When Ben Smith, chef/owner of Tsunami, asked Emily LaForce to come cook, she could’ve said, “May LaForce be with you.”
LaForce, 35, who began working at Tsunami in Cooper-Young about two months ago, is also a force of nature. She hasn’t let anything stand in the way of expressing her creativity, whether it’s cooking or painting.
Art was first. She has a picture her mother gave her when she was 3 years old. It’s a “little picture of somebody painting on an easel,” she says. And on it LaForce wrote, “I want to be an ‘ardes.’”
LaForce was about 13 when she began looking at food in a new light. Her mother showed her how to make crème brûlée. “I was like, ‘What is that?’ We grew up with Southern food.” Not long after, LaForce successfully cooked salmon after watching a TV cooking show demonstration.
At 16, LaForce got a job as a dishwasher at New York Pizza Cafe in Bartlett. The owner taught her how to make sauce and dough and how to throw pizzas using a kitchen towel. She later worked at another pizza parlor, but, she says, “This is the only job I was really fired from.
“It was a rainy Sunday. We were bored. One of my managers was like, ‘Do something to make me laugh.’” LaForce made a little sculpture out of dough scraps. “I made it look like Wendy from the Wendy’s restaurant. But then it was R-rated. It involved a sausage and two meatballs.”
She posted a photo of it on Facebook, thinking she shared it on a private group page that included the restaurant’s name. But LaForce accidentally posted it on the restaurant’s corporate page. She was fired from the pizza restaurant and was banned from working at any of the other restaurants in the chain “in America.”
LaForce moved on. She learned how to make hibachi and sushi at the old Rain restaurant. She continued to honing her skills as a student at Bethel University in McKenzie, Tennessee, where she worked at The Grill at school and another pizza parlor. She continued to paint, but her style changed. “I started doing a bunch of acid and it started changing after that.”
“I started doing just whatever people wanted at the time because I needed money. So I would just do commissions and murals. I painted the gas pump at the gas station in McKenzie.”
After graduating with an English degree, LaForce returned to Memphis.
In 2013, she set up a booth with her original paintings and prints at Cooper-Young Festival. Business wasn’t so good until LaForce found a way to get noticed. “This guy dressed as a banana was walking around and handing out condoms to people.” LaForce, who brought a cooler of beer with her, told him, “I’ll give you beer all day long, as much as you want, as long as you stay around my booth.”
“Because he was attracting attention,” she says, “I ended up making double what I was selling it for because of this banana.”
LaForce also worked for a time on two different pot farms. Her job at one was “keeping the goats from eating the weed.”
She got into cooking big time after moving back to Memphis in 2014 working with chef Kelly English when he was at The 5 Spot at Earnestine & Hazel’s. “It was the first time I really got my eyes opened to different kinds of foods, like a real chef.”
There, she met Majestic Grille owners Patrick and Deni Reilly and eventually landed a job at Majestic Grille — another eye-opener. “I knew basic stuff, but I didn’t know the proper way to do things.”
Two years later, LaForce went to chef/owner José Gutierrez’s River Oaks Restaurant. She was there seven years. “I started as a line cook and left as chef de cuisine.”
LaForce and her wife Ashley ate at Tsunami after Smith offered her a job. When he paid for their dinner, Ashley told Emily, “When a chef does that, that’s a good sign.”
Emily is impressed with Smith. “His flavors are very different from anything I’ve experienced. It’s like a perfect balance.” And, she says, “He’s badass.”
Asked her long-range goal, Emily says, “To be an artist.” Emily, whose murals grace Saltwater Crab and Meddlesome Brewing Company, wants to have an art show titled “Back of House,” which will be “paintings of things you don’t normally see in restaurants. Just in the back of the house. Just the crazy shit that happens. The beautiful things, but also the horrifying things.”
Mostly, Emily says, “I want to show the beauty of it.”
Alli Pierce, Emily Kroeze, and Tyra Taylor (Photos: Michael Donahue)
An autographed jersey from former Memphis Grizzlies player Mike Miller was one of the live auction items at the Bourbon & Blues Cocktail Party & Auction.
Chris and Dana Cathey, Jennifer and Mike Miller
The jersey went for $2,300, says Jim Meeks, who founded the fundraiser with his wife Natalie. “And then Mike matched that. So, it actually brought in $4,600.”
Lauren and Jake DeasonDillon McCannJad Tariq and Wyly BiggerJim and Natalie Meeks, Brittany and David Spence
Miller, a sports agent and former University of Memphis men’s basketball team assistant coach, and his wife Jennifer were among the 200 guests at the sold-out event, which also included a live auction of about 100 items. The silent auction featured “about 15 rare bottles of bourbon,” Meeks says.
The event, held November 21st, raised more than $70,000 for the Forrest Spence Fund, which assists with non-medical needs of critical or chronically-ill children and their families, and for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, which raises money for pediatric research.
Haley Hanson and Cameron KremersAdrianne and Dylan Haskins
Meeks, a managing partner at Northwestern Mutual, says he and his wife began the fundraiser on a smaller scale three years ago. The first two were held at Ghost River Brewing Co.
The event also included an open bar, a buffet, and music by Wyly Bigger and Jad Tariq.
Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Galinda
Antiheroes are everywhere these days. The concept of the hero who exemplifies the virtues of the society that produced them dates to the dawn of storytelling. Achilles was a strong and brave Greek hoplite whose toxic vanity was part of the package. Red Horn was a model Mississippian sportsman who challenged giants of the underworld to a game of tchung-kee. Luke Skywalker was a farm boy turned fighter pilot who learned to master his emotions and fight for the greater good.
The antihero, on the other hand, never embodies their society’s virtues, but instead exposes its vices. In Homer’s Iliad, Thersites, the “ugliest man who came to Troy,” calls out Agamemnon’s vainglory and gets beaten to death for his troubles. Don Quixote turns the virtues of the Medieval knight on their heads, changing steadfastness into stubbornness, faith into delusion. If America had universal healthcare, high school chemistry teacher Walter White would never have started cooking meth to pay for cancer treatment.
One way writers pull off this trick is to retell a story from the villain’s point of view. John Gardner made Beowulf’s enemy into a hero of society’s outcasts in Grendel. In 1995, Gregory Maguire’s Wicked did it with The Wizard of Oz’s Wicked Witch of the West. Maguire gave L. Frank Baum’s antagonist a name, Elphaba, and framed her alleged wickedness as political propaganda. After all, isn’t the fake wizard lording over the land of Oz the real villain of the story?
Wicked became a Tony-winning Broadway musical in 2003 and has been running constantly ever since. In retrospect, it’s baffling that a film adaptation took so long. After years in development hell, director Jon M. Chu has finally created a worthy big-screen version.
One element common to antiheroes is that their ambitions are always doomed to failure. We hear of Elphaba before we meet her. She’s already been killed by Dorothy Gale, and the Munchkins are celebrating with a song, “No One Mourns the Wicked.” But for Glinda the Good Witch of the North (Ariana Grande), the celebration is muted. She knew Elphaba from back in the day, when they were roommates at Shiz University. Glinda, who was then Galinda, was the child of privilege studying sorcery for prestige. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) was a wild magic talent who almost didn’t get admitted to the prestigious university at all. She was only there to help her wheelchair-bound younger sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) when an accidental display of her magic powers brought her to the attention of Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). Elphaba and Galinda become the best of frenemies. Elphaba’s green skin marks her as a permanent outsider, and she carries a big chip on her shoulder. Galinda is the apex mean girl, complete with an entourage of sniveling sycophants (Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James, perfectly despicable). Yet both sympathize with, and kind of envy, the other. They compete for the attention of Madame Morrible, but when she’s summoned to see The Wizard, a sublime Jeff Goldblum, Elphaba insists on taking Galinda with her. In this telling, the Wizard is a tyrant, bent on removing Oz’s talking animals from society. Elphaba’s selfish wish was for the Wizard to change her green skin to a more socially acceptable color, but instead she decides to petition Oz the great and powerful on behalf of the oppressed animals.
Wicked cannot be faulted for its craftsmanship. Chu’s crew has created an Oz that feels vibrant and alive, from Elphaba’s swirly glasses to the Wizard’s massive clockwork train. Erivo is flawless as the long-suffering outsider whose glimpse into the inner workings of the elite radicalizes her to drastic action. Likewise, Grande lends depth to the Good Witch while belting out the Broadway bangers.
Wicked’s biggest problem is that it’s Hobbit-tized. At 180 minutes, it’s longer than the stage show, but it only tells half the story. Showstopper “Defying Gravity” still leads into the intermission, but in this case, the intermission is going to be a year long. None of the new material feels necessary, but with Erivo and Grande leaving it all on the screen, you probably won’t mind.
Welcome to fall, the season of changing leaves, falling temperatures, and, of course, open enrollment for employer benefits. Open enrollment is the period of time when eligible employees can enroll or make changes to their employer-sponsored benefits.
Unless you experience a qualifying life event, such as getting married or having a baby, open enrollment is the only time of year to make changes to your insurance coverage and spending account contributions. That’s why it’s important to carefully review all options and select benefits that make sense for your particular situation.
Following are eight common open enrollment mistakes to avoid.
1. Failing to review all options
Many employers offer multiple types and levels of health, life, and disability insurance coverage. Be sure to review all options available to you and select coverage levels that make sense for your personal life and financial situation. Your wealth manager can help you evaluate your options and select appropriate levels of coverage.
2. Overlooking plan changes
Don’t assume this year’s coverage is the same as last year’s. Both employers and insurers can change plan details, such as coverage levels, premiums, in-network providers, and out-of-pocket costs. That’s why it’s important to carefully review all plan documents for updates.
3. Forgetting to consider how your life has changed
It’s important to reevaluate your benefits in light of any major life events that occurred over the past year, such as marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, etc. Failing to account for these important changes may leave you underinsured or lead to higher-than-necessary costs.
4. Selecting the wrong type of health insurance coverage
Many health insurance plans offer different levels of coverage. Selecting the wrong level may result in insufficient coverage or require you to pay higher premiums than necessary.
5. Missing out on employer matching contributions
If your employer offers a 401(k) match, make sure you’re contributing enough to take full advantage of this money.
6. Overlooking the benefits of flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and health savings accounts (HSAs)
FSAs and HSAs offer a tax-advantaged way to save for qualified medical expenses. Take time to understand how these plans work, the differences between the two plan types, and how you can maximize your contributions.
7. Failing to update beneficiaries
If you have employer-sponsored life insurance or retirement accounts, it’s important to regularly review your beneficiary designations to ensure they continue to reflect your wishes as your life evolves over time.
8. Procrastinating
Waiting until the last minute to enroll in benefits can lead to rushed decisions and missed opportunities. Begin the open enrollment process as soon as possible, and work with your wealth manager to ensure your benefit elections are in line with your overall financial plan and long-term goals.
Gene Gard, CFA, CFP, CFT-I, is a Partner and Private Wealth Manager with Creative Planning. Creative Planning is one of the nation’s largest Registered Investment Advisory firms providing comprehensive wealth management services to ensure all elements of a client’s financial life are working together, including investments, taxes, estate planning, and risk management. For more information or to request a free, no-obligation consultation, visit CreativePlanning.com.
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the Downtown Memphis Commission
Memphis on the internet.
Marathon reminder
Plan ahead for some road closures this weekend as the city makes way for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend.
It’s looking to be another chilly one. So throw on a hat and gloves and go cheer on the runners. If nothing else, be willing to be patient.
Good Roads?
Never mind potholes aplenty and Poplar’s perilous far-right lanes, Memphis roads got some actual good reviews in a Reddit thread last week.
Reddit user u/Jcb0304 started the conversation saying their favorite stretch was Walnut Grove from Union to Germantown Road, calling it “delightful.” Others liked North Parkway, Belvedere, Raleigh Lagrange, Belleair, Cooper, Riverside, and more.
It’s beginning To …
Posted to Facebook by Novel
It’s happening. Maybe it already happened. The holidays are here, and it’s everywhere you look. Novel kicked off Christmas last weekend with story time, hot chocolate, and a visit with the Grinch.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are partnering to create a new U.S. government agency, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Musk underwrote the Trump campaign with $200 million in donations (AP estimate) and his own brand of buying votes.
Supposedly, the acronym comes from Musk’s favorite cryptocurrency, the Doge. Whatever. When Heather Cox Richardson says the name of the pending Musk/Ramaswamy agency, she pronounces it doggy. She’s authoritative enough for me.
So yes, Musk paid for his new appointment, which represent a colossal conflict of interest, as that agency reportedly, avowedly, will shut down many regulations that currently govern aspects of Musk’s enormous U.S. government contracts. Getting his new powers involved corruption — a person really isn’t supposed to pay to acquire powers in the U.S. federal government. Can there be a shred of doubt that corruption won’t feature in nullifying EPA regulations on SpaceX, Tesla, and other Musk holdings?
But that is just toxic foreplay. Musk and Ramaswamy tell Forbes they will cut some $2 trillion in U.S. federal spending (sparing all the contracts with Musk-owned corporations, no doubt). What do they intend to defund?
They will get rid of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which tells us, “We protect consumers from unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices and take action against companies that break the law.” Thanks, Elon, for planning to deep-six this one.
Goodbye, Department of Education. Populist demagogues like Trump have railed against such an unwanted department for decades, clearly tired of spending funds on schools that serve marginalized communities
DOGE will get really vicious with organizations like Planned Parenthood, which averages approximately $50 million a year in federal funding. Reproductive help for women is almost certainly taking that hit.
Musk will make headlines when he and Ramaswamy end the $535 million federal support for public radio and TV. They actually called that “unauthorized spending,” even though Congress authorized it. You may not get public TV — so long, Sesame Street — but you will get a full display of gaslighting.
The Veterans Administration healthcare funding is targeted by Musk — interesting, a white South African deciding the U.S. military veterans should stop getting healthcare.
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund imposed “austerity” measures on some poor countries that were not managing to repay loans and the impacts were severe, with poverty increased and government services decreased, even eliminated. The targeted countries — such as Greece, Kenya, and many more — reacted with cries of extreme pain and many of those harmful punishing policies were curtailed.
Musk says his DOGE will inflict hardship. Many Americans will lose their jobs, both inside the government and outside. The government contracts with many companies and when DOGE decides those contracts are not going to be honored, the losses will be severe in some quarters. Add to that the rising consumer prices that are widely predicted from Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China (and possibly everyone else), and the American lifestyle may be in for the biggest shock since 1929.
When Trump was desperately seeking votes from retirees and those who love them, he promised not to cut Social Security, and even added that he would stop the practice of the IRS taxing Social Security. We will see if Musk lets him keep that promise.
It is astonishing that, in a roaring Biden-Harris economy that is benefiting literally every class of Americans, Trump garnered more votes than Harris and will throw wrenches into many of the gears of that economy, if Musk succeeds.
Dr. Tom H. Hastings is coordinator of conflict resolution BA/BS degree programs and certificates at Portland State University. His views, however, are not those of any institution.
“Thomas Dambo’s Trolls: Save the Humans” (Photo: Courtesy Atlanta Botanical Garden)
This year, to save you from tears, we’ve made you something special: the Winter Arts Guide. As with every Flyer Arts Guide, we’ve compiled a list of all the exhibitions, plays, musicals, and more that ought to be on your radar. We also got a chance to speak with DeMarcus Suggs, Memphis’ director of creative and cultural economy; Greely Myatt, the man behind the Brooks’ latest installation; and Preston Jackson, the Metal Museum’s Master Metalsmith. Oh, and right now is ARTSmemphis’ ARTSweek.
On Display
“Healing Through Color”
Exhibition by Alexandra Baker.
Buckman Arts Center at St. Mary’s School, through Dec. 16
“A River I Loved”
New works by Maysey Craddock.
David Lusk Gallery, through Dec. 21
“ANA•LOG, Size Matters, Still”
Work by Lester Merriweather, Alex Paulus, and Michelle Fair.
Crosstown Arts, through Jan. 19
“Green Fountain”
Justin Bowles’ fanciful garden installation.
Tops at Madison Avenue Park, through Feb. 16
“Beyond the Surface: The Art of Handmade Paper”
Explore paper’s shape-shifting quality.
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, through Apr. 6
“Loose Ends”
Work by Brittney Boyd Bullock.
Sheet Cake Gallery, Dec. 14
“Back for Seconds”
Work by Roger Allan Cleaves, Melissa Dunn, Stephanie Howard, and Clare Torina.
Sheet Cake Gallery, Dec. 14
“Small Spaces”
Jennifer Watson’s bright and kaleidoscopic art.
Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Jan. 26-Apr. 13
“Thomas Dambo’s Trolls: Save the Humans”
Thomas Dambo’s folklore-inspired troll sculptures.
Memphis Botanic Garden, Feb. 1-May 21
“An Occasional Craving”
Chris Antemann’s porcelain figures.
Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Feb. 9-Apr. 6
“House of Grace”
Floyd Newsum will have the first major exhibition of his art in Memphis, despite his untimely death on August 14, 2024.
Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Feb. 9-Apr. 6
On Stage
Clara & the Nutcracker
Tennessee Ballet Theater’s rendition of the beloved holiday tale.
Cannon Center For The Performing Arts, Dec. 8, 2-4 p.m.
Nutcracker: Land of Enchanted Sweets (Photo: Courtesy Buckman Performing Arts)
The Nutcracker
Ballet Memphis’ stunning new production is both familiar and unexpected.
Orpheum Theatre, Dec. 13-15
The Nutcracker
Singleton’s Esprit de Corps Dance Company performs this holiday classic.
Bartlett Performing Arts and Conference Center, Dec. 20-Dec. 22
Wurlitzer Wonderland
Orpheum House Organist Tony Thomas plays a special one-night concert featuring the historic Mighty Wurlitzer Organ.
Orpheum Theatre, Dec. 21, 7 p.m.
Magic of Memphis
Featuring the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Chorus — and Dancing Santas.
Cannon Center for the Performing Arts,Dec. 21, 2:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin
Follow two actors as they prepare for their most significant role yet: Joseph Stalin.
The Circuit Playhouse, Jan. 10-Jan. 26
Say It Loud: The Overlook Quartet
An eclectic program of music by underrepresented composers.
Green Room at Crosstown Arts, Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m.
Inherit the Wind
Two great legal giants of the century battle over state law banning the teaching of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution.
Theatre Memphis, Jan. 17-Feb. 2
Parade
In 1913, Leo Frank is caught in a grueling trial after the murder of his factory worker.
Playhouse on the Square, Jan. 17-Feb. 16
American Maestro, with Bernstein’s West Side Story
The MSO will also perform Bernstein’s Slava! and works by other composers. With Carl St. Clair, conductor.
Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, Jan. 18, 7:30 p.m. | Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center, Jan. 19, 2:30 p.m.
Cirque Kalabanté
Afrique en Cirque shares the beauty, youth, and artistry of African culture.
Germantown Performing Arts Center, Jan. 24, 8 p.m.
Black Odyssey
This vibrant reimagining of the Odysseus saga is set in modern-day Harlem.
Hattiloo Theatre, Jan. 24-Feb. 16
Carmen
Bizet’s sizzling epic.
Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center, Jan. 24-25
Steve Martin & Martin Short: The Dukes of Funnytown!
Two of our funniest, most influential and acclaimed talents come to Memphis.
Orpheum Theatre, Jan. 25, 8 p.m.
Skeleton Crew
As the Great Recession looms over a Detroit auto stamping plant, workers confront tough choices.
The Circuit Playhouse, Jan. 31-Feb. 16
Alison Cook Beatty Dance
World-class dancers enmesh classically-based modern technique with elements of contemporary movement.
Buckman Arts Center at St. Mary’s School, Jan. 31, 7 p.m.
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Collage Dance’s reimagining of Zora Neale Hurston’s iconic 1937 novel as a ballet.
Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, Feb. 1-2
The Minutes
A scathing new comedy about small-town politics and real-world power.
New Moon Theatre, Feb. 7-23
Dance Theatre of Harlem
A dynamic force in the ballet world, captivating audiences both nationally and internationally.
Orpheum Theatre, Feb. 7-8
Valentine’s Day with Kortland Whalum
A night of music and romance with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.
Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center, Feb. 14, 8 p.m.
Hamilton
Follow the rise of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton.
Orpheum Theatre, Feb. 18-Mar. 2
Variations on a Theme: Love, Longing, and Lederhosen
A curated evening of music and one-act operas.
Opera Memphis, Feb. 15-16
Winter Mix
Ballet Memphis presents two new commissions and the reprise of an audience favorite, Trey McIntyre’s The Barramundi.
Playhouse on the Square, Feb. 21-23
Yo-Yo Ma
The renowned cellist appears with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.
Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m.
…
In 2020, the city of Memphis and Shelby County declared ARTSweek as an official holiday. A brainchild of ARTSmemphis, the week’s purpose is to drive awareness of local arts’ impact, demonstrate the creativity of Memphis’ artistic contributions, and grow community engagement with the arts. This year’s ARTSweek has already begun, starting on December 1st with its end date on Sunday, December 8th.
Music
Moon Taxi
The five-piece band hails from Nashville.
Minglewood Hall, Dec. 6
Kortland Whalum
Kortland Whalum is a singer-songwriter and actor whose talents span from music to the stage.
Green Room at Crosstown Arts, Dec. 6
Handel’s Messiah
Featuring the MSO’s Memphis Symphony Chamber Chorus.
Germantown United Methodist Church, Dec. 5
Jolly Jam Sessions
Young musicians celebrate the start of the Christmas season with classic holiday jazz favorites.
Pink Palace, Dec. 6
Memphis Black Arts Alliance Presents an Evening of Ellington
A star-studded cabaret of jazz.
Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center, Dec. 7
Jonathan McReynolds: Red & Green
A new sound for the holiday season.
Minglewood Hall, Dec. 8
Theater & Dance
Annie Jr. the Musical
Everyone’s favorite little redhead on stage.
Germantown Community Theatre, Dec. 6-22
A Motown Christmas
Celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with this Christmas musical.
Hattiloo Theatre, through Dec. 22
A Christmas Carol
A classic holiday ghost story.
Theatre Memphis, Dec. 6-23
Nutcracker: Land of Enchanted Sweets
Buckman Dance Conservatory’s interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece.
Buckman Performing Arts Center, Dec. 6-8
Tía Pancha: A Christmas Story
The classic Christmas story of Scrooge with a Latin twist.
TheatreWorks at The Evergreen, Dec. 7-8
Who’s Holiday!
Cindy Lou Who takes center stage.
The Circuit Playhouse – The Memphian Room, through Dec. 22
Junie B. Jones: Toothless Wonder (Photo: Megan Christoferson)
Junie B. Jones: Toothless Wonder
Junie B. Jones is facing a challenging week.
The Circuit Playhouse, through Dec. 22
Steve Martin and Edie Brickell’s Bright Star
A story of love and redemption.
Bartlett Performing Arts and Conference Center, Dec. 6-8
A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live On Stage
Everyone’s favorite holiday classic.
Orpheum Theatre, Dec. 7
Cabaret Noel 9: A Kaleidoscopic Christmas
An evening of holiday songs and hilarious slapstick humor.
TheatreWorks @ The Square, Dec. 6-8
The Wizard of Oz
Dorothy Gale gets her Oz on.
Playhouse on the Square, through Dec. 22
Twelfth Night
Shakespeare’s most charming comedy.
Tennessee Shakespeare Company, Dec. 6-22
Visual Arts
Artist Meet & Greet
A free evening of conversations and connections at The Memphis Art Salon.
Minglewood Hall, Dec. 4
“All Aboard: The Railroad in American Art, 1840 – 1955”
Examine the relationship between painters in the United States and the passenger and freight trains.
Natural Histories: 400 Years of Scientific Illustration
Hidden gems and unique masterworks from the American Museum of Natural History’s rare book collection.
Dixon Gallery and Gardens, though Jan. 26
“Intertwine”
MadameFraankie’s new media works.
Beverly + Sam Ross Gallery, through Dec. 13
Gallery Talk with Elle Perry
Arts and culture journalist Elle Perry delivers a gallery talk about Andrea Morales’ show.
Brooks Museum of Art, Dec. 7, 2 p.m.
Holiday Bazaar
Join Arrow Creative for a monthlong shopping event.
Arrow Creative, through December 22
“Roll Down Like Water”
Andrea Morales presents 65 photographs spanning a decade of work.
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, through Jan. 31
“Pissarro to Picasso: Masterworks from the Kirkland Family Collection”
Enjoy 18 art treasures from the Kirkland family’s collection.
Dixon Gallery & Gardens, through Jan. 26
MidSouth Toy Fest 2024
Your gateway to a treasure trove of collectibles.
The Great Hall & Conference Center, Dec. 7
…
Reframe Culture
In October, the city of Memphis hired its first ever director of creative and cultural economy — DeMarcus Suggs — as part of the newly established Office of Arts and Culture.
DeMarcus Suggs (Photo: Amber N. Ford)
Suggs describes his position as one of a centralized collaborator and convener, supporting artists and cultural organizations while boosting their economic impact. It’s about making sure the city’s ecosystem — businesses, restaurants, hotels, sports, and cultural policy — complements, welcomes, and retains the arts on a citywide scale.
“Memphis has a lot of really talented artists. We also have some really grit and grind entrepreneurs that have a vision. They have a dream, and they’re willing to build it,” Suggs points out.
With this in mind, Suggs is ready to listen. So far, he’s been in conversation with arts organizations and philanthropists, and now he’s ready to talk to individual artists in a town hall listening event on December 9th, with more to come. He wants to hear the strengths and weaknesses of Memphis. “I’m an optimist that loves to have the full picture, and so I don’t ignore the challenges,” Suggs says.
This first year, he says, will be themed “reframe culture.” “That’s really us being able to use [and collect] data,” Suggs says. “We’re going to be framing what success looks like for us as a city.”
Artist Listening Session, Madison Tavern, Monday, December 9, 5-7 p.m.
…
Starry, Starry
You don’t need to look too far in the sky to see the stars, not at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. That’s where Greely Myatt has installed his Starry, Starry starscape for the museum’s inaugural Winter Art Garden — an installation which opened at the end of November and stemmed from the artist’s recent obsession with stars.
Greely Myatt’s Star Fall (Photo: Abigail Morici)
A massive star — aptly titled Big Star, with a nod to the Memphis-based band — sits against the Brooks Museum near its entrance; at night, neon lights the star’s five edges made of scrap signposts. To the side of it, on the pedestals where statues Spring and Summer once stood, another star is propped up, this one made of charred wood. “It’s a fragmented star,” Myatt describes. “When I was making the other stars [for previous shows], I kind of became interested in, instead of the completeness of it, letting the mind mentally finish it.”
The wood of this fragmented star — Star Fall — comes from a pine tree Myatt grew himself. Meanwhile, Sirius (Dog Star and Pup), which is suspended between two trees, is made of broom handles, and Star Sprays, which fill up spring up from the plaza’s tables like bouquets of sparklers, are made of traffic signs.
Reflecting on the use of stars in his work, Myatt says, “They’re abstract, but they’re real. It’s kind of like Dave Hickey once said, ‘A Pollock doesn’t mean anything, but it has meaning. [We can find meanings for it, if we care to.]’”
Starry, Starry, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, through January 2025
…
Q&A: Preston Jackson
Earlier this year, the Metal Museum named Preston Jackson as its 38th Master Metalsmith. “A Hidden Culture,” the exhibition now on display in honor of Jackson’s achievement, features 16 freestanding sculptures and four paintings by the artist, who describes the show as revealing “history that has been buried, forgotten, or deemed unimportant by society.” The Flyer had a chance to speak with Jackson about the show.
Preston Jackson (Photo: Courtesy of the Artist/metal Museum)
Memphis Flyer: What was your reaction to being named the Metal Museum’s Master Metalsmith?
Preston Jackson: When I got the call to get involved in this, especially being in Memphis, you know, where my ancestors are from that area, I jumped at that opportunity, and I took it on, even preparing new works for the show. So it was an uplift to do what you’re supposed to.
I didn’t realize it had inspired new works.
Some of the pieces, maybe two or three, are in the show, and the one at the [Memphis] Botanic Garden, there’s a very large relief piece there [Tales of the River Cities].
Your work goes into history and wants to uncover hidden histories, right?
Yeah, things that people feel uncomfortable talking about. … I find that looking back and re-understanding, rethinking about things that were only a hint in your past because you didn’t have the facilities to understand them or express them, it’s almost like admitting it’s good to be human.
Did you always know that you wanted to tell stories of other people, or was this kind of like something that you developed?
A lot of these traits that I have today were discovered, as my parents tell the story of my growing up, many years ago, right at the beginning of my little life as a young kid. Growing up in Decatur, Illinois, a product of the great migration that happened, my life is so much a part of that history. My exhibit gave me a chance to express my feelings about that.
And when you’re looking at these stories, are you doing a lot of research?
Yeah, you don’t want to be wild in your thinking, because of how important it is to tell the truth. Just look at our politics today. Truth is sought after, and it’s valuable. If we live a lie or believe in lies, we’re going to sort of destroy the entire civilization.
“A Hidden Culture,” Metal Museum, through January 26
Tennessee’s Attorney General is set to defend the state’s gender affirming care ban for minors in the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday against challengers who say the 2023 law endangers children.
While attorneys for the plaintiffs claim the law violates the Constitution’s equal protection clause, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said lawmakers took “measured action” in 2023 when they prohibited gender affirming care for children to protect them from “irreversible, unproven medical procedures.”
“Lawmakers recognized that there is little to no credible evidence to justify the serious risks these procedures present to youth and joined a growing number of European countries in restricting their use on minors with gender-identity issues,” Skrmetti said in advance of oral arguments at the high court in Washington, D.C.
One of Tennessee’s main claims is that the Constitution doesn’t stop states from regulating medical practices involving “hot-button social issues.” Primarily, though, the state says the law doesn’t discriminate based on sex.
“Little to no credible evidence to justify the serious risks these procedures present to youth,” said Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti of gender affirming care for minors. (Photo: John Partipilo)
But the father leading the legal challenge against Tennessee’s law said the ban on gender affirming medical care is “an active threat” to his daughter’s future.
“It infringes not only on her freedom to be herself but on our family’s love,” the father said Monday morning in an online press conference. He said his daughter started taking puberty-blocking medications and then hormone therapy at age 13, only after nine months of conversations and consultation with experts and physicians, and is “happy and healthy” as she prepares for college.
Another father, an Ohio lobbyist who identified himself in the press conference as a Republican, said his son was near suicide in 2012 before starting the years-long process of changing sexes.
“One thing I learned was being transgender is a real thing, and if it’s a real thing, in my view, it transcends any political ideology,” the man said.
Represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Tennessee, Lambda Legal and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, three families of transgender children say Tennessee’s law violates their constitutional right to equal protection under the law. Dr. Susan Lacy of Memphis is among the plaintiffs as well.
Chase Strangio, an attorney for the ACLU, said Tennessee banned hormone therapy and puberty-delaying medication for children only when prescribed to allow adolescents to live and identify with a sex “inconsistent” with their sex at birth, making it a violation of their rights.
“We are simply asking the Supreme Court to recognize that when a law treats people differently based on their sex, the same equal protection principles apply regardless of whether the group impacted by the law happens to be transgender,” Strangio said.
It’s about whether politicians can restrict access to healthcare treatments in order to impose their narrow, harmful, stereotypical view of gender.
– Sasha Buchert, Lambda Legal
Sasha Buchert of Lambda Legal said the case’s outcome will determine whether families will continue to have the freedom to make medical decisions with their doctors. Otherwise, “unqualified politicians will step into the shoes of families and medical professionals to make those decisions in ways that undermine the care, safety, and dignity of transgender youth,” Buchert said.
Buchert said the argument goes beyond access to gender affirming care, which has been restricted in 24 states, to whether the courts will uphold decades of legal precedent affirming that the state must “show its work when it chooses to discriminate on the basis of sex.”
“It’s about whether politicians can restrict access to healthcare treatments in order to impose their narrow, harmful, stereotypical view of gender,” Buchert said.
Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) and House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) filed the gender affirming care ban bill in 2023 after a right-wing media outlet reported that Vanderbilt University Medical Center was providing the treatment to children. The hospital said it wasn’t performing surgeries on minors.
Johnson and several other lawmakers introduced the bill in a rally at the Capitol attended by hate groups. It passed the legislature largely along party lines, although three Democrats voted for it in the House.
In a brief filed with the Supreme Court, Skrmetti backed up his argument by saying European countries that pioneered gender affirming care treatment started pulling back because of concerns about safety and effectiveness. The brief said Tennessee lawmakers considered European restrictions and listened to accounts “of regret and harm” from people who switched back to their original sex.
Skrmetti’s brief says the federal government, which entered the legal battle on the side of the plaintiffs, is trying to displace Tennessee’s law “by reading its preferred policies into the Constitution.” The attorney general’s brief says Senate Bill 1 contains no sex classification and differentiates between minors seeking gender transition drugs and those seeking treatment for other medical purposes.
Plaintiffs in the case say the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, which struck down the lower court’s decision to block the law, failed to look at the case with “heightened review,” a legal standard for evaluating constitutionality based on characteristics such as gender.
But Skrmetti’s brief says the court should decline such “doctrinal revolution” because sex isn’t a “but-for cause of SB1’s age- and used-based restrictions.”
Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com. Follow Tennessee Lookout on Facebook and X.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) drives against Quenton Jackson (29) of the Indiana Pacers during the first half at FedExForum on Dec 1, 2024. (Wes Hale Photo)
In an early Sunday afternoon matchup at FedExForum, the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Indiana Pacers 136-121, extending their winning streak to six games and sweeping their four-game homestand.
After a disastrous first quarter in which they trailed by as many as 19 points, the Grizzlies snapped back with a vengeance. They cut the Pacers’ lead to six heading into the second half, while putting on a defensive masterclass.
Third quarters were like kryptonite to Memphis at the start of the season, but it is safe to say that is no longer the case. It certainly wasn’t yesterday against Indiana.
The third quarter was when the Grizzlies demolished the remainder of the Pacers lead and built a sizable one of their own, outscoring Indiana 40-23. From there, it was smooth sailing through the fourth quarter and onto the team’s first win of the season when trailing at halftime.
This was a team victory, with seven players finishing in double digits and no one playing for more than 30 minutes. The Grizzlies’ depth has been a huge part of their success, and their bench is second-best in the league in scoring.
Jaren Jackson Jr. led the game with 25 points, and added 8 rebounds, two steals, and three blocks.
Ja Morant scored 19 points and had 8 assists.
Desmond Bane added 16 points, six rebounds, and six assists.
Jaylen Wells finished the night with 13 points and six rebounds.
Off the bench, Marcus Smart led with 16 points and six assists.
Santi Aldama added 15 points, four rebounds, and six assists.
Jake LaRavia contributed 11 points, three rebounds, and five assists.
More by the numbers:
As of today, Memphis is second in the league in points per game (121.7), third in the league in rebounds per game (47.9), and leading the league in assists (30.7) and blocks (7.2) per game. They are playing at the third-fastest pace in the league.
With the win over the Pacers, the Grizzlies are now sitting in third place in the Western Conference.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies are headed to Dallas to take on the Mavericks Tuesday night, in their final NBA Cup group play game. Tip-off is at 7:30 PM CST.
It’s the Monday after Thanksgiving. All the leftovers have been eaten, and all the naps have been taken. It’s time to go back to work. If you’re anything like Music Video Monday, you’re not dealing with it very well.
Jacob Church is here to deliver a wake-up call. The Memphis rocker is channeling Cheap Trick to get you up and running. “Sunshine” is a thick slab of feel-good pop. In the video, directed by bassist-turned-auteur Landon Moore, Jacob picks up the band and drags their asses to rehearsal, where they quickly get their mojo back. We’re doing the same for you.
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
