The “Landshaping” exhibit pairs ancient history and geology with contemporary photography. (Photo: Courtesy Pink Palace)
Did you know that Memphis and the Mid-Southern region of the U.S. was once covered by a prehistoric ocean? That’s how the term “Black Belt Prairie” originated. If you are curious to learn more then the “Landshaping: The Origins of Black Belt Prairie” exhibit at the Pink Palace Museum & Mansion will teach you all about the Black Belt Prairie phenomenon and much more.
So, what is the best and easiest way to describe the Black Belt Prairie? “The Black Belt Prairie is a geographic location on the map,” says Raka Nandi, the Pink Palace’s director of exhibits and collections. “And it’s an area of a country where the soil is very, very rich. The soil is rich because of a geologic phenomenon that happened about 75 million years ago [which] is called the Mississippi Embayment. And what happened millions of years ago, there was actually an inland sea.”
“Landshaping” will display fossils from the marine life that existed in these inland waters, plus photographs taken by Memphis photographer Houston Cofield. Cofield has taken images of farms, prairies, and individuals to help audiences visualize the beauty and the impact of the Black Belt Prairie on the South.
“In the exhibition, we juxtaposed these ancient fossils [and] farm tools that were used in the past to till the soil with these beautiful photographs taken by Houston,” says Nandi. “So it’s a real sort of narrowing of art with science if I can put it that way.”
The exhibition is open to the public through October 12th, so you have some time to check it out before it leaves. It’s also worth mentioning that the exhibit is included if you purchase a general admission ticket. For more information about the new exhibition and where to purchase tickets, visit moshmemphis.com/landshaping-the-origins-of-the-black-belt-prairie.
“Landshaping: The Origins of the Black Belt Prairie,” Pink Palace Museum & Mansion, through October 12.
Roast battle at last year’s Good Vibes Comedy Festival. (Photo: Courtesy Nathan Jackson)
Has life been so stressful lately that you haven’t had the time to do activities that you enjoy doing? Whether that’s watching your favorite movie or hanging out with your closest friends, it’s clear that it’s been way too long since you have had real fun. It’s okay, relax. Your one-stop destination for live entertainment has arrived because the Good Vibes Comedy Festival is back to make sure their attendees leave grinning ear to ear with their mouths sore from nonstop laughing.
Hosted by John Miller and Nathan Jackson, and sponsored by several local businesses like Hi Tone Cafe and Charlie Vergo’s Rendezvous, the Good Vibes Comedy Festival will feature several comedians that will be headlining this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. “So we have Carlos Hernandez. He’s from Miami. [Then we have] Erica Nicole Clark. [Next] is Joshua Black; he was voted one of Nashville’s best stand-up comics last year, I believe. And our local headliner is a young man named Wild Beale,” says Miller.
Black will be headlining Friday night, Clark and Hernandez will be there Saturday night, and last but not least, Wild Beale will be representing the Bluff City on Sunday night. In total, there will be 14 shows across three days with more than 40 comedians performing.
Those who are up-and-coming comedians or improv artists can apply to be featured as a headliner for next year’s festival. “Next year, anyone can submit. All [you] have to do is send a video to the submission form, fill out the application, pay the fee, and we’ll be watching your video,” says Miller. “And the selection process is by committee. So it’s me, [Nathan Jackson], and a few other people [who] will vote.”
The Good Vibes Comedy Festival will be held at the Hi Tone Cafe and tickets are on sale now. To find out more about this event and where to purchase tickets, go here.
Hi Tone Cafe, 282-284 North Cleveland Street, Friday-Sunday, April 18-20, 6 p.m., $20/single show, $35/all-day pass, $80/three-day pass.
Returning for the third time at the Pink Palace Museum & Mansion, the Black Arts and Wine Festival, hosted by Cynthia Daniels & Co., aims to provide guests with a unique, upscale experience that honors Black culture. “It’s truly important to celebrate Black culture. I noticed during the pandemic [that] there was this emergence of a lot of Black-owned brands coming out with their own wines and spirits,” says Cynthia Daniels, event strategist and organizer of the Black Arts and Wine Festival. “So, I thought, why not put all of those things together for people to truly experience something they [have] never seen before in Memphis?”
Guests will be able to sample over 20 different Black-owned wines produced by various celebrities like rapper E-40, R&B singer Mary J. Blige, and actress Issa Rae, known for her role on Insecure. There will also be a few bottles of wine available from the winery, Brown Estate, the first Black-owned winery in Napa Valley. Plus, local chefs will serve different styles of cuisines. “We have Shroomlicious who is a vegan chef. [Then] we have CDT Catering and More. And we [have] Jerk on the Run,” says Daniels.
“We have vendors that are traveling from Atlanta, Nashville, and local people in Memphis that will be selling handmade goods,” adds Daniels. And there will be artwork for sale from over 30 local Memphis artists. Tickets for the festival are on sale now for $50. The Black Arts and Wine Festival, will be this Sunday, April 13th, from 2 to 6 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit cdcoevents.ticketleap.com/bawf25.
Learn how to attract native pollinators like this tawny emperor butterfly in your own garden. (Photo: Courtesy Overton Park Conservancy)
Ever dream of waking up to a beautiful garden full of roses and peonies every morning, but you just don’t have a green thumb? Or do you want to be more sustainable in your gardening practices? Well, the Overton Park Conservancy can help with its Pollinator Paradise workshop this Saturday.
The workshop is designed to help beginner gardeners learn more about the art of gardening and how to properly care for their plants. Importantly, this event stresses the need for native plants to be cultivated to help preserve our native wildlife and pollinators, instead of using generic plants that are often sold at many stores. “Eighty percent of food in this country is dependent upon pollination,” says Mary Wilder, former Overton Park Conservancy board member and Master Gardener. “We could starve to death if you didn’t have a bee, a butterfly, a beetle, or a bat because the plants wouldn’t get pollinated. They wouldn’t be able to make their fruit or grow up to be whatever plant they’re supposed to be.
“If we can educate folks to garden more naturally with the locally sourced plants, then we are helping in the long run the whole bigger [eco]system. So that’s part of why it’s significant,” Wilder adds.
And if you are unsure about where to purchase your domestic plants or which plants will survive in Memphis weather, there will be plants for sale to help give you a head start on improving your garden. If you are interested in attending, the workshop will be held this Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and it is pay-what-you-can, with a recommended donation of $5. To register, visit overtonpark.org/event/workshop-pollinator-paradise.
Happy Gardening!
Pollinator Paradise: Cultivating a Wildlife-Friendly Backyard, Abe Goodman Golf Clubhouse, 2080 Poplar Ave., Saturday, April 5, 10:30-11:30 a.m., $5/recommended donation.
Growing up, Alannah Williams watched her younger brother Joshua struggle with many food allergies that prevented him from eating certain foods her family and friends enjoyed. This devastated her — having to constantly watch her brother being left out.
Now, Alannah has her very own business, Dance Like a Cupcake, which provides her customers with sweet treats, including her popular gourmet cookies, that don’t contain eggs, dairy, sesame oil, or nuts for those with food sensitivities — or those who are living a healthier lifestyle.
And she’s doing it all at the age of 18.
Alannah comes from a military family, and for a while they lived in Seoul, South Korea. In Korea, they make most of their food with sesame and peanut oil, two of her brother’s allergens. So, at 10, she was determined to bake something allergen-free, and that is how Dance Like a Cupcake originated overseas. Once her family moved back to the States, specifically to Memphis, she revived her business.
Though Joshua is the biggest motivation behind Alannah’s business, its quirky and catchy name was inspired by her childhood friend. “I started when I was 10 and one of my friends came to an event that I was selling at. She had food allergies, too. She asked for a cupcake, and I gave her one. She was so happy because it didn’t have any allergens that she started dancing,” Alannah says. “So, anytime anyone eats my dessert, I tell them to dance like a cupcake because of how good it tastes.”
Alannah’s bakery has been in business since 2016, but she faced a few hardships in the beginning. “I think the biggest [challenge] would be my age because people don’t take me seriously, or they didn’t take me seriously when I started,” says Alannah. “And the second [challenge] would be the stigma around vegan desserts. They think it doesn’t taste as good or it’s too healthy.”
She did not let the criticism stop her because Dance Like a Cupcake has made a huge impact in her customers’ lives — especially those who have food allergies. “Just listening to her story about her little brother, I think that there’s definitely a population of individuals who would like to enjoy those type of sweets, but not have to worry about this type of ingredient that [they] can’t eat,” says Brian Ford, a loyal Dance Like a Cupcake customer who lives in Colorado. “My wife and daughter have food allergies, so that’s another thing that kind of drew me to her because they can’t eat certain things with different ingredients in them.”
Most of Alannah’s customers see her business as not only providing people with healthier treats, but also educating and making more individuals aware of people who have food sensitivities. “When businesses like this come and bring things to the table that we aren’t used to, we should embrace that. We should embrace the information, the knowledge that businesses like Alannah’s have because they are willing to share,” says Jasmen Richmond, a Dance Like a Cupcake customer and nutrition educator. “Not only is she selling a product, but she’s also giving back and supporting the growth of our community.”
For young bakers, ages 8 to 22, wanting to learn how to master vegan desserts, Alannah even offers an internship program. “It’s really [about] being creative, helping out Dance Like a Cupcake, and getting to know other people in the community,” says Alannah.
Right now, Alannah does not have a physical location, so she sells her desserts at events and several restaurants around Memphis, like City Silo and Cxffeeblack. And she ships her gourmet cookies nationwide through her website (dancelikeacupcake.org). She plans to branch out soon.
Alannah’s most supportive customer is, of course, her brother Joshua, the one who inspired it all. “I really like the fact that my older sister created a business in my image, thinking about me and my allergies. And about all the other kids around the world who can’t really eat desserts like me,” says Joshua.
His favorite cookie, he says, “has to be oatmeal raisin. I love the oatmeal raisin cookie, especially with the glaze on it.”
Are you wanting to do something fun and interesting with your kids next week? Take them to Storyfest. A one-night event, Storyfest features live performances from young voices around the city of Memphis, giving audiences a peek into the lives of talented students.
Hosted by the Orpheum Theatre and in partnership with Middle College High School, students were selected from their theater class at Middle College High to participate in Storyfest. It is meant to give students, who haven’t had the opportunity before, to talk freely and share their stories in a safe space. “We wanted to create an event where anyone and everyone could have the ownership of their own story and be able to share it with the world,” says Jennifer McGrath, the Orpheum’s vice president of education, community engagement, and Halloran Centre programming.
Audiences are urged to not be quick to judge but to hone in on listening. “We can learn from [these students]. We can know what it feels like to process what they’re going through. We can understand something about them that maybe we didn’t understand before. Everybody that’s listening can learn and be able to exist in a more communal way with them,” McGrath states.
It is also worth mentioning that even though the Orpheum is known for its Broadway acts, they also provide many activities for young people to attend and participate in other than Storyfest. “We have a camp for young people who have experienced the death of one or both of their parents, and we have a camp for kids who stutter. And we do community engagement workshops. It’s important to communicate that, so that people know we want this to be a space for them,” McGrath adds.
Storyfest is Wednesday, February 26th, at 7 p.m., but doors will open at 6 p.m. so audiences are encouraged to arrive early to participate in the pre-show activities. For more information about Storyfest and to RSVP to receive a free parking pass, visit orpheum-memphis.com/events/storyfest.
Charles McKinney
at a previous Black History Symposium (Photo: Courtesy Jennifer Sharp)
Black History Month, as we all know, is a month dedicated to celebrating Black culture, the history of Black people, and the willingness one must have to learn more about it. Black History Month is coming to an end soon and what better way to close out the month than by attending the final installment of the Black History Symposium Series?
The symposium, hosted by the Hattiloo Theatre, is intended to give people in the Memphis community the space to talk, share their experiences, and learn something new by discussing the struggles Black individuals have faced through storytelling. “The only way that a person can relay a thought is by telling stories. They tell a story of experience. They tell a story of a book that they read. They tell a story of a class that they took or a conference they attended,” says Ekundayo Bandele, executive director and founder of Hattiloo Theatre. “And so one of the things that we’re doing is looking at more ways of storytelling, and not just storytelling but culturally relevant storytelling.”
Bandele encourages anyone to come and let their voice be heard: to offer solutions, listen and ask questions, and think critically about the current situations that are affecting Black communities around the country. “There has to be a response, and a response isn’t necessarily the symposium itself. The response is from people to see that they are part of a community, for individuals to ask themselves questions that they may not have otherwise considered on their own,” says Bandele.
So far, two of the three symposia have already passed, having been led by keynote speakers Charles McKinney, associate professor of history at Rhodes College, and Charity Clay, visiting assistant professor of African-American history at Rhodes College. The final one will be this Saturday, February 22nd, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with president of the National Civil Rights Museum Russ Wigginton delivering the keynote address. There will be plenty of opportunity for discourse, and there will also be light refreshments available and two 15-minute breaks before the closing segment.
Amy Dobbins, founder of Mint Cream Market (Photo: Courtesy Amy Dobbins)
Are you wondering how you’re going to spend Valentine’s Day? Perhaps you will go out to eat with your significant other or a love interest and be showered with chocolate-covered strawberries or a teddy bear. Or maybe you don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day at all. Either way, you are guaranteed to fall head over heels for the Galentine x Valentine and the Love Will Tear Us Apart pop-up events hosted by Mint Cream Market.
The Black- and woman-owned pop-up market hosts monthly events in Memphis and Nashville, and both of the aforementioned events will give guests the opportunity to enjoy live performances, gain new experiences, and support small businesses. “Mint Cream Market is where I bring in vendors like crafters, artists, collectors, vendor stores, so people can set up a booth in the market. So, it’s a collaboration,” says Amy Dobbins, the market’s founder.
The Galentine x Valentine pop-up will feature live performances from women musicians and DJs, as well as women-owned vendors. The event will be held at the Ghost River Brewery Co. from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday, and anyone 18 years and older is welcome to attend.
Photo: Courtesy Amy Dobbins
If you are more of a lover, or even a heartbreaker, then the Love Will Tear Us Apart pop-up event is just for you. “We will have a well-known Goth DJ in Memphis, DJ Plastic Citizen,” says Dobbins. “He does industrial cold wave. We will also have a rocker DJ, Amy D — which is me. I’ll be spinning love songs. So, you got me spinning the love songs, the sweet stuff, and we got DJ Plastic Citizen spinning dark wave.”
And if that’s not satisfying enough, there will be lots of merchandise that fits with the lover and heartbreaker theme of the event. The Love Will Tear Us Apart pop-up will be this Sunday at Memphis Made Brewing Co. from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The Chinese lunar calendar attributes each year to an animal. This year’s is the wood snake, representing wisdom, renewal, and a time for transformation. And the Memphis Lunar New Year Fair is occurring jusssst in time for those ringing in the Lunar New Year.
Hosted by the Greater Memphis United Chinese Association and sponsored by the popular Chinese restaurant, Dim Sum King, the fair was created to give participants and their families a day full of fun festivities. “We want all the Memphis community to really get a feel of Lunar New Year because Lunar New Year is not just about the lunar calendar; it’s also about other traditions — the food, culture, and the people, like family getting together and interacting with each other,” says Effie Du, co-chair of the Memphis Lunar New Year Fair.
This event was also intended to help people understand more about Asian culture. “It’s all about the people and the diversity, and seeing the culture and getting a feel of the Asian culture. That’s what we want to bring. It’s not just one thing. It’s a whole package of Lunar New Year, and the diversity and culture that comes with it,” says Du. If you plan on attending, be prepared to be amazed by many cultural performances, such as martial arts demonstrations and the dragon dance, which is a traditional dance said to bless the new year with good fortune and to ward off bad spirits. And feel free to indulge in a variety of Asian-inspired dishes from local food vendors, mahjong lessons, hands-on experience practicing calligraphy, and so much more.
The Memphis Lunar New Year Fair will only be here this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. with a general admission fee of $15 and free admission for children 10 years old and under. To learn more information about the upcoming fair and where to purchase tickets, visit memphislunarnewyear.com.
Collage Dance celebrates Black History Month. (Photo: Tre’bor R. Jones | courtesy of Collage Dance)
Are you looking for a celebratory way to kick off Black History Month? Well, here’s one way you can start the month off right. Collage Dance’s ballet performances of Their Eyes Were Watching God and Rise were originated with one thing in mind: to honor Black culture and to spotlight pivotal moments the Black community endured in the past.
“I wanted to create works, or ballets, about our community. Because in this art form, classical ballet, there really are hardly any stories about us,” says Kevin Thomas, artistic director at Collage Dance, co-choreographer with Amy Hall Garner of Their Eyes Were Watching God, and choreographer of Rise. Based on Zora Neale Hurston’s 1937 novel of the same name, Their Eyes Were Watching God follows the timeless story of Janie Crawford’s life and her journey of self-discovery that many fans love, incorporating it into ballet. Thomas says, “This is the first time a story by Zora Neale Hurston has been turned into an actual ballet and a ballet about our history.”
Rise, on the other hand, is Collage Dance’s decade-old ballet that portrays the era surrounding Martin Luther King Jr.’s final speech before his assassination, evoking what Black people have overcome and the uncertainty about what lies ahead for them. If you have seen Rise before, expect a few changes as dancers will now be wearing period-inspired costumes instead of the classic abstract attire that they have previously worn. “This was inspired by Abeo Brown, who’s our wardrobe designer, and she came up with this look. She was actually inspired by a picture of the balcony scene of Martin Luther King. There’s a little girl on that balcony and that’s where the inspiration came from. Abeo was honoring that little girl there,” says Thomas. King’s final speech will be presented live during the performance and voiced by the award-winning voice actor known for portraying Pua in The Lion Guard, Gerald C. Rivers.
The production, which also features the dance Trilogy, runs from January 31st through February 2nd, and tickets are on sale now. For more information regarding all three ballet performances and where to purchase tickets, visit collagedance.org/rise/.
Their Eyes Were Watching God and Rise, Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, Friday, January 31, 11 a.m. (Student Matinee) | Saturday, February 2, 2:30 p.m. | Sunday, February 3, 2:30 p.m., $22-$62.
