The Grizzlies take on the division-leading San Antonio Spurs at FedExForum Monday. For the latest in Griz action, see Beyond the Arc, the Flyer‘s Griz blog.
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Month: March 2013
Chris Davis previews the Orpheum’s upcoming season.
- JB
- Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey
The video of this candid exchange between Capitol Hill reporters and the man who is arguably calling most of the shots in Tennessee state government begins as Ramsey is explaining why he seems to be rushing to get through the current session — something that isolated (and intrepid) members of his own Republican Party have dared to complain about.
The video ends as Ramsey is explaining why it really isn’t necessary for Tennessee voters to vote on nominating candidates for the U.S. Senate — an idea which may shortly find itself on the way to being state law.
In between, Ramsey….Well, see and hear for yourself. This installment is no longer than a TV sitcom, and, unlike, say, The Big Bang Theory, this one features you as the main character. You really need to know what he’s got planned for you. Get your popcorn, kiddies….
This Is Your State Government: Ron Ramsey Speaks His Mind to Reporters from Jackson Baker on Vimeo.
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Happy Easter!
Have a great Easter Sunday! And if you’re looking for a place to have a nice brunch or dinner, check out the Flyer’s online dining listings.
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The KKK Has a Washout in Memphis
A cold rain, massive law enforcement presence, and a malfunctioning bullhorn put a damper on a Ku Klux Klan rally of about 75 people protesting the renaming of Civil War parks including the one named for Nathan Bedford Forrest Saturday.
The group arrived in two city buses and gathered in front of the Shelby County Courthouse. They were enclosed by a chain-link fence and a line of uniformed police officers and sheriff’s deputies. There was no room to march, and members were not allowed to stand on the upper steps of the courthouse, so they crowded together on the sidewalk and lower steps.
Nearby streets were blocked off as they are during a presidential visit. Members of the media were corralled behind yellow tape across the street, and a group of protesters were similarly separated at the other end of the street, out of earshot of the Klan group. There was no interaction, and other than periodic shouts of “white power” it was nearly impossible to tell what the Klan speakers were saying. One sheriff’s assistant chief said the group did not have batteries for their bullhorn.
The law enforcement response was overwhelming, starting hours before the rally, which began about 2:30 p.m. There were hundreds of officers in riot gear, scores of vehicles, canine units, horse-mounted units, TACT units, armored vehicles, motorcycles, fire trucks, mobile command posts, and enough firepower to repel, or at least mount a fair challenge, to General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Virginia.
The purpose of the rally, such as it was, was hard to discern. A single sympathizer, a woman, carried a sign that said “Save Our Parks.” There were about a dozen Klansmen in robes and hoods — a wise fashion choice in light of the rain — but no masks were allowed. Some of the men wore dark glasses or camouflage hats. About a dozen of them carried flags of the USA, the Klan, and a neo-Nazi group. The speeches began about an hour after the scheduled 1:30 start time. Speakers took turns, but other than the white power chant and some vague denunciations of the “corrupt mayor and city council” it was hard for the assembled media to hear what anyone said.
After the first few speakers finished, several members of the group were smiling and taking photographs of one another, as were the assembled cops. The Klansmen and their friends shut down after less than two hours and boarded the two buses that took them back to the parking lot of The Pyramid.
What a way to spend a Saturday.
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Grizzlies Beat Rockets
Behind a strong performance from a recently slumping Zach Randolph and great defense from Tony Allen, the Grizzlies beat the division rival Houston Rockets at FedExForum Friday night. Chris Herrington was on the scene.
- LARRY KUZNIEWSKI
- Zach Randolph recovered from his recent slump with a now-rare 20-10 night as the Grizzlies beat the Rockets.
The Lead: The Grizzlies got a bounce-back game from Zach Randolph — 21 and 12 and strong to the glass on both ends — and a solid performance from all of the starters plus sixth-man Jerryd Bayless — everyone doing what they can and should do well — to lead the Rockets buzzer to buzzer.
After a tight early stretch in which the Rockets’ high-octane offense was breaking through the Grizzlies perimeter defense and routinely finding open three-point shooters, the Grizzlies defense settled in, allowing the team to build a nice lead in the late second (up 8 at the half) and into the third quarter (a high of 17 about eight minutes into the third).
A mismatch of bench units in the second half kept the Grizzlies from pulling away, with a feisty Rockets group using five Grizzlies turnovers in a roughly three-minute span to peel off a 10-2 run that cut the Grizzlies lead back to single digits and prompted Lionel Hollins to come back earlier than desired with his starters.
With the starters back, the Grizzlies used tighter defense and back-to-back Mike Conley steals to regain control of the game.
Overall, it was a return to the balance and execution that has typified the Grizzlies at their best this season, with the team’s top six players all taking between nine and 12 field-goal attempts and all scoring in double digits. But the Grizzlies achieved this balance in the context of exploiting their interior game, with both Randolph (6-12 from the floor and 9-10 from the line) and Marc Gasol (21 points on 8-12 shooting) topping 20 points for only the third time this season.
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Mixed Messages
Dwayne Butcher says artists Brantley Elzey and Ian Lemmonds offer works where the medium is the message.
One of the many unforeseen and fortunate conversations that have occurred as a result of the “Present Tense” exhibition at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens is the value of art. The educational and aesthetic value it has within our community and the actual monetary value and market trends of visual art (mostly traditional and conservative) in Memphis. This is a much-needed conversation. It is important, not only for artists, to understand this value of art, but it is just as important, or more, that patrons and visitors of museums and galleries understand it.
This is not the responsibility of the artist; at least, it should not have to be. There should be more of an educational component to the programming of museums and galleries. I do not mean only educating the public on their current exhibitions with informative didactics, but to educate them on the importance of exhibiting non-traditional, non-commercial work.
And what better way to start with the educating of a public than with a “Super Epic Memphis Unicorn Magical Exhibition Show.” The exhibition will open Monday, April 1, 2013 5:30pm to 8:00pm at Marshall Arts Gallery 639 Marshall Ave. (Yes, this is a real exhibition and not an April’s Fool joke — though that would be absolutely awesome!) According to the press release this exhibition “is a gathering of Memphis’ top artistic talent, doing work inspired by one of the greatest things America and Jesus ever created: Unicorns.” This opening of an epic Unicorn exhibition is really a celebration of the opening for the third season of the Wrong Again Gallery located at 648 Marshall Ave. The door of the gallery will be wed to a Unicorn in honor of The Art Guys, The Menil Collection, and everyone and every institution that may have made a mistake. The private ceremony will take place at 5:30pm and be Skyped to Marshall Arts during the magical Unicorn exhibition. If you ever wanted to see a Unicorn marry a door of an alternative exhibition space, now is your chance.
Not only is the education of the viewing public important, but, as previously mentioned, so is the educating of our future artists. I do not mean the education they are supposedly getting in the classrooms of area colleges and universities, but the education they receive out in the “real world.” The best way to understand the inner workings of this world is to enter contests and face the fear of possible rejection. Rejection happens in the art world. All day everyday. This is the first thing new visual art graduates must understand and they must not be bothered by it. One such exhibition opens tonight at The PLA(I)N(E) Gallery.
The PLA(I)N(E) Gallery at the University of Memphis is a student-run exhibition space in the basement of the Art and Communication Building located at 3715 Central Ave (the old Law School Building). Opening tonight 5:00pm to 7:30pm is selected works from graduate and undergraduate students from The University of Memphis, Memphis College of Art, and Christian Brothers University. The independent juror for this exhibition is David Lusk from the David Lusk Gallery. There are special awards for the artists that will be given out at 6:00pm. The show runs through April 12, 2013.
So, grab a friend, go out see some art and learn something.