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Blues News You Can Use!
Here Comes the Sun
 
 No doubt the Beatles said it best...
Little darling
The smiles returning to the faces
Little darling
It seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the Sun
Here comes the Sun and I say
It's all right
 
Though I have to admit the weather
this last week pushed me to get
some overdue indoor projects done,
the return of the sun just in time for
a long weekend is definitely pleasing.
As you plan your weekend, be sure
and consider taking in one of the exciting blues activities in our area.
Below you will find the information needed to plan a visit to one of the awesomely cool local exhibits.
The "Juke Joint Project", has opened at The Pryor Center in downtown Fayetteville. The other must see exhibit is found in Springdale Check out
-A Cast of Blues- now open at the
CACHE Art Gallery at 214 S. Main
Street in Springdale.
Read on below for all the information of how to visit the exhibit.
The local music calendar is a bit light this week with the holiday weekend upon us, but there is one item important to note. The Northwest Arkansas Jazz Society's Jazz in Bloom event has been rescheduled to June 12, 2022. Please visit their website DIGJAZZ.COM for details.
 
Always remember, this is YOUR newsletter! Please send feedback or suggestions our way. You can reach me by email at the address below. We appreciate our readers and want
to see your ideas included! 
~Sandy McCann
 
Public Exhibit of
The Juke Joint Project
in Fayetteville
Some exciting blues oriented events are happening in NWA. In addition to the "A Cast of Blues" shared in an article below, a new exhibit is opening, this one in Fayetteville.
 
WHAT: The David and Barbara Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History in the U of A's Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences is partnering with The Music Education Initiative to bring The Juke Joint Project: An Exhibit to the Pryor Center on the Downtown Fayetteville Square.
WHEN: The Juke Joint Project exhibit will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays through the end of June. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
 
The exhibit will feature music on various times. On May 20th, the legendary 
Bobby Rush will share a night of stories and songs at “The Juke Joint Project: An Exhibit” at the Pryor Center. Bobby is known for his Southern folk blues and suggestive wit and has worked with many blues greats,past and present. He is a two-time Grammy winner, Blues Hall of Famer, six-time Grammy nominee, and 13-time Blues Music Award winner. The octogenarian bluesman will perform in the replica of a Delta Juke Joint in the atrium of the Pryor Center on the Fayetteville downtown square.
Music Education Initiative Executive Director Orson Weems says that people are “going to be surprised to see that [“The Juke Joint Project: An Exhibit”] is actually something that they can touch and walk through.” Musical performances to accompany the exhibit will be posted to the Pryor Center’s website, pryorcenter.uark.edu, as information becomes available. “The Juke Joint,” built of period-aged cypress and tin, was originally created by designer Kaki Hockersmith.
The Music Education Initiative
A CAST OF BLUES

The Music Education Initiative OPENS A CAST OF BLUES

Blues music was born in Mississippi, came of age in Chicago, and went on to inspire generations of rock and rollers, ranging from the British invasion of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones to contemporary groups, such as The Black Keys. As one of America’s contributions to the world of music, the blues took root in the fertile soil of the Mississippi Delta, a floodplain covering 7,000 square miles between the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers. Early blues greats in the Delta pioneered the strong rhythmic style of music, accenting the raw emotions of the lyrics by squeezing chords out of a guitar with a bottleneck or metal slide.
A celebration of Mississippi’s rich musical heritage, The exhibition A Cast of Blues features 15 resin-cast masks of blues legends created by artist Sharon McConnell-Dickerson, as well as 15 color photographs of performers and of juke joints by acclaimed photographer Ken Murphy.  This is the first time that this exhibit has been in NW Arkansas.  Now, visitors to the CACHE Art Gallery at 214 S. Main Street in Springdale, can experience the exhibition, A Cast of Blues, opening April 15, 2022.  
During this seven week exhibit, The Music Education Initiative will offer in addition to the gallery viewing, educational programming, community outreach, lectures, guest artists and performances.  The exhibition's compilation of casts and photos create a compelling portrait of the men and women who defined—and continue to shape—the tradition of Mississippi blues.  Gallery hours are:  Mon. – Sat. 10:00AM – 5:00PM.  This exhibit is made possible by the generous support of the Tyson Family Foundation, CACHE, WhyteSpyder, MTI Consulting Group, LLC and John and Yvonne Lee, and is free to the public. 
A Cast of Blues artist Sharon McConnell-Dickerson has said, “a life cast is like a 3-D photograph to someone who is blind.” McConnell-Dickerson, who is visually impaired, continues, “It captures the flesh, muscle, bone, hair, and subtle expressions of emotion. I wanted
to discover the faces behind the
music I love, so I went to Mississippi to map out the visages of the real Delta blues men and women.”
Ken Murphy’s photographs are selected from the groundbreaking book Mississippi: State of Blues (published 2010 by Proteus/Ken Murphy Publishing). A longtime Mississippi resident, Murphy captures the essence of the blues through highly detailed, panoramic color pictures. The exhibition’s compilation of casts and photos create a compelling portrait of the men and women who defined—and continue to shape—the tradition of Mississippi blues.
The exhibition is fully accessible to all visitors, featuring braille labels and educational materials, as well as a music playlist for gallery use and a closed-captioned film about the Cast of Blues project. In addition, visitors are encouraged to touch the resin-cast masks. Says McConnell-Dickerson, “As a sculptural and visual art experience, feeling the life-made casts of these individuals and their facial expressions transfers their experiences directly to our fingertips.” The exhibition is also accompanied by the 2008 documentary film, M for Mississippi: A Roadtrip through the Birthplace of the Blues  (94 minutes).
Organized and toured by ExhibitsUSA, a national part of Mid-America Arts Alliance, the exhibition was curated by Chuck Haddix, music historian, author, radio personality, and director of the Marr Sound Archives at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

About The Music Education Initiative: 
Our unique perspective focuses on musical education in the interest of creating new writing, recording, performing artists, entertainers and industry personnel by exposing students and other interested parties to music and entertainment career paths at earlier ages. We engage, educate, elevate and prepare the next generation of professionals in the business of music and entertainment. We share the music and entertainment industry expertise, experience, empathy, relationships, professionalism, and first-class programs of our founding team and advisors, to develop and add value to the community, especially those of under served communities, and quality of life in Northwest Arkansas. 
 
LIVE MUSIC
Music Calendar 
Please enjoy the following listings comprised of bands, venues, and/or organizations that support Ozark Blues Society. Always check with individual venues for event details and schedule changes. Submit weekly listings by emailing: SANDY

----------------
 
5.27
  • Uncrowned Kings for Happy Hour at George's Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville
  • Artosphere: An Evening of Strauss and Stravinsky at the WAC in Fayetteville
  • Elizabeth Bainbridge Jazz Duo at Sassafras Winery in Springdale
  • Cody Jinks with Lukas Nelson/Promise of the Real/Whitey Morgan at the AMP in Rogers
  • Funk Factory at the Meteor Guitar Gallery in Bentonville
  • Keith Nicholson Trio at JJ's Grill and Chill in Bella Vista
5.28
  • Keith Nicholson at JJ's Grill and Chill in Springdale
  • Blew Reed and the Flatheads at Rowdy Beaver Den in Eureka Springs
5.29
  • Jer's itty-bitty Big Jazz Band at Six-Twelve Coffeehouse and Bar in Fayetteville
5.30 Happy Memorial Day
 
5.31
  • Adam Collins, Matt Beach and Garrett Jones for Jazz at the Undercroft Bar in Bentonville
6.01
  • Brick Fields Blues Therapy at Moranos in Fayetteville
  • Ben Harris jazz guitar at Six-Twelve Coffeehouse and Bar in Fayetteville
6.03
  • Cate Brothers Band for Happy Hour at George's Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville
Mark Your Calendar 
 
 
6/12 RESCHEDULED
Jazz in Bloom at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks in Fayetteville

 
Please Submit Dates for Regional Blues Artists and Group Events HERE
In this issue:  5/27/2022
Here Comes the Sun
Public Exhibit ofThe Juke Joint Project in Fayetteville
The Music Education InitiativeA CAST OF BLUES
LIVE MUSICMusic Calendar 
On this day in Blues History May 27
This Week's Quote
Blues Education Supporters
Check Out these regular local radio programs
Get Involved with the Ozark Blues Society

Links You Can Use

On this day
in Blues History
 May 27


 
Today’s show features music performed by B.B. King
 
This Week's Quote
 
 
“People all over the world have problems. And as long as people have problems, the blues can never die.”
  
B.B. King

Blues Education Supporters
Thanks to the following for their support of blues education.


Check Out these regular local radio programs
 
 


 
"The Generic Blues Show" hosted by Paul Kelso airs every Friday night at 9pm on KUAF 91.3FM
 
 


 
Rockin' Hog Radio presents "Sunday Morning Blues" from 8am to 10am every Sunday
LINK
 
Get Involved with the Ozark Blues Society
 


Annual membership levels begin at $15 and give you so much in return, including meeting new friends while enjoying the best blues artists in the area.  
 
By being a member of The Ozark Blues Society of Northwest Arkansas, you are helping to support the Arts and to preserve the Original American Art Form known as The Blues.
 
Membership Benefits Include:
 
Weekly E-newsletter
 
Opportunities to win tickets to events
 
VIP seating at events (when available)
 
Discounts on OBS merchandise
 
Social networking – meeting other people who also love the blues
 
Opportunities to volunteer on OBS committees and at events
 
Ability to attend board meetings and vote on upcoming organizational issues and elections
 
Visit our Website to renew or join! Ozarkbluessociety.org
 
 


 


 
Links You
Can Use
 
Arkansas Music Pavillion
 
Arkansas Music Works
 
American Blues News
 
The Blues Foundation
 
Block Street Records
 
Blues For A Cause
 
Blues Festivals Guide
 
Blues Guitar News
 
Crystal Bridges
 
Downtown Bentonville
 
Eureka Springs Blues Weekend
 
Free Weekly
 
George’s Majestic Lounge
 
Guitar Center
 
J L Sound & Lighting Productions
 
National Blues Museum
 
North AR Jazz Society
 
NWA Tunedin
 
Rockin' Hog Radio
 
Sherry L Speer Photography
 
The Founders Room
 
The Walmart Museum
 
Tom Mowry Photography
 
http://www.songwritingcompetition.com./
 


 
 

Ozark Blues Society of Northwest Arkansas  |  P O Box 2004  |  Bentonville, AR 72712  | 

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