get 30 days to do something creative with it!

Fill it with photos of snow. Paint a holiday scene. Make it part of a sculpture!

There are only TWO Rules.....

1. The ornament we supply must be part of the ornament/sculpture you return.
2. It must be completed and returned to the Arts Council by Dec. 1, 2008!

Your payment--other than the glory of having created the most original ornament--tickets to the holiday party to hear people fight over your artwork!!

For more information contact the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council at P.O. Box 544 Oxford, MS 38655 or Phone 662-236-6429.

Reserve an ornament before they are all claimed!!

Holiday Arts Market!! Christmmasss!

The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council will host a Holiday Arts Market at the Powerhouse Community Arts Center. The Holiday Arts Market is co-sponsored by the Oxford Artists Guild and will feature booths inside The Powerhouse featuring artworks and hand created gifts for the holidays. The Holiday Arts Market will coincide with Theatre Oxford's holiday play. Booths are 6' x 6' spaces and do not need to be manned each day. Each participant will volunteer 2-4 shifts over the course of the arts market so a central sales table will be staffed to assist buyers of all artists work. Due to limited spaces only 22 booths will be available.

International Songwriting Competition!!

Maggie Brown

P.R. Intern

Email: mebrown4@olemiss.edu

Attention all artists! The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has extended its submission deadline until December 1, 2008. ISC will continue to take online, mail-in, and MySpace entries until this date. All entries must be postmarked or uploaded online on or before December 1, 2008. So, if you have not already entered ISC and wish to do so, you still have time to enter. ISC has 20 different categories to enter your music into, the most prestigious judges for any songwritng competition and gives away over $150,000 in cash and merchandise!

The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council seeks to sponsor an Oxford Artist for this event. The Arts Council will pay the submission fee for YOUR song!! So please please take this opportunity to submit your work! To have your submission sponsored by the Arts Council complete an application for the contest and provide a recording that the Arts Council may submit on your behalf. For more information contact the Arts Council at 662-236-6429.

Each year ISC is privileged to assemble an outstanding judging panel, and the 2008 competition is no exception. Tom Waits, Darryl McDaniels (Run D.M.C.), Ray Davies (The Kinks), Loretta Lynn, and Jerry Lee Lewis, among others, have all signed on as ISC judges; the panel consists of highly respected recording artists and some of the most influential executives in the music industry. See below for a complete list of judges.

New this year is a Music Video category, and ISC has included the following prestigious industry executives as judges: Amy Doyle (Sr. VP of Music and Talent at MTV) and Rick Krim (Executive VP of Talent and Programming for VH1).

ISC accepts original songs from musicians, artists, groups, and songwriters at every level from amateur to professional. Go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com to enter songs via mail or online.

The complete list of 2008 ISC judges include:

Recording Artists
Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20); Chaka Khan; Tom Waits; KT Tunstall; Robert Smith (The Cure); Ricky Martin; Loretta Lynn; Neil Finn (Crowded House); Buckcherry; James Cotton; Jerry Lee Lewis; Craig Morgan; Ray Davies (The Kinks); McCoy Tyner; T-Pain; Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC); Mario; Pittbull;Michael W. Smith; Chris Hillman (The Byrds); John Scofield; Black Francis (The Pixies); Youssou N'Dour; John Mayall; DJ Tiësto; Paul Van Dyk; Jon Secada; Natalie Grant; Jeremy Camp; Matt Thiessen (Relient K); Angelique Kidjo; Sandra Bernhard; "Weird Al" Yankovic; and David Brenner

Music Industry Executives
Monte Lipman (President, Universal Records); Nick Burgess (Head of A&R, Virgin Records UK); Angel Carrasco (Sr. VP of A&R, Latin America Sony BMG and President, Discos 605); Cameron Strang (President, New West Records); John Echevarria (President, Universal Music Latino); Rick Krim (Executive VP Talent and Programming, VH1); Amy Doyle (Sr. VP of Music and Talent, MTV); Kim Buie (VP of A&R, Lost Highway); Jon Pikus (Director of A&R, MySpace Records); Mitchell Cohen (VP of A&R, Verve Music Group); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Dan Storper (President, Putumayo World Music); Rene Bell (Executive VP A&R, Sony BMG Nashville); Peter Strickland (Senior VP, Jack Records/Warner Bros.); Steve Lillywhite (Producer - credits include U2, The Rolling Stones, Morrissey, Peter Gabriel, and more); Douglas C. Cohn (Sr. VP, Music Marketing & Talent, Nickelodeon); Cory Robbins (Founder/President, Robbins Entertainment); Betty Pino (DJ, WAMR Miami); Paul Majors (CEO/Founder Majors Music); Leib Ostrow (CEO, Music for Little People); and Dr. Demento (Radio Host of The Dr. Demento Show)

You may enter your songs into which ever category(s) you wish, and the complete list for this year includes: Pop/Top 40, AAA (Adult Album Alternative), Rock, R&B/Hip-Hop, Country, Americana, Gospel/Christian, Blues, Folk/Singer-Songwriter, Jazz, Latin Music, Instrumental, Dance/Electronica, Comedy/Novelty, World Music, Children's Music, Lyrics Only, Teen, Performance, and Music Video.

For more information, please go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com

CONTACT YOKNAPATAWPHA ARTS COUNCIL @ 662-236-6429

YAC Plans New Fundraising Event

Media Contact: Maggie Brown, Public Relations Intern

Tel: 662-236-6429 (W); 601-807-4697 (Cell)

E-mail:  mebrown4@olemiss.edu

Yoknapatawpha Arts Council plans new fundraising event

Oxford, Miss.-- Sponsorship opportunities abound as The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council (YAC) brings a brand new fundraising event to the Oxford area. The event will not only showcase local art, but give everyone the chance to let out the artist in themselves--all while wearing blue jeans! Now is the perfect time to become a sponsor for the newest fundraising event in the arts community. 

“We are planning this event in the hopes that it will be a fun, down-to-earth fundraiser that people will want to return to year after year. It’s really an alternative to the stuffy atmosphere of formal gala-style fundraisers,” says executive art director Wayne Andrews. “It’s going to be a wonderfully unique celebration of local artists.” 

The event, designated ‘The 1st Annual T-shirt and Blue Jean Ball,’ will offer blank t-shirts as canvases for attendees to paint and decorate and turn into wearable art. Local artists will be showcasing their own creatively designed t-shirts and a few will be on-site painting and designing t-shirts for purchase. All proceeds will funnel back into the local arts community. The event date is currently TBA, but the fundraiser will take place at the historic Powerhouse in downtown Oxford, MS.

The 1st Annual T-shirt and Blue Jean Ball is the perfect event for sponsors to gain exposure, both local and regional, to a wide array of enthusiastic individuals. As a sponsor, this one-of-a-kind event will offer you the chance to expose your product in an eclectic and vibrant atmosphere where hundreds of local art enthusiasts will be looking to casually enjoy themselves to the fullest while they sample your product.

The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization functioning as the official arts advocate for Oxford and Lafayette County. Since 1995, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council (YAC) remains committed to an extraordinary and diverse offering of artistic and cultural opportunities for its members and constituents. The Arts Council is headquartered at the Powerhouse, a 2,800 sq.ft exhibition hall that hosts more than 300 artistic events of all types throughout the year.

For more information on sponsoring the 1st Annual Blue Jean Ball or information regarding future YAC events, please call 662-236-6429.  

Arts Council Launches Book Project

Please contact CaCera Richmond
Project Coordinator
601-212-7506
lrichmon@olemiss.edu

October 1, 2008

Celebrities and 6th graders Write Book Together

A star like Parker Posey and a 6th grader are writing a book together? It is the hope of Yoknapatawhpa Arts Council (YAC) and the Lafayette County & Oxford Public Library in their new project to raise awareness about the literature & literacy. Celebrities, students, and citizens of Oxford, MS are being invited to become authors when they participate in Southern Sketches, a project hosted by the Arts Council. Participants will receive a page of a book containing a beginning and ending sentence. They will then fill in details of the story and autograph the bottom of their page. The pages will be combined to form a book whose story is about a fledgling author who is obsessed with the hope of finding the missing manuscript of William Faulkner’s last novel.

“We hope that by giving children the opportunity to write with celebrities it will encourage them to become readers and learn about the rich literary heritage of the region,” states YAC director Wayne Andrews. A study highlighted that the biggest challenge in fighting illiteracy is when young children come from a home where people don’t read and reading materials from are not in the house. The celebrity connection in this project is designed to get the family interested in the children’s desire to read transforming the family into readers.

The Arts Council has started asking a diverse range of celebrities to complete a page of the story. “We are asking authors, actors, civic leaders, and musicians.” shared project coordinator CaCera Richmond. “ The idea has generated a lot of interest especially from small publishers located in the Southern United States.” The project calls for duplicate pages to be distributed so that several versions of the book will be created and auctioned off to support the Arts Council and Lafayette County & Oxford Public Library. The book is designed to contain twenty five pages offering a point of view of Oxford, MS from various backgrounds, ages, and status. Most important, the council hopes it gives the children of Oxford the chance to be apart of a once in a lifetime opportunity that will start a lasting habit of reading.

Established in 1975, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council is the official arts agency for Lafayette County and the City of Oxford. The YAC is a non-profit organization that is committed to bringing diverse and extraordinary artistic and cultural opportunities to the community and artist of the region. The arts council’s partner in the project The Lafayette County & Oxford Public Library serves the community with it’s extensive book collection in addition to adult and children’s programs.

To learn more about the project or to find out how you can submit a page contact the Arts council at 662-236-6429 or by email at yacoperations@gmail.com

Media Contact: CaCera Richmond
Tel: (601) 212-7506 (cell)
E-mail: crichmond2009@gmail.com


Spice up Your Winter Favorites

Oxford, Miss. – The winter season and the South are synonymous for one thing, comfort food. Who doesn’t love snuggling up on the couch with a big bowl of chili or your favorite chocolate concoction while watching television or entertaining friends? While we may not see one drop of snow or pull out our winter clothes until after the New Year, all Southerners love the thought of a nice fire and good food.

What many of us do not realize is that many of our favorite Southern dishes have been around for years. Some Southern food dishes have survived for hundreds of years through civil wars, great depressions, and many health food revolutions. Even more important, Southern comfort food over the years has begun to include adaptations from many neighboring cultures such as Mexican, Creole, and French.

So how should you add some spice to your favorite winter dishes? Maybe add some cayenne pepper or celery and cumin seeds to your flavorless bowl of chili. Or instead of just shrimp in your seafood gumbo, add oysters and crabmeat, bacon grease and Worcestershire sauce. For the veggie lovers, try Creole Butter Beans by adding crushed tomatoes, bell peppers, and chopped celery.
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And while no winter season is complete without a heap of mouth-watering desserts, make chocolate dishes the center of your meal by whipping up delicacies such as Kahlúa Mocha Parfait Pie, Raspberry Brownies, or Pecan Squares.

For the local entertainer who wants to try to spice up their favorite winter comfort foods, Square Table, a collection of recipes from Oxford residents and business owners, preserves the dishes we are used to while infusing them with other cultures. All of these recipes and many others can be found in this publication that won the 2006 National Tabasco Community Cookbook award.

Square Tables is a publication of the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, the hub of everything artistic in Oxford. The arts council, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, has worked everyday since 1995 to enrich and empower the lives of the town’s citizens through the arts. Over the years, the arts council has hosted art camps to introduce students the significance of art, elevated regional artists into nationally recognized artists, and provided resources to the community to enhance the role of art in everyday lives.

To purchase a copy of Square Table, please visit the online store at http://www.oxfordarts.com or contact the arts council at 662-236-6429.

Southern Cookbook with History

NEWS RELEASE

Media Contact: Maggie Brown, Public Relations Intern

Tel: 662-236-6429 (W)

E-mail: mebrown4@olemiss.edu

Art Council cookbook reflects Southern tradition

Oxford, Miss.-- Nothing defines the image of the South quite like food. For as long as there has even been a ‘South,’ food has been the most distinct aspect of the region. Sharing food and drink with family and friends is a lasting tradition in the South and is the ultimate reflection of Southern hospitality. For generations, the foods of the South have provided nourishment and bonding for even the largest of families, especially around holidays. 

Whether it be a memory of a 4th of July barbeque, or a Thanksgiving dinner at grandma’s house, Southern meals have a way of leaving a lasting impression. The recipes for all great Southern meals are often compiled into community cookbooks that are passed down from generation to generation. In today’s world, cookbooks help maintain a Southerner’s sense of identity. 

In Oxford, MS, the love for all things Southern is unmatched. With restaurants dating back to the 1800’s, Oxford is one town where food is undeniably part of its history, past and present. The variety of Southern delicacies spans across any of the many restaurants located in Oxford’s historic downtown area, known to locals as ‘The Square.’  Oxonians, like all Southerners, prize their generations-old recipes. So it’s no surprise that when the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council began compiling a fundraising cookbook, local  Southerners jumped at the chance to become involved. The cookbook, titled Square Table, has continued to celebrate the culture and history of Southern food since its release in 2005. Compiled from over 200 artists, cooks and authors, Square Table not only offers mouth-watering recipes like Brown Sugar Pound Cake and Caramel Cobbler, but also serves as an ode to all things Southern. Sales for Square Table have even gone beyond just the South and have been gradually expanding to other states. Square Table has introduced the taste of the south to numerous food lovers across the nation as the perfect ‘go-to’ cookbook for Christmas meals, Thanksgiving feasts,  and all the celebrations in-between. Winner of the 2006 National Tabasco Community Cookbook Award, Square Table continues to be a best-selling cookbook beloved throughout Southern kitchens.

Square Table is a fundraising publication created by the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council.  The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization functioning as the official arts advocate for Oxford and Lafayette County. Since 1995, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council (YAC) remains committed to an extraordinary and diverse offering of artistic and cultural opportunities for its members and constituents. The Arts Council is headquartered at the Powerhouse, a 2,800 sq. ft. exhibition hall that hosts more than 300 artistic events of all types throughout the year.

To purchase a copy of Square Table, please visit our online store at www.oxfordarts.com or contact us at 662-236-6429.

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