Festival South in June and an Art Collaboration

June is one of my favorite months of the year for several reasons, and in Hattiesburg it's because of FestivalSouth--a three-week long music/art/cultural extravaganza. A big favorite this year was the USM Southern Chorale celebrating America's 250th birthday. The chorus performed American fine art music to gospels, spirituals, and popular music and is invited to perform in Estonia again this summer. 

Southern Chorale, Dr. Greg Fuller, conductor

There are concerts and exhibits at venues all over town, like this one by Lisa Wolynec, Daniel Petrocelli, and Brian Lorettt at the new bookstore, Storied Bookery, and emerging artists performing at OLLI. 

Juan Carlos Piedra Carvajal, oboe, Teresa Sanchez, piano

Daniel Petrocelli, Lisa Wolynec, (Brian Lorett not pictured)

We have had an unusually wet June, with flash flood warnings and high water damage. Elizabeth has stayed very close during the thunderstorms.

I've finished two interesting books this month from the Hattiesburg library--Culpability and All Quiet on the Western Front. Both were absorbing and thought-provoking, involving AI innovations, and family dynamics. The 1929 WWI classic was a new translation with more personal details about the young German soldier author. 

Several months ago Hector Boldo and I agreed to exchange artwork. I created a fiber art piece of Hector's dog Marta, and he came to my home to photograph me working at my sewing machine on Marta and later created a painting of the scene. Here we are with Hector's painting at the Creator's Plaza last weekend, followed by Hector with my fiber art piece of Marta. This was a fun collaboration!

May Busy-ness

After the excitement and enjoyment of the four-month exhibit at OLLI, May seemed a good time to step back and savor the remarks and visits about the quilted pieces. Thinking about the art that found new homes makes me smile. 

People ask, "What are you working on now?" "What's your next project?" I must admit that more down time is needed, and the cats and I are reading more than we used to. There are always simple stitching projects to work on, such as these little swaddle bands Forrest General's NICU asked for. Sometimes a baby will be more comfortable if he can move his hands with some limitation, so these simple 4" wide x 20" long bands were made.

Swaddle Bands

I also enjoyed repairing and extending the life of a treasured family quilt that was being passed down. It was made in the 1940s and had some worn-through fabrics in spite of having been well cared for. (See the red check patches marked with safety pins.) These and others were covered with hand appliqued patches of feed sack or other vintage fabrics.  A label was made to document the quilt's story from grandmother to mother to daughter. 

The next Meistersingers concert will be Sunday, June 1, at the beginning of FestivalSouth. What a follow-up to our Beatles music! This is called Majesty of the Opera, featuring soloists for arias and the chorus for some favorites like The Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore, Toreador from Carmen, The Humming Chorus from Madama Butterfly, and The Triumphal March from Aida. It's a ticketed event at 3:00 p.m., Westminster Presbyterian Church.

May flowers are opening and are so welcome. We've had enough rain that watering has not been necessary yet. I had my yard guy plant caladium bulbs around May 1, so they will be my reward when the ground gets warm enough.

Creeping Jenny (common name)

Gerbera Daisies

Hydrangeas, side yard

Hydrangea, back yard

Gerbera Daisies

Butterfly bush

July, After FestivalSouth2023

I offer sincere thanks to all who came to my FestivalFibers exhibit during FestivalSouth2023, June 3-30. I was asked to keep my exhibit up for an additional week, through the end of June. This allowed for several more visitors and my chance to meet with people to describe and explain the works. The winning bidder on Prelude came to take pictures in the Downey Gallery. I was especially honored that Mississippi Arts Commission's David Lewis (Executive Director), Maria Zeringue (Folk & Traditional Arts Director), and Kristen Brandt (Arts Industry Director) met me at the exhibit for a tour. Three pieces found new homes, and the others are back on my walls or in my closet. 

Taking down the exhibit

The guest book

Meanwhile, life at home has been chock-full of adventures. A ginger mama cat and her four kittens (two ginger and two black) moved in under my shop building and I agonized over what to do about them, finally deciding to trap and get the kittens to Southern Pines Animal Shelter for fostering and adopting. When I trapped the mama cat I had her spayed and brought back to my yard. She can live outside but Elizabeth makes it clear that she is not welcome in the house. 

Elizabeth will not tolerate any new cats in the house,
watches the yard from her cat tree

Cello player Ameni Zouehid, my houseguest 

My meager but delicious cherry tomatoes

Storm broke section of a huge tree

No damage to the house, but close

Broken tree was red maple (also called swamp maple) 

House wren built a nest on a shelf in my garage 

Five baby birds 

Ready for takeoff

Grand Finale for FestivalSouth

 What a marvelous finish for 2023 FestivalSouth--Iconic, a cirque rock symphonic extravaganza. Amazing acrobatic acts along with chart-topping songs from the last four decades, such as Aerosmith, Earth Wind and fire, Michael Jackson, Led Zepplin, and others. I had never even been to a rock concert, much less sung with a chorus (Meistersingers) behind an orchestra! All these pictures were taken during dress rehearsal.

Our view behind orchestra

Our view behind orchestra

Audience view

Audience view

Earlier there were nights of Broadway tunes called Spectacular Spectacular, Bee(r)thoven concert with beer and wine pairings, Odd Couples (guitar with other instruments), and coffee concerts plus other events that I missed.

Coffee Concert at T-Bones with Lauren Cate Leake

Coffee Concert at Quinlan-Hammond Hall of Honor
with Sarah Hamman and Kay Guiles

Odd Couples with Nick Ciraldo

My exhibit, FestivalFibers, has had a good reception and is being held over an additional week through the end of June, at University Baptist Church. It has been a wonderful three weeks of entertainment, and I'm already looking forward to June of 2024. Mike Lopinto and his crew put on an amazing festival in Hattiesburg. I'm so glad I live here!

Festival South is in full swing

Every day brings more reasons to be glad I live in Hattiesburg. Many people are going to see my FestivalSouth FestivalFibers exhibit, which will be at the Downey Gallery at University Baptist Church through June 24. It is a special thrill to see my quilt Prelude on the cover of Signature Magazine's June issue.  

June Issue 

Rehearsals for the Meistersingers concert of James Mulholland's Missa Romantica and three other pieces he arranged were enjoyable. Mulholland is a Laurel native and came from his home in Indianapolis to our dress rehearsal and concert. It was a special pleasure to perform works for a composer and have him be pleased with what he heard. Dr. Joel Dunlap directed, Dr. Susan Ruggiero was the soloist, accompanied by Kathy Vail.

Joel Dunlap, Artistic Director

James Mulholland 

The Program

One of the numbers we performed was "Keramos" (the potter's clay), which is based on a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem. I constantly hear these words in my head, and love to embrace their meaning: "All that inhabit this great earth are kindred and allied by birth."

I had a great time teaching children something about quilting at one of the FestivalSouth Youth events, lined up by Jennifer Timidaiski. The kids tried their hands at a fabric collage using fusible fabrics and  scissors and a background. Each child's piece showed an amazing artistic eye! We put each piece in a white mat and plastic sleeve so they could take home their art.

He interpreted the Biloxi lighthouse

An American Landscape was presented at the historic Train Depot featuring Dr Jay Dean directing  many talented musicians. Seating was in a semi-circle, with a delightful up-close view of the orchestra.  

One of the Coffee concerts was "Celtic in Your Cup," at the OLLI building. This family trio brought us a lively time, reminiscent of Irish music.

And this is only week two, with many events still to come. Full details and schedule are at FestivalSouth.