16-year old Flora resident to be in Ballet Mississippi performance Sunday

Ballet Mississippi

Flora resident Hannah Sills (far left in the Clarion Ledger photo) will be part of the Ballet Mississippi School Performance Sunday.

 The gist: The Ballet Mississippi School Performance Sunday straddles the gamut of dancers' ages and education. While the first half may be more family oriented with young students ages 3 to 9, the second half is devoted to more professional-level dance with a spring gala feel.

Featured ballets include Suite of Dances to suites by Bach, a jazzy ballet to Leroy Anderson's Jazz Pizzicato, a new ballet to Verdi's Jerusalem choreographed by Cherri Barnett and a contemporary work from jazz choreographer and teacher Marcus Alford.

Alford's dance, titled The Perfect Man, pokes around the idea that there is no perfect man, only a perfect mannequin, to jazz music from 1930s and 1940s France.

"The Perfect Man is a lot of fun for us because it's a little bit different than just the classical ballet ... and I think it will be exciting for audiences to watch because it's very spirited," said dancer Hannah Sills, 17, of Flora.

Clarion Ledger

Bill seeks to help Miss. blues musicians

The Mississippi Legislature has passed a bill lawmakers hope will lead to financial help for the performers who established the state’s legacy as the “birthplace of the blues.”

The bill allows the Mississippi Blues Commission to raise private funding for struggling musicians. It amends the law that created the commission, which is charged with promoting the state’s blues heritage. The bill will allow the commission to “raise and expend grant funds to provide assistance to any blues musician in need.”

The bill passed the House earlier in the session and passed the Senate this week, but was held on a motion to reconsider. The bill would become effective July 1.

The Clarion Ledger

State: Charity used for personal gain

By STEVEN G. WATSON

A Ridgeland-based chairty is being operated for personal gain, in part because it has the highest paid charity bingo director in the state and reports the least amount of charitable giving, according to testimony during a hearing this week.

Bill Murphy is the highest paid charity bingo director in the state according to testimony at a Secretary of State hearing Tuesday to determine if the charity should be closed.

The charity, Fine Arts Institute of Mississippi or FAIM, operates the Boxcar Bingo parlor in Desoto County and has been under fire in recent months for alleged acts of fraud.

Murphy is currently involved in two appeals - one with the state Gaming Commission and another with the Secretary of State's office.

The state Gaming Commission, which governs charitable bingo, would not renew FAIM's license.

The Secretary of State's Office, which governs all charities, is attempting to revoke FAIM's charitable status.

Tuesday, at an appeal hearing with the Secretary of State's office, Murphy's salary was scrutinized by the prosecution which questioned why FAIM paid him $155,000 in 2008 and spent only $22,000 on actual charity.

Madison County Journal

Mississippi Craft Center Named Travel Attraction of the Year by Mississippi Tourism Association

Ridgeland, MS--The Mississippi Tourism Association named the Mississippi Craft Center its Travel Attraction of the Year at the Governor's Conference on Tourism in Tupelo, MS, Tuesday, March 2, 2010. Governor Haley Barbour addressed the conference and spoke of the importance of tourism to the State of Mississippi.

Accepting the award, Executive Director Julia Daily stated, "What an honor for the dedicated staff members, committed board and volunteers to receive such an award for the operation of our magnificent facility. However, it is a special honor for our talented artisans, the members of the Craftsmen's Guild of Mississippi. Their fine craft work entices travelers from all over the world, and more often than not, goes home in visitors' suitcases!"

Opening in 2007, the new Craft Center has experienced visitors from all 50 states and 27 foreign countries and is the home to the Craftsmen's Guild of Mississippi Exhibiting Members. Growing from 30 members in 1973, the Guild now boasts more than 400 members today. The Center has 250 annual craft demonstrations by master craftsmen, classes, a sales gallery, events and exhibits. The mission of the Guild is to preserve, promote, market, educate and encourage the highest standard of excellence in regional crafts.

In addition to events and exhibits, the Center has become a renowned space for weddings and corporate retreats.

Governors Awards for Excellence in the Arts draws large crowd.

The Governor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts was held on February 25, 2010 at Galloway Methodist Church in Jackson. The awards are presented annually to outstanding writers, artists, performers, craftsmen and educators who have made significant and lasting contributions through their work as well as to corporations or organizations on the basis of their dedication to arts advancement. Previous winners include B.B. King, James “Super Chikan” Johnson, Malcolm White, Mary Katharine Loyacono McCravey, the late Little Milton (Campbell), Dr. David Blackburn, the Mississippi Alliance for Arts Education, USA International Ballet Competition, William Eggleston, Bo Diddley and Charles Burnett.

The award presented to each recipient in 2010 was created by Mississippi artist, Bill Dunlap, who also acted as Master of Ceremonies.

The Arts in the Community Award was presented to Lenagenge Waldrup from Cleveland, Mississippi for her work providing arts opportunities for low-income children in the rural counties of the Mississippi Delta. The Excellence in Broadcasting Award went to the Grassroots Radio Show on Mississippi Public Broadcasting and was accepted by long time host, Bill Ellison. The Mississippi Heritage Award was given to Bessie Johnson from West Point, Mississippi for 40 years of basketweaving. The Award for Artisitic Excellence was presented to water color artist Wyatt Waters. And, the Lifetime Achievement Award went to David "Honeyboy" Edwards of Shaw, Mississippi for a lifetime of dedication as a blues musician.