Book Club Meets

June 18 at

McConico Library

The June Book Club selection is Harper Lee's beloved classic, "To Kill a Mockingbird." Come join the group for a lively discussion and light snacks every 3rd Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM.

We are proud to announce that the Jack McConico Library in Selmer has agreed to host all future club meetings in their conference room just off the main entrance. The Library is located at 225 Oak Grove Rd, in Selmer, between McNairy Regional Hospital and Home Banking Company. Special Thanks to librarian Norma Humpheries for her hospitality and help with promoting the AiM Book Club.

The June gathering will be important since the group will be discussing the summer and fall reading list. Please attend to give you input. There is no charge for participating in the club. Anyone is welcome to attend. Contact Literary Arts Chair, Leanne Emmons at (731) 646-3851 for further details.

Starmites Are Coming

This Weekend!

The 2008-09 Arts in McNairy theatre season will conclude with three performances of the Broadway musical Starmites June 19-21. Friday (6/19) and Saturday (6/20) evening performances are scheduled for 7:30 PM and a Sunday (6/21) matinee is scheduled for 2:00 PM. All performances will be at the McNairy Central High School Little Theatre and tickets will be available at the door for $5.00 (student) and $8.00 (adult).

Starmites was nominated for six Tony Awards when it first debuted on Broadway in 1989 and has since become a favorite of community theatre and performing arts groups. The show has an all local cast of about 30 young performers. It is part musical sci-fi adventure, part love story, part superhero drama and all fun. It tells the story of the shy teenager Eleanor who withdraws into the fantasy world of her science fiction comic books only to be drawn into an epic battle with the fate of the earth hanging in the balance. Is it real or all in Eleanor's imagination? You will have to stay till the climactic, “mind bending” conclusion to discover the answer.

Starmites is adapted from a book by Stuart Ross and Barry Keating and is being produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. New York, NY. Music and lyrics are by Barry Keating with vocal arrangements by Dianne Adams. Special thanks to Selmer artist Molly Weatherford for visual adaptations of Starmites. Local performances are under the direction of Jared A. Walters and the show is appropriate for all ages. Don’t miss it!

The Rockabilly Highway Revival is Coming - Schedule Announced!

The paint is almost dry, the last few touches are being added and the party is about to begin! Nashville Artist Brian Tull’s spectacular Rockabilly Highway Mural will be unveiled and dedicated Saturday, June 13, 2009 as the Rockabilly Revival comes to downtown Selmer, TN. Festivities begin at 8:00 AM with a 5K Rockabilly Run and continue throughout the day with mural dedication ceremonies, live Rockabilly music, period car cruise-in, food vendors, carnival, arts and antique shopping and much, much, more. A complete schedule is listed below.

Nashville Rockabilly bands, Jakehead and Phil Hummer and the White Falcons are scheduled to perform afternoon sets and as a special treat, the music will conclude with a performance by legendary Sun Records artists, W.S. “Fluke” Holland and Carl Mann. Holland was the drummer for all of Carl Perkins’ Sun Records releases including Blue Suede Shoes; played on the Million Dollar Quartet session and toured and recorded with Johnny Cash for more than thirty years. Carl Mann recorded the chart topping Rockabilly hit, “Mona Lisa,” for Sun in 1959. Both men are native West Tennesseans.

For more information contact the McNairy County Chamber of Commerce at (731) 645-6360 or follow the mural's progress on Facebook and MySpace by searching, "Rockabilly Highway Mural" and "Rockabilly Highway Revival."

Rockabilly Highway Revival
Saturday June 13, 2009
Schedule of Events

7:00-8:00 5K registration at courthouse
8:00-10:00 Streets closed/5K Rockabilly Run
9:00-11:00 Car cruise-in (pictures and placement)
10:00-11:00 Stores/vendors open

11:00-12:00 Sound check
12:00 Mural dedication/recognition of guests
12:30-1:30 Music – Jakehead with Lane Kiefling
1:30-2:00 Special announcements/auctions etc.
2:00-3:00 Music - Phil Hummer & the White Falcons
3:00-3:30 Cruise-in awards announcement
3:30-4:30 Music - W.S. Holland Band with Carl Mann
4:30-5:00 Music - Rockabilly Highway Revival Jam

From Mural to Revival

What started as a public art project has become a full fledged revival in McNairy County Tennessee. What exactly is being revived? Interest in the county's musical heritage for one thing; community enthusiasm for the whole Rockabilly Highway project for another.

As Brian Tull put the first vibrant brush strokes of red and yellow on the wall at the corner of Court and 2nd Avenue, in downtown Selmer, the buzz started. As the eye-catching images began to pop off of the plain white wall it sparked the imagination of the entire community. People everywhere were talking about what was going on in Selmer. A steady stream of traffic filed by to sneak a peak. They haven't been disappointed!

As the three primary partners in the mural project, Arts in McNairy, The McNairy County Chamber of Commerce and the Selmer Business Alliance began to make plans for the mural's dedication ceremonies a number of ideas for a bigger and better event soon emerged. A 5K Rockabilly Run, an antique car cruise-in, food vendors, a carnival and live music are all in the works. Nashville Rockabilly artists Jakehead and Phil Hummer and the White Falcons as well as legendary Sun recording artists, W.S. Holland and Carl Mann are all scheduled to perform. That's how you go from a mural to a revival!

Mark your calendars now for Saturday June 13, 2009! A full list of the days events will be posted on this blog next week.

Author Returns to
Downtown Books
in Corinth

Jimmy Carl Harris will read from and sign his most recent book, Wounds That Bind, at Downtown Books on Thursday, May 28th, 4-7 PM. Downtown Books is located at 515 Franklin Street, Corinth, MS (662) 284-2665

Harris was at Downtown Books with his first book, Walking Wounded, in 2006. About this second collection of prizewinning short stories, Mark Powell (Prodigals, Blood Kin) said: “Jimmy Carl writes with a stunning tenderness about those life has deemed out of bounds: old soldiers who have lost fingers but not hope; old women alone and misunderstood, living off memories and cigarettes. Wounds That Bind is a fierce, gut-wrenching collection, but always beneath the hard edges one senses deep love and understanding for the men and women life has not always treated gently." Harris lives to write in Birmingham but is regularly featured at book events in Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, and elsewhere. His books were published by Iris Press and are widely available.

A retired US Marine Corps Sergeant Major, Harris received his doctorate from the University of Alabama and taught at Southeastern Louisiana University. Currently, he teaches writing workshops throughout the Southeast. He says, “There are good stories. There are safe stories. There are no good safe stories. I try to live up to that credo in my writing and I encourage my students to do the same.”

Learn more about Harris at his website: www.jimmycarlharris.com

Starmites Auditions
April 27 & 28


Director Jared Walters has announced audition and production dates for the final show of the Arts in McNairy theatre season. It is an AiM tradition to conclude each season with a Musical and this year will be no exception. Three performances of Starmites are scheduled for June 19-21 at MCHS Little Theatre.

Starmites first debuted on Broadway in April 1989 earning six Tony Award nominations including the coveted nod for Best Musical. It is a musical comedy with a mostly youth and young adult cast that takes the audience on a campy romp across the universe and back incorporating a variety of musical styles along the way. It tells the story of the shy teenager Eleanor who withdraws into the fantasy world of her science fiction comic books only to be drawn into an epic battle with the fate of the earth hanging in the balance. Is it real or all in Eleanor's imagination? You will have to stay till the climactic, mind bending conclusion to discover the answer.

The production calls for a large group including cast members, backstage crew and musicians. Auditions are being held 6:00 PM, Monday April 27 & Tuesday April 28 at the Selmer Community Center. Those auditioning for roles in the cast should be prepared to read, sing and practice basic dance steps in a group setting. Call backs will be on May 1 or 2. Weekend auditions for college aged students may also be arranged on the call back dates if necessary. Contact director Jared Walters for more details.

The Starmite Youth Orchestra consists of piano, keyboard, guitar, bass guitar and drums. Musical auditions will be held April 28 at 6:00 PM at the Selmer Middle School Band Hall. Musicians should bring their own instruments (except for piano and drums) and be prepared to review the musical score and informally play some of the charts with the music director.

Everyone is encouraged to attend auditions regardless of theatre experience. Come out and join the fun with Starmites!

Spring Artisan Trail

Maps Now Available!

1) Point and click on the map images. 2) Print. 3) Enter the addresses in your GPS or with map in hand, hit the road for the AiM Artisan Trail spring tour of studios. Just as easy as that, you will be on your way to visit some of the finest craft artisans in Southwest Tennessee for this highly anticipated biannual event. This year's tour offers something for everyone and a few new suprises. Both new and return visitors to the trail will find plenty to keep them occupied this Saturday between 10:00 and 5:00. Don't miss it!

State Representative Dennis

Honors Heritage and Culture

State Representative Vance Dennis was, quite literally, sweeping through McNairy County last week. County officials and Arts in McNairy board members presented a handmade broom to the district 71 representative at a Thursday gathering in Selmer. The broom will be displayed at his Nashville office.

Why a broom? Mr. Dennis has expressed a desire to do something more than just decorate his new office in the usual fashion. “Lots of people from across the state and country come to my office at the Capitol throughout the year,” he said, “and I intend to use this aspect of my position to promote the benefits of our community to the greatest extent possible."

In talking with county Mayor , Jai Templeton, the Representative mentioned that he was aware of McNairy County ’s recent focus on our region’s rich heritage and culture. The mayor in turn contacted Arts in McNairy members who are dedicated to the preservation and promotion of folk art and heritage craft traditions in Southwest Tennessee . Something from Hockaday Handmade Brooms seemed like the perfect fit since owner, Jack Martin, is a fourth generation McNairy County broom maker and local organizer of the annual Broomcorn Festival. He has been featured in national magazines, made numerous television appearances and even has a broom in the Smithsonian.

On receiving the broom the representative noted, "I am honored to have the opportunity to display part of the cultural heritage of our community in our State Capitol. I look forward to displaying many examples of the significant cultural, historical, commercial, and industrial aspects of our community that make this area a wonderful place to live, work, and visit.” Mr. Dennis’ wife Ashley noted the broom was a particularly appropriate choice since her great grandfather, like Mr. Martin’s, was a broom maker by trade.

The Dennis’ also said they plan to continue adding to the Representatives collection of handmade, McNairy County, items by attending the AiM Artisan Trail Spring Tour on March 21. The event features some of Southwest Tennessee ’s finest working artisans opening their studios between 10:00-5:00 for tours and demonstrations. Updated maps will be available on this blog by Saturday March 14.

Photo: McNairy County Mayor, Jai Templeton; Arts in McNairy Past President, Peggy Daniel; Representative Vance Dennis; Arts in McNairy Board Member, Barbara Tennyson; Ashley Dennis.

Anne of Green Gables
March 13-15

A cast of more than 30 local young people will bring Anne of Green Gables to the stage for three public performances, March 13 through March 15 at McNairy Central High School's Little Theatre. Friday and Saturday show times are scheduled for 7:30 PM and a Sunday matinee will be presented at 2:00 PM. Two morning shows are also being performed exclusively for McNairy County school children. Those interested in bringing groups to these performances should contact Joanna Pitts at 731-645-3850 for reservations and more details.

The show is a dramatic adaptation of the classic children's novel that is, coincidentally, being celebrated for it's 100th year of publication in 2009. It tells the story of the plucky, Anne Shirley who is mistakenly sent by an orphanage to live at Green Gables with the Cuthbert family to fill the role of farmhand. The family's initial shock gives way to the development of warm relationships with the irrepressible Anne but not without many adventure and misadventures along the way.

Those included in the cast are:

Young Anne Shirley - Ryleigh Hilliard

Florence Remsen - Cortney McDaniel

Minnie Stern - Andrea Channell

Teenie Williams - Molly Chambers

Mrs. Alexander Spencer - Evelyn Horst

Youth Anne Shirley - Rachel Fagan

Marilla Culberth - Julie Martin

Matthew Culberth - Greg Dickerson

Rachel Lynde - Emily Pitts

Station Master - Payden Donahoe

Alexander Spencer - Zachary Martin

Mrs. Blewitt - Cassie Rogers

Mrs. Mildred Barry - Meghan Woolworth

Young Diana Barry - Molly Woolworth

Youth Diana Barry - Allie Pitts

Minnie Mae Barry - Lily Beth Durbin

Mary Jo - Shelby Fox

Jerry Boute - Ben Pennington

Mr. Phillips - David Cook

Prissy Andrews - Abby Rininger

Miss Stacy - Sadie Mckay

Young Ruby Gillis - Blaire Robinson

Youth Ruby Gillis - Hannah Briggs

Young Josie Gillis - Ana Grace Ashe

Youth Josie Gillis - Jessica Campbell

Young Moody MacPherson - Konnor Davis

Youth Moody MacPherson - Dillon Rorie

Young Charlie Sloane - Casey Reed

Youth Charlie Sloane - Chaseton Donahoe

Young Gilbert Blyth - Bradley Hunt

Youth Gilbert - Brandon Wilson

Young Extra Classmates - Mara Campbell, Michaela Chambers, Casey Collins, Gracen Donahoe, Mikaylin Donahoe, Brianna Wilson

Youth Extra Classmates - Hannah Burcham, Kelsey Mardis, Sarah Rininger

Tickets are available only at the door. Don't miss the shows!

New Art Festival

Coming This Spring

The latest addition to the McNairy County cultural calendar is the Lawton Spring Art Festival. Artists from all over West Tennessee, including many McNairy County favorites, will converge on the Lawton Community Center to welcome spring and share the creative process; both in full bloom! The event is scheduled from 10:00-3:00 on Saturday April 18, 2009.*

High quality painting, pottery, glass, wood carving, metal sculpture and much more will be on display for everyone to purchase and enjoy. Many of the artisans will be on hand to discuss and demonstrate their unique techniques in a fun and friendly atmosphere. The festival will be an educational, fun filled, day for the whole family.

The Lawton community center is located just east of Selmer on Crabtree Road. Exit from Hwy 64 East or Lawton Road and follow the signs. The event is being sponsored by the Lawton Neighborhood Club and lunch will be available on the grounds. All proceeds support future festivals and the Neighborhood Club.

This is a juried art show. Interested artists should be prepared to submit images for panel review. For more information, please contact: Sandee Barton at 731-632-4753 or sandeecb@hotmail.com

*Please note that the latest email edition of Taking AiM incorrectly listed the Lawton Spring Arts Festival on April 16. We are sorry for the confusion.