A new documentary by a Pass Christian filmmaker takes an unflinching look behind the scenes of a five-year statewide battle. 

- by Ellis Anderson

A novel video project explores the rich and varied histories of our communities.
- by Steve Barney, president, The Arts, Hancock County

Professor Geil's residency focuses on the creation of a 360-degree videographic "quilt" of the communities in Hancock County. 
 
“The metaphor of a community quilt”, Geil states, “is to explore the varied narratives and histories of Hancock County.”    

He adds, “The project will explore and document what is special, vital, and difficult about living in Hancock County; at the same time, capturing the vibrancy of our communities by asking community members to show what is alive and amazing about where they live.”
 
This project is using novel technology; specialized 360-degree cameras. The cameras record a 360-degree view using two lenses that each capture a 180-degree view and then stitch the two sides together.  

​As a result, everything above, below, and on all sides of the camera is recorded simultaneously.  Geil explains; “the technology itself invites playing close attention to the landscape. Even places that are inherently familiar are seen differently.” 

Educators from several Hancock area schools are participating in the project, including West Hancock Elementary School, East Hancock Elementary School, Hancock North Central Elementary School, Hancock High School, Hancock Middle School, and North Bay Elementary School.  

Students from these schools will make artwork and participate in activities engaging the themes of, “what I love about where I live, the kindness of others, and the most beautiful thing I’ve ever known.”
 
In addition to the stories being produced by the school groups, the general public has the ability to participate as well.  On September 26 and 27, open sessions will be facilitated for members of the community to tell their stories.  Everyone is encouraged to participate and tell your personal story on camera.  
 
The success of the project depends on community involvement and the inclusion of wide range of thoughts and perspectives.  The public sessions are Thursday September 26 at the Bay St. Louis Public Library and Friday September 27 at the Kiln Public Library.  

Both sessions run from 1pm - 5pm.  Drop in anytime during these sessions to come tell your story on camera.   If needed additional sessions will be scheduled for October to make sure every voice is heard and captured.
 
The results of the project will premiere at the Inagural Homegrown Literary and Art Exchange taking place at the Hancock Performing Arts Center in Kiln. The Homegrown event kicks off on Thursday, November 21 with a free keynote presentation by National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward. 
 
Friday, November 22 includes a day filled with interactive workshops for writers, visual artists and literary lovers; culminating in a live performance at 7pm, where the Hancock Community Quilt videos will be shown to the public for the first time, in a celebration of place and history.  
 
After the premiere, the videos will be placed in a centralized online repository that can be shared across communities, and across the globe, via the internet. The videos will be accessible to view via smartphone, 3D viewer or web browser, providing opportunities to foster community dialog and exchange.   
 
At the conclusion of the project, the equipment purchased with the grant will remain in the community to be shared by The Arts, Hancock County, libraries and area schools as an educational resource.

The Arts, Hancock County produces a visionary full moon art gathering in a natural setting on Bayou La Terre.

- Story by Steve Barney, photos courtesy of TAHC

Madden said, “The most important thing Milton conveyed to me was to not over-plan, and to let the artists have complete freedom to express in any way.”

For The Arts, Hancock County, producing an event like this was uncharted territory. None of the art would be for sale; it is a temporary experience of art in nature. How many artists would want to participate? Would anyone drive 30-plus minutes to the wilderness to experience it? It turns out that 27 artists and over 250 visitors wanted to take part.

Led by Ann Madden, Kristie Buddenbaum and Bernie Cullen, the planning committee’s first task was to find the right venue – one that would allow visitors to experience nature while simultaneously allowing for the logistics of handling a large event.

​On their first visit to La Terre Bioregional Center and Art Studios last fall, the “dream team” knew immediately they had found the perfect place. Property owners James and Peggy Inabinet were excited about the opportunity to share where they live, work and provide a multitude of programs to the community. 
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This magical space was the perfect setting for this event. Located on Bayou La Terre about 15 miles north of the coast, La Terre is an amazing collection of handcrafted structures, walking paths, creek bluffs, permaculture gardens, art studios, ceremonial lodges and so much more.

James and Peggy are multi-talented artists, craftsmen, healers, farmers and educators. The Inabinets extend art to life’s journey itself – again, the invisible made visible. Emerson called this journey the “life of a poet.” Kandinsky called it a “life of art.”

Editor's note:  James Inabinet also writes the "Nature Notes" column for the Shoofly Magazine.  These "unexpected explorations" take readers to a place where philosophy meets nature.  Click here for his current column and scroll down for archived columns. 
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James specializes in weaving and dyeing shawls, rugs, and belts of natural fibers. Some dyes are grown in the garden [indigo] while others are wild-crafted [walnut husks, Osage orange]. La Terre co-proprietor Peggy is also an amazing multimedia artist.

​Peggy says, “I love the forest in which I live. The flowers and leaves are so stunning that I just have to watercolor them. The creatures I see tucked inside a flower or nibbling on a leaf intrigue me. But when I create in clay it's expressing my beliefs that seem to come forth from within. Hence, I create nativities, angels, Sacred Hearts, and petrogylph plaques using terra cotta clays.” 
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For James and Peggy, this life as art includes an inquiry into how it might be accomplished within a culture that makes it difficult [if not nigh impossible].

​ It also includes the bootstrapping of techniques that enable the art of becoming fully human, that enable the art of human flourishing within a flourishing ecosystem and enables the art of acting in the service of Gaia, in communion with the life-producing biosphere as an integral and functional component.

The Inabinets were enthusiastic to host a large event which incorporate the utopian principles of the Burningman global movement: Inclusion, Gifting, Immediacy, Leave No Trace, Self-Reliance, Self Expression, Civic Responsibility and Communal Effort.
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On Saturday, May 18, on an amazing moonlit night, it all happened… and for the 250 people who participated, it was a magical evening beyond anyone’s expectations.

27 artists, all members of The Arts, Hancock County participated, coming from New Orleans and across the Gulf Coast. Local Jazzabilly favorites, Heather and The Monkey King, performed in the carport, which became a central gathering spot featuring tasty food by Savage Skillet.

​Later in the evening visitors experienced the hypnotic performance of Hancock Arts regulars Pandorium Belly Dance Troupe and Priestess Sisters Fire Dance.

Participating artists included:

Ann Madden produced an installation using gel transfers of family photos as well as heirlooms and lights.

Cynthia Mahner and Karen West created Moonlight at the Oasis filled with sculpture, cushions, treats and magic elixers.

Danielle Inabinet fabricated a collection of delicate porcelain forms arranged within the sanctuary of the forest.

Deb Schwedhelm produced a video projection and printing of photographs onto a large piece of white fabrics delicately hung in the branches of trees.
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Dharma Gilley displayed abstracted paintings and wrote poems for visitors on her typewriter.

Elisa Desilva made a collection of faeries under the garden arbor.

Gregory Matusoff created a surreal cityscape intertwined with nature.

Holly Garvin created an underwater fantasy of jellyfishes and Gyptaku fish rubbing.

Hunter Cole created a nature-themed installation of Petri dishes with bioluminescent bacteria.

Jaqueline Mongoose and Eve Eisenman created Enchanted Night: A Wish Upon a Cloud, filled with wish faeires, whimsical paintings and sculptures.
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James Inabinet created Mother Earth, a partially buried torso birthing spring flower lights.

Jane Clair Tyner made mobile sculptural pieces made of found bones, prayer sticks and flags. 

Joby Bass and Jessica Dark fabricated a driftwood tree with ceramic flowers.

Kerr Grabowski and Micky Arnold created enlarged creatures of the night!

Lisa Keel and Donna Martin made lighted shrine Art of dazzling glass, fabric and tree branches. Night blooming Flowers - fairies and Moons. 
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Lucinda D’enfant Live painting amidst display of masks.

Margaret Inabinet An installation of King Cake babies in the context of nature.

Mark James did a spontaneous groundhog impersonation in midst of an extraterrestrial research area.

Monica Kelly Studio displayed a series of paintings about the divine feminine and the healing properties of flowers. Additionally, Monica’s team bodypainted designs inspired by the Flower Moon.
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Nathan Rodriguez built a collection of masks and sculptures and light boxes made from leather, glass, wood, and paper.

Samantha Shannon made a 12 inch high porcelain cast statue internally lit.

Steve Barney created a water sculpture made from broken pottery.
 
Look for more collaborative events between The Arts, Hancock County and LaTerre Bioregional Center and Art Studios in the future. For more info check out our websites: hancockarts.org and laterreintegralcenter.org.
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Click here to join The Arts, Hancock County!

One of the most distinctive houses in Bay St. Louis has been renovated by and serves as home to a lifelong artist.  

- story and photographs by Ellis Anderson 

Both her sisters and one son (local attorney and Shoofly Magazine history writer,Edward Gibson) are long-time residents of the Bay. A second son lives in New Orleans. Eventually, the pull of family and the relaxed lifestyle had the life-long Jackson resident shopping for a permanent coast home. ​

​Kit and sister Marilyn Mestayer often walked miles together through the Bay’s historic district – the conversation and their scenic routes made the exercise fun.  Their path sometimes led down Washington Street where the two always admired the wood and stone cottage near the beach.  
 
The design itself is a standout on the coast.  While Craftsman homes (mostly built from the 1890s through the 1930s) aren’t that unusual – few were constructed using stone, a material that had to be imported from hillier regions.  
 
The stout porch columns over the stone foundation give the building a sense of permanence.  Indeed, the house, built in 1909, was one of only two on the block to survive Hurricane Katrina.  Yet, the home’s many windows provide a lovely counter-balance, welcoming both light and air.

One day in 2016, Marilyn called Kit who was visiting in the Bay and excitedly shared the news that 119 Washington was going on the market. Both knew it would sell within hours because of its unusual design.

Their prediction was correct.  By the end of that day, Kit had a contract to buy it, despite the fact that it needed major renovation.  
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There were the obvious issues.  For instance, kitchen ceiling had collapsed, although it appeared that the sinker-cypress cabinets had survived.  An inspection revealed more problems – including the fact that none of the sinks were hooked up to the city’s sewage system.  Although there were no active termites, a lot of older termite damage would need to be addressed. 
 
But to Kit, the cottage’s charms far outweighed its problems.  It’d been built as part of a family compound for the Edwards, owners of a local lumber mill.  The larger house next door was constructed for the father, the Craftsman cottage for his son. The family milled all the lumber for both houses, presumably hand-picking the best wood available.  Heart pine from now extinct old-growth forests went into the main body of the cottage. For siding, they used cedar shingles.  ​

​​Inside, most of the original woodwork trim – and there’s lots of it – has been left natural.  Except in one room.
 
Kit explains that although the dark woodwork trim, windows, cabinetry and doors in the house grace the rooms with an understated elegance, it also darkens the interior spaces – despite the many windows.  The dining room at the heart of the house, visible even as one enters the front door, contained ceiling and wall trim in addition, making it something of a “black hole” at the heart of the house.  
 
Kit had considered painting all the wood in the house to lighten the ponderous feeling, but first consulted with local interior designer, Al Lawson, of Lawson Studio.  Al pointed out that painting only the millwork in the dining room would achieve the effect she was looking for.  Kit followed his advice. 
 
“It made all the difference,” she says.  “Al made a follower out of me.” 
​

Extensive repairs had to be made on the exterior before painting – which required the use of tall bucket trucks to replace some of the eaves.  
 
She tackled the restoration of interior woodwork herself, without striving for absolute perfection in the upper story.  
 
“We sort of did the woodwork there the French way – letting it sparkle as it is,” Kit explains, smiling. “It’d be a shame to come into an old house like this and try to make everything perfect.  I like that it’s flawed – just like me.”  ​
​

​Kit had planned to move into the house while the work was being completed.  But one day while she was painting upstairs, water started pouring through the ceiling.  It turned out that the old HVAC system couldn’t handle the load.  She counted herself fortunate that she’d been on site or she would have been dealing with another collapsed ceiling. Two new HVAC systems had to be installed, along with additional insulation. 
 
In addition to the dining room make-over, the entire 2300 square foot interior was repainted as well. 
 
“You might notice everything is grey,” Kit points out.  “It doesn’t compete with the woodwork, which is the jewel of this house.  It also makes a wonderful backdrop, letting the artwork come forward.  And this house just calls for art.” 
 
Kit has answered that call. She began her art collection when she was twenty and hadn’t stopped for the last fifty years.  While the collection ranges from traditional Choctaw basketry to contemporary paintings, she says the pieces have one trait in common. 

“Imagination,” she says. “Creativity. There's freedom of expression, even in the folk art pieces.” 
 
Much of her own work is on display as well – glass sculpture, photography, painting and pottery. Even mosaics.  The showstopper in the kitchen is a stove backsplash Kit created from shells and dish shards she collected on the beach after Katrina. 

​As a young girl growing up in Jackson, Kit wanted to be an artist from the time she was 13 (“Maybe I just liked making messes,” she jokes).  She took art lessons from a “magical” teacher named Elsie Mangum, who introduced her eager student to painting and drawing. 
 
Later, while attending Milsaps, Kit worked as an assistant to the renown Mississippi artist, Carl Wolfe. She immersed herself in art, focusing on watercolors, fabric design and pottery.  During summers, she studied at Memphis Art Academy.  Kit also attended Mississippi University for Women before graduating from Ole Miss as an art educator with minors in history and English.  
 
Later in life, starting in the early 200os, she began studying art glass, twice attending The Studio of the fabled Corning Museum of Glass in New York state, where she studied with internationally recognized Donna Milliron. 

​While there,  Kit  became part of a new “Garage Movement,” which advocated use of techniques and equipment that would allow glass artists to make a working studio in a garage.  

While Kit kept her artistic flame alive, her first career-track jobs involved promotion and marketing for state parks.  That led her to eventually becoming director of the state craftsmen guild, where she helped raise seven and a half million dollars for a permanent crafts center in the state.   Serious illness led her to resign the position.  When her health allowed, she returned to the post and oversaw the construction and completion of what’s become a state showpiece in Ridgeland.  
 
She also worked for the state’s Wildlife and Fisheries agency, where she was one of four people to write a program that helped people with developmental challenges to have outdoor experiences. The team was recognized with a prestigious Governor’s Award.  She calls that “the most fun job I’ve ever had in my life.”  Kit has also served as state director for the Mustard Seed Foundation and later, as president and CEO for the Mississippi Make-A-Wish Foundation. 
 
To celebrate her retirement several years ago, she climbed Mount Whitney.  The timing was coincidental.  Climbers must win a lottery to receive a permit to climb the mountain.  Kit had put her name in eight years before.  Over a two-week time-period, Kit and a friend hiked two shorter ascents first to acclimate themselves to the mountain’s 14,000+ ft. elevation.  She laughs about being a Mississippi flat-lander where “the highest place in the state is Duck Hill, which is 200 feet above sea-level.” 
 
Now the main restoration of the Craftsman cottage is complete, Kit’s finally enjoying a more relaxed coast life – spending time with her grandchildren and playing bridge. She’d like to return to her glass work and painting – on canvases this time instead of walls. 
​
But she sees the house as a continuing artistic project. 
 
“I’m still working on it,” she says.  “I’ll always be working on it, I guess.  I see it as a creative opportunity.”  

Permanent gallery space at Century Hall an attractive, welcoming venue for local artists and art lovers alike.
- Story by Dena Temple
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In 2005 the building suffered at the hands of Hurricane Katrina, and after a three-year renovation it was reincarnated as the Shops of Century Hall.
 
The Century Hall building is a formidable yet inviting structure. A wide porch and balcony grace the façade, beckoning visitors to explore the eclectic shops inside. As you cross the threshold into the vestibule, the scale of the building is evident: sturdy, hand-hewn beams crisscross above and around you, and the comforting aroma of aged timbers beckons you to enter – and explore.
 
Once inside, decisions must be made immediately: Do you follow a short flight of stairs that lead up, or the stairs that lead down to the lower level? Both levels feature tasteful antiques, original art and home décor items, but a glance upstairs reveals an austere white room: Gallery Edge at Century Hall. We ascend the stairs, anticipating what’s in store.
 

​Gallery Edge started as a collective of ten artists. Spearheaded by Bay St. Louis artist Kerr Grabowski, the space was converted into a gallery. The collective disbanded a year later, but Susan Peterson, manager of the Shops of Century Hall, didn’t want the space to revert back to retail.
 
“Susan wanted to make sure the space remained an art gallery,” explains Stacey Johnson, an artist from Biloxi whose ceramic art is featured in the gallery. “She has given it the time and energy it deserves, and thanks to her, local artists have a beautiful venue to display their work.”
 
Susan Peterson continued, “We wanted to expand the opportunities in the area for contemporary artists. Bay Saint Louis has a thriving art community, and we wanted Gallery Edge to play an important role in that.”
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​ 
Gallery Edge will be open late on the third Friday of each month for special exhibits highlighting the work of one featured artist. These showcases allow the artists to display a broader representation of their work rather than just a few key pieces.
 
“It also gives the artists a chance to talk about their work and make that human connection,” added Peterson.
 

​ 
Susan revealed another surprise at the Shops of Century Hall: a third level of retail shops is preparing to open soon. This bright, newly renovated space features walls adorned with elegant reclaimed Victorian-era tin (from the building’s original ceilings).  It’s a fitting backdrop for the antiques, collectibles and décor items on display within.
 
There is little question, however, that Gallery Edge is Peterson’s passion.
 
“When someone walks into the gallery for the first time and makes an emotional connection with one of the pieces, I know we made the right decision in keeping this a gallery space,” she says. “I’m excited to be here every day. Not many people can say that about where they work.”

The Shops of Century Hall
112 S. Second St.
Bay St. Louis, MS 39520
(504) 810-7772
Facebook page
Hours: 10-5 Tuesday-Saturday, 11-3 Sunday 

The 17th Annual Arts Alive! Festival celebrates our Gulf Coast creative culture with all of Old Town Bay St. Louis as a venue.  
- story by Dena Temple

Arts Alive! began 17 years ago as a simple tour of artists’ private studios in the area. Today it is a free, multi-day, multi-venue event that draws young and old alike to admire the talent of our local artisans.  The celebration generates a high level of excitement from the community and area merchants alike.

The event, produced by the non-profit organization The Arts, Hancock County, will take place in multiple outdoor locations around Old Town Bay St. Louis. Venues are located on Main Street, Second Street, Court Street – even the lumberyard will host artists exhibiting their work.

​Displays will feature many different mediums, from paintings, wood creations, sculpture and pottery to photography and ceramics, among others.
​

​Bigger, and better

“This is the big show,” exclaims Steve Barney, president of The Arts, Hancock County, “and it gets bigger and better every year. This event really has stood the test of time. We’re putting our best foot forward and showcasing the best of Hancock County.”

Arts Alive! has expanded to two full days for 2019 due to the tremendous interest of the public and the enthusiastic support of area merchants and the artists themselves. Participation by local artists has exploded, with 30% more artists already registered at press time – and more still signing up to display their work.

“For many young artists, this is their big debut,” explains Barney. “It’s their very first experience exhibiting their artwork. They’ll set up their tents, hang their work, and share it with the public for the first time. That can be extremely exhilarating. We’re excited to give them that opportunity.”
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​Show features

In addition to more than 50 of our best and brightest local artists displaying their work, this year’s show will also feature a Pottery Village, located on Second Street between Century Hall and the Mockingbird Café. Local pottery artists will display their creative, colorful wares, and visitors can have fun with live pottery demonstrations as well.

Acoustic musicians and other live entertainers will perform on the Shoofly Magazine Community Stage, located on the steps of the Courthouse (see schedule at the end of this story!). There will also be live music at the Mockingbird Café (110 S. Second Street).

On Saturday night, visitors are encouraged to stay and enjoy a mini film festival on the courthouse lawn, weather permitting.

Participating local merchants be participating as well. “Our local merchants are supporting the Arts Alive! Festival in every way,” Barney confirmed. “They’re proud of our hometown, our artists, and our community's reputation as a mainstay of the arts in Mississippi.” 
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The most innovative new feature of the festival, according to Barney and Aryana Ivey, event producer, is the brand-new Makerspace area. Here, many artists and makers will demonstrate their crafts and offer hands-on activities.

In addition, a number of area non-profit organizations are participating to provide art activities for children that incorporate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) as part of the art experience. Read more about the Makerspace area in this month’s Arts Alive column.

“There is a lot of excitement from our local non-profits to engage our youth with art, in a way that will help prepare them for high-paying jobs after graduation,” said Aryana Ivey.

Arts Alive! hours are 10am – 5pm on Saturday, March 23, and 11am – 4pm on Sunday, March 24. Admission is free. For the latest updates on the event, or for sponsorship or exhibitor information, visit the Arts, Hancock County website at www.hancockarts.org.

Studio Waveland creators Erica Larkin Gaudet and Mitchell Gaudet look back at their first year on the coast. “We've been successful,” Mitchell  says, “with a lot of support from a lot of people.”
- story by Denise Jacobs, photos by Ellis Anderson
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​“The secret is getting out," he continued.  "Artists from across the country are recognizing the robust environment and community resources we have here to develop, promote and support both established and emerging artists."

The artistic, entrepreneurial Gaudets find community-building through art “inspiring and exciting.”
 
“This is what we’ve always done,” says Mitchell, founder of Studio Inferno. “We develop distressed or underutilized properties into multifaceted cultural arts centers. This often includes other artists’ studios, a gallery, flex spaces for theatre and workshops.”

Mitchell adds that neither he or Erica are the type to work in isolation.  They thrive in situations where their personal studios are buzzing with the energy and creativity that’s a natural payoff from having fellow artists working nearby.
 
Since February 2018, Studio Waveland & Gallery has opened its space to host glassblowing workshops, bring-your-own dinner parties, gallery exhibitions, yoga classes, and a host of other special events.
 
In January 2019 alone, Studio Waveland hosted the Hancock Arts Juried Show Deux, an exhibition featuring many talented artists from Hancock County; a coffee and art film screening by Hunter Cole, NOLA artist and scientist; and a black-light Phosphorescence and Fluorescence Exhibition.
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The Gaudets say that Waveland Mayor Mike Smith and other public officials have been "super supportive" of the studio.  Before they relocated, Smith visited the Gaudets in their Arabi complex and understood the positive impact the couple could have in Waveland.  Alderman Jeremy Burke says the city is already reaping benefits from their presence. 

"Erica and Mitchell have been powerful drivers of the transformation in the local community by increasing vibrancy," said Burke.  "They are bringing a buzz to Coleman Avenue that Waveland hasn't seen before."

​

For the time being, Erica manages the business and creative side of Studio Waveland.  She’s had plenty of experience.  In 1991, after graduating with a degree in sculpture from Loyola University, she founded Toulouse Street Studio, where she taught metal sculpture in addition to creating her own pieces and a striking line of furniture. 

​Studio Waveland is the new home for her studio, where she fabricates and shows her hand-sculpted steel artwork, like the Lines of Strength piece, shown above. 
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Mitchell continues to work primarily out of Studio Inferno in Arabi, Louisiana. He compares the couple’s working dynamic to a weird multi-headed beast: “There’s me and my Studio Inferno.  Then Erica’s career and her artwork.  And then there’s Studio Waveland, which is where we hope to crash-land together.”
 
The vision involves incorporating Studio Inferno, an elaborate art space and glass foundry owned and operated by Gaudet since 1992, first situated in the New Orleans’ neighborhood of Bywater and currently in Arabi, Louisiana.
 
Moving a melting furnace (that holds 600 pounds of molten glass) and cooling ovens is not something the couple takes lightly, because of the difficult logistics and the enormous investment of time and money involved.  Yet the Coleman Avenue building (designed by local firm Unabridged Architecture) lends itself to the couple’s vision.

 
Mitchell says, “The architecture of the building is perfect. Even though it’s relatively new, it has a rawness that lends itself to what we’re trying to do.”
 
Also, he adds, “The fact that Erica and I both fell in love with this building is unbelievable.  We both have very strong opinions, but we agreed completely on this building!”

Richmond Barthé left Bay St. Louis at age fourteen. He became one of 20th century America’s greatest sculptors of the human form - and Mississippi’s preeminent artist in the field. 
- story by Edward Gibson

According to Celestine Labat, in the oral history preserved by Lori Gordon, Barthé was pronounced like “hearth.” His mother, the Creole Clemente’ Rabateau, hailed from a family of craftsmen, and his father, Richmond Barthé, an “American” as the Creoles disparaged, was a dark-skinned, grey-eyed African-American. The elder Richmond died within months of Jimmy’s birth.  
​

Jimmy enrolled at the newly formed St. Rose school where he met Celestine Labat’s sister, Inez Labat.  The teacher Labat recognized Jimmy’s talent for drawing and encouraged him with both praise and a supply of pencils and paper.  Inez Labat encouraged the young artist throughout his life.

Jimmy’s talent for portraiture soon drew the attention of the town, and the Pond family from New Orleans hired the young boy to work at their summer home. In the early twentieth century, African Americans could go only so far in school and when Jimmy completed the eighth grade, he moved with the Pond family to New Orleans.

Through the Ponds, Jimmy met Lyle Saxon, editor of the Times-Picayune, and future biographer of Jean Lafitte. Saxon, hardly ten years Jimmy’s senior, purchased Jimmy’s first oils and canvas. Barthé’s biographer, Margaret Rose Vendryes, in “Barthé:  A Life in Sculpture,” hypothesizes that the two shared an intimate relationship, though there is no certain evidence to support this.

Saxon sent Jimmy on false errands to Delgado where he could view the school’s classical art collection, a collection not generally available to people of color. At twenty-three, Jimmy Barthé rendered a portrait of the Savior for a church bazaar which impressed Saxon.  He attempted to have Jimmy enrolled in Delgado College - without success.

​Undeterred, and with the assistance of the local parish, Jimmy Barthé applied to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago accepted him.  Had Barthé attended the Pennsylvania school, he would have matriculated with Walter Anderson.

​With a modest fellowship from the parish in New Orleans, Barthé took up residence in the home of his Aunt Rose in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. He attended night classes at the Art Institute and turned his attention to sculpture by accident. He was facing difficulties capturing the third dimension in his painting and an instructor suggested sculpting in clay. Classmates sat as models and Barthé created two busts. The transformation was complete. He was no longer Jimmy Barthé but Richmond Barthé (pronounced “bar-tay”).
 
In 1927, Richmond Barthé exhibited in a show called The Negro in Art Week.  Critics panned the show, but praised the success of Richmond’s two busts, and he drew the attention of Chicago’s philanthropists, notably Julian Rosenwald. With their encouragement, Richmond established a studio in Bronzeville and created the first of many opuses, among them “Tortured Negro” (1929) and “Black Narcissus" (1927). The former was modeled on the classical pose of St. Sebastian, who was tied to a tree/post and pierced with many arrows.  The piece has been lost, according to Vendryes: “dimensions and location unknown.” 

Inez Labat visited the Bronzeville studio in 1929. According the Celestine, Inez found Richmond Barthé eating canned beans and the “soles of his shoes were flapping.” Labat took the impoverished young Barthé to a cobbler and “gave him some change.” In gratitude Richmond sculpted Inez Labat, “La Mulatresse” (1929), in plaster and gave it to her.

That year Richmond Barthé received the first of two Rosenwald fellowships. With this money and funds he received from a successful one-man show, Richmond Barthé moved to New York City and into the heart of the thriving Harlem Renaissance. There, he met African American luminaries such as Langston Hughes, James Weldon Johnson, Alaine Locke and Ralph Ellison. In New York, he became simply Barthé.
 
Over the next twenty years, from studios in Harlem and in Greenwich Village, Barthé created his body of work and enjoyed success that the Jimmy Barthé could have only imagined. Barthé sold pieces to the Whitney and the Museum of Modern Art as well as to wealthy collectors. He crafted “Blackberry Woman” (1930), his first major piece after moving to New York. 
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​In 1935, Barthé exhibited at the Rockefeller Center alongside Matisse and Picasso. His sculptures, including “Feral Benga” (1935), “African Dancer” (1933), and “Wetta“ (1934), received more praise from critics than his more well-known contemporaries.
 
Also in 1935, Barthé crafted his most political work to date. “The Mother” depicted a women holding the lifeless body of her son, the noose still hung about his neck. Sadly, Barthé, never comfortable as a dissident, later destroyed the piece.
 
Barthé installed several public commissions, including a frieze in Harlem, “Exodus and Dance” (1940) and works for the James Weldon Thomas House. Dance and the music of the Savoy Club inspired much of his work, including “Rugcutters” (1930) and “Kolombwan” (1934). He also crafted several religious pieces, including a life-size statue of the Savior, “Come Unto Me“ (1947), commissioned by the St. Jude School in Montgomery, Alabama. In New York, Barthé also felt less confined in his sexuality. He crafted the homoerotic pieces “The Stevedore” (1937) and “Boy With a Flute” (1939). 

For reasons unclear, Barthé abandoned New York in 1949. He traveled with the wife of philanthropist Robert Lehman to her winter home in Jamaica, and shortly afterwards, he purchased an estate there, Iolaus. His time in Jamaica was unproductive. He tried to paint without success. He completed his two largest pieces, “Toussaint L’Ouvreture" (1952) and the equestrian “Dessaline" (1954), for the Haitian government’s sesquicentennial celebration, but he accomplished little else during his time in Jamaica.

Iolaus was without power or telephone and his expatriate neighbors fled the hot and rainy summers. Loneliness and the slow pace of island life exacerbated an underlying depression. In 1961, he entered a hospital, first in Jamaica and then later in New York’s infamous Bellevue Hospital.
 
Doctors diagnosed him with schizophrenia and he received shock treatment. He recovered enough to return to Jamaica but sold Iolaus in 1964. Unsure of where to turn, Barthé came home briefly, visiting his old teacher, Inez Labat. He received the keys to the city from then-Mayor Scafidi. 
​

​Barthé spent several years in Florence, Italy, in the shadows of the Renaissance masters who had inspired his life’s work. Perhaps overwhelmed by the magnitude of Michelangelo, he could not work. He again became sick, and after a convalescence with friends in Lyon, France, arranged for return passage to the states.

Penniless and ill, Barthé landed in Pasadena, California. He became the benefactor of patrons such as James Garner and Bill Cosby, although he ultimately sued the latter for casting statues without his permission.  The City of Pasadena recognized the national treasure, and a street there is named for him. In the final photograph of the Vendryes biography, Barthé holds the street sign bearing his name. He smiles. 
 
Barthé died March 6, 1989, from complications related to cancer.  St. Rose conducted a celebratory Mass and the bells rang in his honor.

Barthés artistic legacy is complicated. Many African Americans disparage him as an “Uncle Tom,” for his many busts of famous men, including his last known piece, a bust of his patron, James Garner. He destroyed his most overtly political piece The Mother and may very well have destroyed Tortured Negro. He declined to permit the former to be displayed in the 1934 show, An Art Commentary on Lynching. The Creole Barthé was too high-minded, too formal for overtly political artists, such as Marcus Garvey.

His formalism also set him apart from other modern sculptors. His work was too representational, too linked to the Renaissance to fit neatly among moderns such as Henry Moore and Alberto Giacometti. His harshest critics simply decry Barthé as an imitator, notable only for rising above the oppressive racism of his times.

Vendryes, however, rightly notes that a Creole homosexual sculpting nude Africans and African-American models overtly challenged a white audience so fearful of African-American virility that they would (and often did) resort to violence to suppress it. Where Walter Anderson’s muse was the natural world and Ohr’s musen was pure form itself, Barthé reveled in the human body. He was not, as detractors argue, an apologist for whites in the separatist country of his birth. He longed for integration and advocated for it. However, politics was not his medium. It was the dancer, boxer, worker and the dying man. He treated them with dignity.  Barthé, the artist said, “black is a color, not a race.”

There is little remaining in Bay St. Louis to memorialize our greatest artist. A large pre-Katrina mural paying homage to the great artist was painted on the side of a county office building (on the corner of Second and Main Street), but the building was damaged by the storm and later demolished. The Bay St. Louis library houses a bust he gave to the city in 1964. Celestine Labat mentions a street off of Bookter named in his honor, but there is no Barthé or Barthe street found on the county’s Geoportal.

Celestine Labat tells a story in Lori Gordon’s oral history. It is unclear when, but according to her, “Jimmy” Barthé was visiting one year at Christmas. A reveler came, and deep into his cups, the drunk man dropped and broke the plaster bust of Barthés first benefactor, Inez Labat.

​According to Labat, “We heard a crash from the parlor, and Barthé didn’t say anything, he just put his head in hands.” Years later, Celestine came into some money, and she sent Barthé the shards. He cast the piece, "La Mulatresse," in bronze and sent it to her, recouping only material costs and the foundry’s bill.

 
Sources
Vendryes, Margaret Rose, Barthé: A Life in Sculpture. University Press, 2008.
Gordon, Lori K. “Oral History of Celestine Labat” Univ. of Southern Mississippi Oral History Project, 2003. 
Vertical Files, Hancock County Historical Society.
Various Articles, Sun-Herald Archive.
The Amistad Project. Tulane University. 

A few times a year, the iconic Second Saturday Artwalk event in Old Town Bay St. Louis adopts a theme.  Of course, celebrating the arts!  For the past four years, Dolly Parton has been the focus during January, the month of the music star's birthday.  It's called "Dolly Should," as in Dolly-Should-Come-And-Spend-Her-Birthday-In-Bay-St.-Louis.  

The day boasts a bevy of country-themed events with the grand finale being an extraordinary - and VERY competitive - Dolly Look-alike contest.  Stay tuned for complete details!  

Be sure to check out this month's "Hot Spot" businesses:  Mezzo Mezzo, 
300 South Second Street and Wild Gypsy Boutique, 131 Main Street.  Read more about them below in stories by Caroline St. Paul.  

When Sonny Wright bought The Cypress Cafe in June 2017, he knew that he wanted it to be something that Bay St. Louis had never seen before.

“I want it to be something completely different,” he says, and that is exactly what you get when you dine in this authentic Italian and Greek restaurant located in the old City Hall building. 

Wright was retired when he first visited Bay St. Louis. “A friend brought me here, and he said, ‘You’re gonna like this place.’” Sure enough, Wright fell in love.

“Six months [after retiring], I was bored out of my mind, so I said, ‘I have to find me something.’” Sonny previously owned a restaurant in New Orleans, so this type of business was something he knew and loved. 

He opened Mezzo Mezzo in April 2017. A restaurant so unique had to have a unique name. Mezzo Mezzo translates to “half and half” in Italian, just like he is. (His mother was Greek and his father was Italian). 

Sonny completely remodeled the space, bringing Italian influences and simplicity to the restaurant’s interior.

“The Italians, they make it simple, not aggravated.” This is reflected in his food as well. “We make things just right; just enough.” Sonny serves Italian and Greek food, always fresh, never frozen. “I like to go shopping everyday,” he says, explaining that almost everything that he buys is local.

In the kitchen, Sonny is the only one cooking. He says, “I don’t want help.” This allows him to cook delicious family recipes that are all stored in his head. Some of his specialties include stuffed cauliflower, Greek salad, spinach and lobster ravioli, pizza, hummus, cappuccinos, and baklava made with pure, local honey. 

When asked if the community is enjoying the food that he makes, he shakes his head and says, “They’re really impressed with the food the way it comes out.” He adds that he never leftovers.

The biggest accomplishment for Sonny is when he sees his customers enjoying his creations.

​“It’s like a million dollars. That’s my reward when I see somebody bragging about the food.” ​​

For the January 12 Second Saturday Art Walk, visit The Wild Gypsy Boutique and enjoy entertainment sponsored by The Peoples Bank, and get some glitter highlighter while you’re there! 

The Wild Gypsy Boutique is “your one-stop shop for everything beach!” This hip and fun shop is owned by mother/daughter duo, Karina and Brittani Carver. 

Karina and Brittani opened what they call a “beach vibe” boutique on Main Street in February 2018. They carry all things beach, but more specifically,  brands like Simply Southern, Natural Life, Victoria Lynn Jewelry, Original Mermaid, Glister, Buddy Love, Swan Creek Candles, Tab Boren Pottery, and Yellow Box.  

​The shop also carries an amazing array of sunglasses, sun hats, beach towels, bath ​bombs, flip flops, tees and tanks, glitter sunscreens and lotions.​

You are sure to find something special and fun at their adorable shop. There is always mermaid merchandise and glitter to be bought; some of their best sellers include glitter lotions and sunscreens, which make going to the beach even more enjoyable, Super Cool Tees, and Simply Southern merchandise. 
​
“The best part of owning the shop is that we get to do exactly what we have always wanted to do in the place where we wanted to do it!” Their shop fits perfectly in Old Town Bay St. Louis, as it is just a short walk to the beach. ​

For the upcoming spring season, they are adding a lot of new products and lines to the boutique, including “a large selection of girls youth tees…  We will be starting the New Year off with oodles of cool Mardi Gras and crawfish tees with matching jewelry and koozies.” 

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music!

Be sure to check out "Hot Spots" Gallery 220 (220 Main Street) and Bay Books (131 Main Street).  Read more about these featured businesses below! 

- stories by Grace Wilson, photos by Ellis Anderson 

​As visitors and locals drive down Main Street into the heart of Old Town, it’s hard to miss Gallery 220. The vibrant Coca-Cola mural on the side of 220 Main literally welcomes visitors to Old Town Bay St. Louis.
 
Inside the Art Deco building, art lovers discover the work of 25 local makers, and at least one of the artists will be in the gallery greeting guests. Gallery 220 is a true co-operative where the artists work in the shop at least one day a month.
 
Gallery 220 features a wide variety of artwork including painting, sculpture, jewelry, mosaics, textiles, pottery, photography and more. Truly there’s something for every interest, every age and every budget at this eclectic gallery.
 
Jenise McCardell and Mark Currier acquired the building just before Katrina from local artist Vicki Niolet, who had a wide network of artists.

​“All of the artists of Bay St. Louis were suddenly adrift and needed a home base, so that’s why we opened as a co-op,” said McCardell.
 
Before Katrina, shoppers will remember McCardell’s “Funky Rose” dress shop. Currier and she also opened their Clay Creations studio and shop in the back, where it remains today.
 
The gallery’s artists also often host workshops to teach people tricks of their trades.
 
Every inch of the gallery oozes art. In addition to the iconic Coca-Cola mural on the north side of the building, there’s also a mural of a tree on the beach side of the gallery that faces California Drawstrings and the other shops and restaurants of the 200 block.
 
“We hosted a contest with the local school – the winning design was by a team of 4th graders who proposed a huge tree called Old Faithful,” said McCardell.

​McCardell loves surrounding herself with art and creativity. She used to live in the French Quarter. When her daughter Devon turned three years old, she found the Bay as an alternative to the creativity New Orleans offered, but with a small town feel.
 
“My favorite thing about Bay St. Louis is the people – lots of them are artists with New Orleans ties,” McCardell said. “We are funky with a Mayberry feel.”

Jeremy Burke, owner and operator of the local independent bookstore Bay Books sees his job as putting smiles on faces and talking to everyone. 
 
Kay Gough, founder of Bay Books, put the store up for sale in 2011 when her husband's work took them out of the country. There was the potential the business would close. 

​“When my wife and I bought this place, we couldn’t see Bay St. Louis without a bookstore,” said Burke.
 
The way Burke sees it, people from all different walks of life and political views can find books that suit them in his shop. “We’re a bit of a think tank,” he said.

Bay Books is certainly a wonderland of new and used books with a large selection of goodies children. The shop also specializes in local authors and has a great selection of cookbooks. 
 
If there's something a customer doesn't see on the shelves, Burke is always happy to order it. 
 
“The majority of our customers are kids or people wanting to buy stuff for children,” Burke said. “As long as people of all ages want to continue to think and get lost in their imagination, there will always be a place for books.”
 
Saturday is the busiest day of the week for Bay Books. “Everyone loves to shop on a beautiful Saturday afternoon,” said Burke. 
 
Second Saturdays are especially popular as Burke often hosts book signings during the busy season. Bay Books is open Monday through Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for Second Saturday, of course, when Main Street shops are open well into the evening. 
 

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music!

Be sure to check out "Hot Spots" Magnolia Antiques (200 Main Street) and Trapani's Eatery (116 North Beach Blvd).  And be sure to stop in at Gallery 220 (220 Main St.) to see new work by Julie Nelson and Tommy Lewis. 

- stories by Grace Wilson, photos by Ellis Anderson 

To celebrate their "Hot Spot" status this month, on Second Saturday, Magnolia Antiques will host live music by Hadley Hill from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. with light refreshments. ​

“Grandma had it. Mom threw it out. I bought it back.” This sign hangs in Magnolia Antiques, and of all the treasures for sale, this sign is not. The smiles and laughs it brings to customers is priceless. 
 
Walking through the doors of Magnolia Antiques makes memories come flooding back. It’s truly a world of the past. There are 3,000 square feet of furniture, instruments, trinkets and more – all from another, simpler era.  
​
Glenda and Jack Schornick originally opened Magnolia Antiques on Highway90 at Dunbar Avenue in January 2005. Magnolia Antiques re-opened in Picayune in late 2006, with the owners’ dream of returning to the Bay. In 2008, that dream was realized and Magnolia Antiques opened at 200 Main Street in Old Town. In 2013 Schornick’s daughter, Shay Coss, relocated from California and became part of daily operations.  
 
She now serves as the store manager, and has an encyclopedic knowledge of the store and antiques generally – especially mid-century modern pieces. 

Magnolia Antiques is one of the cornerstones of the town, right on the corner of Main and Second streets, and is one of the shops that have made Bay St. Louis known for the some of the best antiques on the Gulf Coast.
 
Locals will remember their spot as Jerome’s Department Store for over 50 years.  “Everyone from the Bay shopped there at one time or another, especially for school uniforms, shoes, jeans, dancewear, and everything Boy Scouts,” said Glenda.
 
It’s still a department store of sorts. There’s the kitchenware department, the linen section, the kid’s toy area, the Depression glass display, the jewelry department and the music booth. There’s specialty items like the vintage cameras, and the quirky knick-knacks spread throughout the aisles of vintage and antique furniture.

Magnolia Antiques also features the late Betty Stechmann’s photography postcards from Bay St. Louis and the surrounding area.  Betty was a lifelong resident of the Bay and very involved in community arts and theater.  She passed away in 2013, but her spirit lives on as Magnolia has the bulk of her remaining stock.
 
The shop also boasts “the largest collection of playable ukuleles on the coast,” according to Jack, who is a bit of a ukulele expert.  With his knowledge and passion for ukuleles, he has stocked the shop with a grand selection, whether you’re looking for your first one or a prized one. The store also features lots of mid-century modern furniture thanks to Coss' keen eye.  It’s a family affair at Magnolia Antiques, which makes for a wide variety of finds stocking the shelves.
 
 “We are the epitome of recycling,” Glenda said. “We have all the things you loved in your grandmother’s, aunt’s and mom’s house, bringing the best of memories right from your heart to your home.” Indeed, there’s something for every interest from every time period.

Trapani’s is a Bay St. Louis staple. Although the beachfront is now known for food and drinks, Tony Trapani has been on Beach Boulevard since 1994.
​
“Our family has been down here a long time,” Trapani said. “My grandfather started a bar across the way called Trapani’s Knock Knock. My uncle took it over and Camille moved it to the highway.” ​

Thirty-five years, later, Hurricane Katrina took Trapani’s on the beach, too, but Trapani never questioned leaving. 

 “I love it here,” he says. “Whenever I go somewhere else, I can’t wait to come back.” Like many, he had to relocate temporarily, but now the restaurant is housed in a hurricane-resistant structure on the lot where the business had previously stood. 
​
Locals cheered the reopening as another sign of rebirth after the storm. Today locals and tourists alike line up for their fresh seafood and fresh innovative dishes.  And recently, Jimmy Buffet named Trapani's as one of his favorite beach bars.  

“It’s all homemade and handmade here,” said Trapani. “You won’t find pre-cooked sauces here.” Some of the house specialties include Trapani’s Spaghetti and Meatballs and the Eggplant Delacroix - both family recipes that Tony brought to the restaurant.

In addition to fresh seafood and traditional Italian fare, Trapani’s is known for Cajun favorites, steaks, and appetizers like fried green tomatoes topped with crabmeat and hollandaise, crab cakes, fried calamari, and homemade onion rings.
​
There’s also a crowd favorite called Shrimp Ecstasy, which is bacon-wrapped shrimp with cream cheese and jalapenos. Asian-inspired dishes are also a hit – wasabi tuna, tuna nachos and poke salad are all fresh favorites. ​

Each day there’s a $10 lunch special and on Thursdays, locals love the oyster special featuring raw or chargrilled oysters for $10 a dozen. Tony said they don’t have a proper happy hour, but every hour is a happy one at Trapani’s. 

The Blue Marlin Bar upstairs is the perfect hideaway to have a cold drink, an appetizer (or a few!), grab a comfy chair and sit down for a nice, relaxing conversation. 

The upstairs is also perfect for hosting your next party. It features a balcony with some of the best views of the Bay and a fireplace for chilly nights. 
​
Trapani’s Eatery is doing everything it can to stand heads and shoulders above the competition. It’s a slice of authentic Bay St. Louis. You never know who will be bellied up to the bar or buried in a booth behind a delicious plate of food. Jimmy Buffett often eats at Trapani’s when he’s in town.

Three artists will share the focus at Gallery 220 Main during the month of October, presenting their latest work at the cooperative art gallery located in Old Town Bay St. Louis, MS. The talent of Armand Douroux, Tommy Lewis and Julie Nelson will be featured during the Second Saturday art walk on Oct. 13 and throughout the month in the front window. Meet the artists and see how each explore their mediums with enthusiasm; Douroux’s photography, Lewis’ wood turning and Nelson’s pottery.
​
Armand Douroux grew up playing among the surrounding bayous and waters of his New Orleans home. His boyhood adventures, full of family and love, created a foundation that has become the basis of his photography. In his “BayouByMe” series, the memories come alive as he captures the colors of a sunset or the cotton-like swelling of clouds. His photos depict images of the Gulf Coast surroundings that has now become Dourouxs’ playground. He now calls the bayous and beaches of Bay St. Louis, MS his home and has imbued into his images the natural beauty of his neighborhood.

Tommy Lewis spent his career as a building contractor, retiring in 2015. That’s when he started turning bowls. Using wood from trees such as Box Elder and Ash, he creates purposeful objects that reveal the natural beauty of wood. Finding the right wood is always a challenge for Lewis, but when he comes across the perfect piece, he reveals nature in all its beauty. His wife talked him into entering some art shows and behold, in the two years he’s been showing, he’s won two second place ribbons, one third place and a coveted “People’s Choice Award”.

The wife Lewis mentions above, is pottery artist Julie Nelson. The couple have been together for 17 years. Nelson asked Lewis to join her and enter a show together. Both were entering in a 3-D category and would be competing against one another. “Once Tommy started turning wood I talked him into entering some of his pieces in shows, thereby pitting us against each other. It has been great fun with a happy competition” says Nelson.

Nelson was introduced to pottery in 1998 when she took throwing lessons from gallery artist, Regan Carney. She began working in clay full time in 2010 and has won several awards for her hand-crafted raku pottery. Recently, she has been exploring hand building, experimenting with new glazes and creating more mixed-media pieces. Nelson’s work is constantly evolving, which makes her pottery so interesting.

Gallery 220 Main invites all to stop by between 4-8pm on Second Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. There will be refreshments, creative energy and new art. Find us at the corner of 220 Main St. and Tolume St. in Bay St. Louis, MS. Call 228.466-6347 if you need more information. Visit our Facebook @Gallery220.

A Louisiana artist beloved for her dynamic paintings opens a new Bay St Louis gallery and launches a new children's book. 
- story by Denise Jacobs

“If I see something in a dumpster that I need,” she says, “I will get in the dumpster and dig it out. I have no shame.” ​

Originally from Louisiana and greatly influenced by the musical culture of New Orleans, Curtis has a collection of work that includes the original artwork for three French Quarter Fest posters featuring Pete Fountain, Kermit Ruffins, and Little Freddie King.
​

Also, she was commissioned to create the 20th annual Blues Masters at the Crossroads poster, the Satchmo Summer Fest poster, and two Legendary Blues Cruise official posters.

For as long as she can remember, Curtis has been creating.“My love of art has been lifelong,” she notes. “I remember drawing a duck when I was two years old—a tiny, little picture of a duck. I still remember the smell of graphite and the way the pencil felt in my hand.” 

Curtis earned her first degree in art education and her second in art design. Her father has been her lifelong mentor. “He was an outdoorsman, and as we walked the woods, my father would draw my attention to the outdoor world. He would point to a crow and ask me what color it was. I’d say black, and he would say, ‘Look again when the sun highlights the feathers.’”  ​

With a built-in appreciation of both nature and animals, she enjoys painting animals as much, if not more, than people (making her the perfect sponsor for the Shoofly Magazine's Shelter Stars column).

“Animal faces captivate me,” she says. “Some people say that if you’ve painted one golden retriever, you’ve painted them all, but that’s just not true. If you study animals, you will find that they are all different. The distinction might be as small a thing as a bump on the nose, but it is not insignificant.” 
​
Painting pet portraits is rewarding for the peace they bring to clients whose pets are no longer alive. When Curtis paints the portraits of animals still living, she visits the animals and takes photographs to guide her painting. Then, for the cherry on top, clients are encouraged to bring their pets in for the final stage of the pet portrait, the addition of the pet’s paw prints. 

The artist has made her own imprint on New Orleans, where she taught art in the greater New Orleans area and implemented an art-based curriculum, Artworks, through the New Orleans Museum of Art. In 2004, Curtis went into art full time, opening a gallery on Magazine Street in 2014, which she operated for four years before falling prey to the charms of Bay St. Louis. 

“The move to Bay St. Louis, finding a home at Century Hall, and finding a house for my husband and me took three months,” Curtis says, noting that everything “fell into place for us.” 

“Bay St. Louis is the perfect fit,” she notes. “It’s art friendly, and I’ve always loved it.” Also, the Bay is a perfect middle ground for traveling to Gulf Shores, Alabama, where her husband, children’s writer Perry Guy, runs a kayak rental business, and to New Orleans, where Curtis teaches art lessons to private clients as well as to women housed at the New Orleans Family Justice Center (via her church’s prison ministry).

​It’s a lot to balance, but Curtis says that whatever she’s doing, art is on her mind. ​

“If I’m running errands,” she says, “or doing something mundane, I’m thinking through my layout, my color palette, the potential size of a project.” 

Curtis’ latest project, The Mardi Gras Boat Parade, is a collaboration between herself and Perry Guy, illustrator and writer, respectively. The children’s story reflects Curtis’ childhood love of Beatrix Potter. Guy has written a song by the same name as the book, as well. To order The Mardi Gras Boat Parade online, visit Tami Curtis's website. 

As Curtis looks to her future in the Bay-Waveland area, she would like to begin offering private art lessons here. “When you create something yourself, something with personal meaning,” she says, “you can come home at the end of a hard day, glance at it, and find peace.”  ​

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music!  The good times roll year around with this family-friendly event celebrating life and art in the Bay. 
- stories by Grace Wilson

Be sure to check out "Hot Spots" Art, Collectibles and Antiques  (442 Main Street) and The Loft Yoga (111 Court Street).  You can read all about them below!

Loft Yoga will host an Open Studio on the evening of August 11 for Second Saturday. Patrons should enter at Bodega and the Parrot Head Bar and Grill and go upstairs to tour the studio.   For Second Saturday, August 11, everything in Art, Antiques and Collectibles will be 25-75% off with special $5 and $10 tables. ​

Bay St. Louis has long been known for antiques. If you are a collector coming into the heart of Old Town looking for treasures, you won’t want to miss Art, Antiques and Collectibles, the 4,200 square foot showroom at 442 Main Street.
 
Phillip La Grange and Herbie Pursley are at the helm of this breathtaking collection, and it’s just the tip of the iceberg. 
 
La Grange and Pursley have been collecting and restoring fine antiques and art for over 30 years and are bringing a lifetime of acquisitions to the Bay and Pass Christian for one final sale, which they anticipate will take two years or more to liquidate.
 
“I came out of retirement to help and here I am,” La Grange said.
 
Many know La Grange from his former antique spots: he had one of the first antique shops in Old Town on Court Street, another called Magnolia Place at the corner of Main Street in the old Ramsey building and the Blue Rose in Pass Christian, which in its heyday was a restaurant where waiters donned tuxedos and patrons could browse antiques before and after a multi-course dinner.
 
“People would fly in from all over the country to see us - including Michael Jackson’s mother - and we’d ship worldwide,” said La Grange.
 
Both Pursley and La Grange have collections and talent that would be lauded in Los Angeles, New York and beyond, but the pair have proudly made their career in the Bay and Pass Christian.
 
“By popular request, we are reopening the Blue Rose this fall, which will be 10,000 square feet of select merchandise - rare, quality antiques and fine art.”
 
Being in the business for over three decades, La Grange said he’s seen the roller coaster of demands when it comes to collectors. With older generations downsizing and children often having no interest in their family’s heirlooms, the past years have been more about collecting than selling, but that is changing.
 
“There’s good news for sellers on the horizon,” La Grange said. “I’ve been talking to some of the most prestigious appraisers, and there is now beginning to be a tremendous resurgence in collectibility.”
 
In the aftermath of Katrina, from Florida to Texas, there was lots lost to the storms of that season. 
 
“In recent years there have been floods across the nation like the ones we saw near Houston, massive fires in California, and so on,” said La Grange. “As people are replacing these rarities the pieces are bringing in higher prices than ever.”
 
Even young people are starting to take a second look at these collectibles, if for nothing else than investment, explains La Grange.
 
Many antique shops are made up of many booths from different collectors, but as you walk through Art, Antiques and Collectibles on Main Street with La Grange, you realize quickly these are all his personal treasures, each with a story or unique feature that he’s passionate about sharing. ​

La Grange helps shoppers look deeper at each piece, noting the intricate details, pointing out the hours of craftsmanship - much of it a lost art.
 
“It’s more than just property to me,” La Grange said. “I feel as if I’m preserving the craftsmanship and the labors of love. Even today I look at these dining sets and am still in awe of the years of dedicated craftsmen and hand carving - that artistry is gone.”
 
La Grange’s interest in antiques happened a bit by accident. After college, he saw many of his friends were making a mint buying, renovating, and selling real estate.
 
His first property was a house on the Jourdan River bought in the 1970s for $3,500. 
 
“I got courageous and started buying in New Orleans - Uptown and the Garden District,” La Grange said. “Lots of times the houses would be filled with old furniture which was just thrown in with the sale.” 
 
He used the furniture to stage houses for selling and saw the interest in the antiques. 
 
“I was a complete novice at the time, but learned really quickly when I saw the value of antiques,” he said.
 
The Bay and his place on the Jourdan River was always a place for La Grange to de-stress from the hustle and bustle of the city.
 
“This was my refuge way back,” said La Grange. “It was laid back like it is today. There was great serenity of being on the water and getting away from the nightlife and partying in New Orleans.” 
 
La Grange is looking forward to retirement once more. 
 
His antiques and art - including one of the world’s largest collections of ancient blue and white Chinese porcelain - have been stored across the country, but will soon return to the Bay to be sold in an area that has been longing to replace treasures lost in the storms.

​“Yoga is not about touching your toes. It is what you learn on the way down.” Jigar Gor
 
Christine Neese and Alyssa Dausman are on a journey to create a different kind of yoga studio in Bay St. Louis.
 
Loft Yoga, on 111 Court Street on the second floor of Bodega, is a power yoga studio, but that doesn’t mean they don’t offer the basics.
 
Dausman and Neese both discovered yoga as a way to release stress and strengthen, but both were skeptical about the ancient practice at first.
 
A scientist who came back home to work on the oil spill, Dausman began looking for an outlet from the high-stress job.
 
“I never went to yoga because I thought it was for crazy cuckoo vegans,” Dausman said. “Yet, when I tried it, I felt better. I kept going and started learning the science behind it.”
 
Yoga is a lot about breath work, but it’s not just hot air. There’s a reason for all the controlled breathing.
 
“Breathing is the only voluntary way we can control our nervous system,” Dausman explained. “It’s the most important thing you can do to calm your nerves.”
 
By day she was an oil spill restoration scientist and by night a yoga devotee who wanted to share her newfound knowledge and techniques with others. 
 
Today she teaches yoga during the week at Stennis where she’s a Naval Special Warfare yoga specialist, but her passion for yoga has bloomed into something more with Loft Yoga.
 
“Yoga is not just for thin people or people who have been physically fit their whole lives, it’s for everybody,” she said. “If you can’t do it - modify. It’s all about taking care of yourself.”

Neese is a massage therapist who practiced yoga for a year before telling anyone or entering a studio.
 
“I was in to running marathons and lifting weights,” Neese recalled. “I was looking at 40 and this was very hard on my body, but I thought if it didn’t hurt it wasn’t worth the workout. No pain, no gain.” 
 
She found herself teaching her massage clients about self care, stretching and stress management.
 
“I realized I was teaching them yoga, which I had no interest in and I was leading my clients in a direction where I truly needed to be,” Neese said. “I didn’t admit to anyone, but I was doing yoga in the morning - just five poses I found on the internet — I couldn’t believe the difference it made.”
 
Her mood was better. Soon, she couldn’t imagine starting the day without her five poses.
 
“Almost a year later I went into a studio and found it was so amazing sharing my yoga practice with others,” Neese said.
 
Dausman agrees, many people don’t come to a yoga studio because they are too afraid or intimidated. Perhaps the Loft Yoga studio is made more approachable because it's above one of Bay St. Louis' newest watering holes and restaurant: The Parrot Head Bar and Grill.
 
"Who says you can't have it all?" Dausman laughed. "My favorite food in the whole world is pork rinds. You don't have to be a health nut to love yoga. There are different levels of poses, so it’s all about stretching and how to preserve your lower back,” Dausman said. 
 
Loft Yoga has something for every level, from light stretching to handstand and inversion workshops. 
 
“Sunday morning is the most advanced class you could ever go to, and the most basic entry level is on Sunday evening,” said Dausman.
 
The pair are noticing that power yoga is where Loft Yoga stands out in the community.
 
“The type of people that come to us want something a little more rigorous and physically challenging,” Neese said. “We focus on more of the strengths part of it.”
 
Hot Yoga is also in the horizon at the Loft. 
 
That doesn’t mean that entry level students should shy away.
 
As the famous quote goes, yoga is not about touching your toes, it’s about the journey getting there. When Dausman started, she couldn’t touch her toes, but now she can stand with her hands under her feet.
 
“You have to start somewhere,” said Dausman. “My motto is: ‘Power Yoga, we’ll get there together.’” 

Dale Pohl thrives by sharing the joy of making art with children, both in and out of the classroom.
- story by Lisa Monti, photos courtesy Dale Pohl 

​When they were done, Pohl dutifully circled back to clean up the creations so neighbors wouldn’t be inconvenienced. They weren’t. Instead, she said, “People came running out and said ‘No, stop, don’t touch it.’ ” They had become instant fans of the ninja art.
 
During the camps, the students can come up with their own ideas for their creations and revise them again and again until they’re happy with them. “They can explore and I can let them,” Pohl said of the sessions. ​

Pohl’s sessions are designed for ages 5-8 and 9-12. “After that, they want to come back and help,” she said.
 
In the past, Pohl has offered special sessions like the one last Christmas for 7th to 9th graders where they made holiday cards, frames, ornaments and free style pieces. Ladies night out printmaking parties and kid’s birthday parties also are big hits, Pohl said.
 
She’s looking to do more adult workshops as time permits between her family (including the four Pohl children), her school schedule and her own art.
 
Watch for more special art events on The Nest’s Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/thenestbsl/

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music!  The good times roll year around with this family-friendly event celebrating life and art in the Bay. 
- stories by Denise Jacobs

Be sure to check out "Hot Spots" Bodega Sales and Rentals (111 Court Street) and California Drawstrings (216 Main Street).

On Second Saturday, June 9, California Drawstrings will give away a pair of sunglasses with every purchase. The Renegades, a five-piece variety band that plays classic and current dance, rock, contemporary, and country music, will perform from 4pm to 8pm.

Linda Keenan, owner of California Drawstrings, 216 Main Street, will tell you her boutique specializing in cotton, linen, and silk doesn’t have much to do with California. In fact, her company has been firmly rooted in the Gulf South since Keenan had her entrepreneur moment at the 1984 World's Fair in New Orleans.

“I was working in real estate in North Carolina when I saw this fabulous line of linen clothing at a boat show,” said Keenan. “I knew I wanted to continue my real estate career and move to New Orleans, but I thought people visiting for the World’s Fair weren’t going to understand the heat and humidity. I thought I could earn some extra money by selling this cool clothing line in the French Market, and it just really took off.”

In the beginning, California Drawstrings focused on two or three lines of clothing, and now it stocks about 50 vendors.

"We are always looking for what’s new and different in the marketplace," Keenan explains. "We still carry old standbys like Flax and Matchpoint, but we have found other great boutique lines like Cut Loose, April Cornell, and Fridaze's wrinkle-resistant linen. We have the largest selection of linen and cotton on the Gulf Coast.  We’re a niche retailer. We’re not everything to everybody, but in the natural fiber clothing line, we have a huge selection, and various sizes."

Keenan quickly outgrew her French Market booth and moved into the French Quarter and Covington, La. Today her store on Royal Street in New Orleans is a well-known spot for men and women to pick up the best in resort wear—shirts, pants, shorts, dresses, skirts, outerwear and accessories. No matter how high temperatures rise, California Drawstrings has something for everyone to be comfortable and stylish. 
 
“One day Nancy Moynan of Lulu's called me saying the mayor of Bay St. Louis told her about my shop and they thought it would be a good fit for Bay St. Louis,” Keenan said. “I went to see her space at Maggie May’s and opened a Bay St. Louis branch in 2012.”

​ Just as Keenan faced the familiar problem of outgrowing the space a couple of years later, she heard of a business for sale on Main Street. She saw the building and immediately made an offer. 

"We have so much more space in our Bay St. Louis location - and lots of parking, too,” she said.

"We get a lot of repeat customers, and it is not unusual to sit down with customers and just chat late in the afternoon."

Besides being a picturesque beach town, what she loves about Bay St. Louis is the people. "The people I meet in the store are probably the most rewarding aspect of owning the shop,” she said. 

Bay St. Louis, she said, is a place she wants to spend the rest of her life. “I’ll never really retire, but the pace is so much easier here than in New Orleans.” And after a while, she said, you just appreciate not having to worry about things like parking.

“I feel like I have the greatest sales team and the greatest managers,” Keenan said. “They look after the stores as if they were their own. The greatest compliment you can give me is that you love my staff. They are truly like family to me, watching out for what’s best for all of us. I can’t be in three places at once."

Betty Krieger has been with Keenan since she opened the Bay St. Louis shop and when she retires in June 2018, Stephanie Cooper will take over as manager. 

"And to think I literally started with two tables and $1,500 at the French Market.” ​

As a Second Saturday Hot Spot, Bodega will serve up specials on coconut margaritas and other tropical drinks and a Cuban Special by Chef Rickey.  ​

Located in the heart of Old Town Bay St. Louis, the Bodega is a recently renovated multifaceted complex featuring everything you’ll need to get the best out of this lively and charming town.

Looking for a way to get around town during your stay? Don't have a bike?  You can rent them at Bodega (just off Beach Boulevard at 111 Court Street).  Feeling more adventurous?  You can also ply the local waters with kayaks and paddle boards, also available for rent there.  Bodega Adventure Rentals and Sales has just what you need.  

The idea for Bodega evolved over time. Visionary entrepreneur Kevin Jordan bought the building from the city when it went up for auction several years ago. “I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do with it,” he said. “I often put the cart before the horse when it comes to real-estate decisions.” 
​
The property was in excellent shape, having been renovated by the city after Hurricane Katrina, if not a little staid. Jordan and crew went to work using reclaimed Katrina lumber, stucco, and paints. The building’s first iteration was to house the offices of his Gulfview Properties before making the transformation to beach hangout. 
​

Jordan rented bicycles first and then golf carts, followed by kayaks and paddle boards. Then he built a bar, subdivided the first floor for a liquor store and converted the second floor to a loft for yoga. 

Jordan recently teamed up with chef extraordinaire Rickey Peters, who has developed an enormous Gulf Coast following in the past 20 years. Out back, a deep French Quarter style balcony is being added to the building and will offer a covered area for dining below.  Inside, the 1,000-square-foot bar and dining area is adjacent to the kitchen where Rickey serves up his specials.  

Bodega gets its name from the town of Bodega in Northern California, home of Hitchcock’s thriller film The Birds, and one of Jordan’s favorite places to visit when he is at his family’s vineyard in Napa Valley. El Bodega is one of Jordan’s favorite bars in Havana. Jordan explains that in and around New York City, the term is used to refer to a convenience/liquor store, and that seems to fit, as he hopes to eventually carry beach and convenience store items. 
​

More than anything, Jordan would like to see Bodega become a local destination. After all, “everyone wants to go where the locals go.”  Conveniently located half a block from the beach, the Parrot Head Bar and Grill is the perfect hangout to relax and unwind, and Jordan seems to be off to a very good start. 

Bodega Rentals & Sales is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Parrot Head is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. until closing time and is closed on Monday and Tuesday. 

George Mills and the Invisibles performs at Bodega each Saturday from 6 p.m.  until.
​

Everyone is invited to join in the creative energy at Gallery 220 Main, home to over 25 local artists. June Second Saturday at the Gallery offers live music from Dave Holt and Friends, delicious food and good company. Find us at 220 Main St., Bay St. Louis, MS, just two blocks north of the beach. Call 228-466-6347 for additional information.

June in Bay St. Louis brings hot temperatures, sandy swimsuits and the taste of saltwater. It also brings together two of the Bay’s top artists, painters Barbara Brodtmann and Janet Densmore. The pair will be featured the entire month at Gallery 220 Main.

Barbara Brodtmann creates unique impressions of life on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Her subjects range from horn blowing Jazz musicians to beach strutting Sandpipers, all the while capturing the unique colors and light with her favorite mediums of watercolor and acrylic. In addition to her paintings, Barbara has a long history of teaching art, to both children and adults and many have attended her popular Wine, Women and Watercolor sessions. 
 
Janet Densmore will be showing more of her acrylic altered landscapes and beach scenes that change color by means of transparent pigments and minerals. Some images shift from vibrant neorealism to linear abstraction as the viewer moves closer to the paintings. In her smaller paintings and sculptures, Janet pushes the classic genre of still life to hilarious extremes in works she likes to call “Food For Thought,” with titles like “Confronting GMO” and “Cutting Down On Fats.”

Also at Gallery 220 on Second Saturday

Gallery 220 Main, located in old Town Bay St. Louis and MAP (Music, Arts and Practicality) of Hancock Co. have been working together since last March, when the co-operative art gallery had its grand re-opening.

​ Artist Amy Kramer created an acrylic on canvas banner that has been featured in the front window of the gallery since the re-opening. Knowing the window would be reset for summer, Kramer and gallery artists decided to raffle the painting, with all funds going to the MAP summer camp program.

 The $5 raffle tickets will be available for purchase until the drawing, which will take place on Saturday, June 9 at 7 pm in the gallery showroom.

MAP states its mission is to, “provide an enriching environment at no cost for children in grades K-12 and to explore and learn Music, Arts, and Practicality (Life Skills) by establishing a multicultural Children's Theater and Children's Choir.”

This year’s production is, “Shrek, Jr. the Musical” and will be performed later in the summer. MAP is a 501c3 non-profit organization and operates with a volunteer staff. It offers a four to six-week summer camp experience for children who would not normally be able to attend camp due to finances.

MAP representatives and children, along with Gallery 220 artists invite you to join us for this special event. Please call, (228) 466-6347 for additional information or visit our Facebook page for current happenings.

It may be one of the oldest galleries in the state, but with 20+ artists working in different media, this Bay St. Louis Gallery stays on the cutting edge. 
- story by Lisa Monti
photos by Brenda Comer, Ellis Anderson and courtesy Gallery 220

McCardell and Currier organized the artist cooperative a few weeks after Hurricane Katrina displaced artists along the beachfront. They also own and operate the popular Clay Creations, located just behind the gallery showroom inside the building which is known for its colorful tree mural on the south side and the Coke sign painted on the north wall.
 
Joanna Slay, a mixed-media and mosaic artist, joined the cooperative in 2012 and teaches quarterly workshops there. She now handles public relations for the gallery, which is filled with works of 27 local artists.

​There are paintings, photos, pottery, jewelry, sculptures and other creations filling the gallery walls and shelving. Some of the artists teach classes in painting, pottery and mosaics, and most take commissions. It’s been described as “an epicenter of creative energy.”

“We have such a diverse group,” said Slay. “We have artists of all ages, from their 70s on down to their 20s. It’s a great place for young artists to start out and for retirees who have time and energy to focus 100 percent on their work and to show their work as well.”
 
Slay said there is a waiting list of artists who want to be a part of the vibrant cooperative. That’s a sure sign of both the local art community’s vitality and of Gallery 220’s reputation for quality content. “If there’s space available and the caliber of work is up to the gallery’s standards, they will be accepted,” Slay said of prospective members.
 
Because the cooperative is more than a visual gallery, members staff Gallery 220 one day a month, greeting and helping customers. Artist Barbara Brodtmann manages the work schedule and front desk duties.

​That personal interaction with the artists makes shopping a special experience for art fans. Member artist Janet Densmore says the personal connection gives the collectors “an opportunity to participated and express their own creative imagination.” That’s something unique to visiting the cooperative that shoppers won’t experience in generic stores.
 
This year, Gallery 220 started featuring an artist or two each month, displaying their work in the north window as well as in prominent spots inside the Art Deco building.
 
The featured artist for May is Pam Marshall, a watercolor artist who is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society, along with the Mississippi and Louisiana Societies. In addition to the window display, you can find Marshall’s new work on display inside the gallery during the Second Saturday  Art Walk on May 14.

The South window will change seasonally, Slay said. The current theme “Around the Bay” features a large colorful canvas painting by Amy Kramer that showcases the easy lifestyle the Bay is known for. The canvas will be auctioned on June 9 during the Second Saturday Art Walk.

All proceeds will go to MAP (Music, Art and Practicality) of Hancock County. This organization offers a 4- to 6-week summer camp that is free to qualifying students. Children learn everything from set design to acting at a performance at the end of camp. Tickets are $5 and available at the Gallery and through MAP organizers.
 
Slay says Gallery 220 provides support to the local arts community and encourages the artist spirit. “We have camaraderie here, “ she said. “This is a good place to start if you’re a new artist or if you’re getting back in the market. We try to encourage each other and promote each other’s work. It’s just unbelievable.”
 
Gallery 220
220 Main St.
Bay St. Louis
228-466-6347
Open 11a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music!  The good times roll year around with this family-friendly event celebrating life and art in the Bay. 
​- - stories by Denise Jacobs, photos by Ellis Anderson and courtesy C&C Bistro

Be sure to check out "Hot Spots" C&C Bistro (111 Main Street) and The Arts, Hancock County (they'll be headquartered for the evening at the French Potager, 213 Main Street).

As a featured Hot Spot during the Old Town Merchants Association Second
Saturday celebration on Saturday, May 12, Cork & Cleaver will provide live music by Serabee, with bar specials between 4pm and 8pm.

Chef David Dickensauge, Jr., owner at C & C Bistro, which features upscale, casual, authentic Italian cuisine, is a happily busy man. The chef is assisted on the financial side by his business partner and father, David Dickensauge, Sr., and appreciatively so. 
 
“Dad is retired Air Force," Chef David notes, “with no clue about the day-to-day operational part of a farm-to-table restaurant. We both do what we're good at, and it works out perfectly."
 
As operational manager and chef, Dickensauge handles sourcing food, planning menus, preparing food, or managing the restaurant.

“We’re not warming things up here,” the Chef notes. “No big truck pulls up to make deliveries here. I’m busy with marketing, cooking, making sure the restaurant is running, the food is perfect, and the kitchen meticulous. I design everything here, and I run it.”  

And it shows. Lisa Monti, restaurant reviewer for the Shoofly Magazine, stated it perfectly in her February 2018 review of Cork & Cleaver—“Dickensauge has crafted weekly specials that might make you want to double down for lunch and then back for dinner in quick succession.”
 
While the menu changes eight times a year to reflect the availability of fresh foods from Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama, the fare is always true Italian, the pasta is always made in-house, and the pizza prepared in a special gas-fired brick oven.
 
Weekly specials are popular with the local crowd, a crowd that enjoys special Happy Hour deals from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., as well. Monday draws beef lovers for the $20 ribeye and/or sirloin filet, each served with black truffle ricotta salada and twice-baked potatoes.

Pasta fans enjoy the $10 Tuesday homemade signature pastas and/or a selection of artisan pizzas. Wine Down Wednesdays are becoming quite a big deal, in part because of the great selection of wines by the bottle at half price and because of the freshly shucked char-baked oysters that sell for $8 a dozen.

Thursday deserves a paragraph of its own. That’s when evening diners should prepare themselves for a four-course set dinner option for just $38 a person. The menu varies, but a recent Thursday, Chef David prepared a first course of roasted cauliflower with a goat cheese and feta spread, a second course of  seared scallop over scallion mashed potatoes with roasted red pepper sauce, a third course of coffee-crusted tenderloin (4 oz.) with grilled polenta and sautéed vegetables, and a fourth course of ricotta cheesecake in a Mason Jar with fresh blueberries and lavender.
 
On major holidays, Chef David offers six-course meals with a seventh-course lagniappe.
 
There’s really no excuse not to try C&C Italian Bistro at least once. The weekly specials make it easy, but don’t stop there. The menu itself guarantees one of the finest dining experiences on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. You'll be back. 

The Arts, Hancock County, a fast-growing, active organization that offers sponsorship and genuine support in the form of shows, classes, events, and other instructional ventures, boasts over 300 members—all of them either artists or lovers of art.

If not butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers, The Arts, Hancock governing board is comprised of business owners, a photographer, an architect, a teacher, potters, a writer, and professional volunteers. This diversity reflects the spirit and rapidly growing membership of a non-profit corporation dedicated to promoting art in everyday life in Hancock County.
​
The vision spearheaded by Steve Barney, president of The Arts, Hancock County and founder of the STEAMpunk Pottery Project—an educational program for children—is to “reinvent the organization to support the entire spectrum of artists and capture the artistic buzz centered in Hancock County.”

The buzz goes beyond traditional forms of art to include all types of creative expression and performance. For example, the 2018 ArtsAlive! festival, the largest annual Arts, Hancock County undertaking, highlighted the burgeoning scene of artists, makers, and performers from across the region.

Happy festival-goers found an abundance of live demonstrations, hands-on activities, and artist showcases/marketplaces, from musical performances to poetry readings to belly dancers. At hands-on MakerSpace stations, fest- goers practiced the art of screen printing and drum-making, and volunteers of all ages engaged in public art projects such as the one at Ruth’s Garden on Court Street.

Other participatory art experiences included on-site painting of beach-bound trash cans and the creation of a public mural.

During Arts!Alive, some members of the Old Town Merchants Association hosted artists and artisans at storefront locations throughout Old Town where some artists demonstrated their work while others were simply on hand to talk about their creative process. 

Bay Life Gifts owner Janice Guido, a previous Old Town Merchants Association board member and current Arts, Hancock County board member, noted that Arts!Alive drew an upscale, art-wise, sophisticated clientele eager to buy. By all reports, local artists and the merchants who sponsored them fared well.

At the center of Arts, Hancock County is a 7,500-square-foot industrial building on the corner of Washington and Central, the Bay St. Louis Creative Arts Center (101 Central Ave.).

Since Barney purchased the dilapidated building in 2017, it has become a gathering space in an emerging art district. The building is the seat of monthly Arts, Hancock County membership meetings, the Raw Oyster Marching Club's oyster-painting central, the home of workshops from pottery to flower arranging, and even a space in which Mardi Gras floats are constructed.

The most active part of the Bay Creative Arts Center, however, is the 1,200-square-foot pottery studio, which partners with Lazy Magnolia Brewery and offers adult classes and after-school classes for children. 

Having moved to Old Town, an historic district extending from Beach Boulevard to St. Francis Street and Washington Street to Ulman Avenue, Arts, Hancock County is tapping into the creative economy in Hancock County, expanding into Waveland and the Kiln, and exploring partnerships between local businesses and artists.

As of this writing, Arts, Hancock County boasts overlapping exhibits at four business and civic entities—200 North Beach, Bay St. Louis City Hall, Waveland City Hall, and the Ground Zero Museum in Waveland.

“In the early days of the organization,” Barney notes, “the goal was to help artists re-establish themselves in the aftermath of Katrina. We are circling around, going back to our roots.”
​
To join Arts, Hancock County, visit https://hancockarts.org/join-us. Alternatively, talk to organizational VP Ann Dinwiddie Madden, co-founder of Smith & Lens Gallery (106 S. Second Street, Bay St. Louis), or Treasurer Alicein Schwabacher, owner and manager of  the Mockingbird Café (110 South Second Street, Bay St. Louis).

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music!  The good times roll year around with this family-friendly event celebrating life and art in the Bay. 

To celebrate its Hot Spot status, during the Second Saturday Artwalk on April 14, the bakery will extend its hours to 8:00 p.m.

If you stop by between 4 and 8pm, you will be treated to samples of the Coast Roast coffee so beloved by locals - along with goodies brought to you via the creative imaginations of Al and Vivian Jensen, and their bakers and baker’s helpers.  You will be glad you did. Seriously! 

If you blink while passing, you could miss the place, but you will be sorry if you do.
Nestled behind Bay Books, at 131 Main Street, Serious Bread Bakery (131 Main St., Suite D) is a beloved attraction for locals and visitors. All are welcome.
 
“We like our city and, most of all, we enjoy our customers,” say Al and Vivian Jensen, proprietors.

Al Jensen is a retired oceanographer who traveled around the world during his career, sampling breads in every country he visited.  Frustrated by the lack of artisan breads on the Gulf Coast, this staff-of-life connoisseur later decided to solve the problem by becoming a baker himself. Jensen pursued his new vocation “seriously.” 
​
After several workshops with a world-renowned baker in Vermont, the Jensens began selling their loaves in regional farmers’ markets and, for four and a half years, provided the Mockingbird Café with sandwich bread.

 Finding that their offerings were snapped up by a public hungry for more, the couple opened Serious Bread and never looked back. They still sell their goods at Long Beach and Ocean Springs farmers’ markets and have expanded into other enterprises of late.

In its latest phase of wholesale marketing, Serious Bread has teamed with the Kiln’s Lazy Magnolia Brewery. The Brewery’s menu creations—from chicken and vegetarian pizzas to cheese-dip bowls — rely on brat buns, bread bowls, crostini, Bavarian style soft pretzels, and flatbread provided by Serious Bread.

“Our world is about change, and so is our bakery,” notes Al.

Some things, however, like a reliance on King Arthur Flour and other wholesome ingredients, remain the same.
​
A key technique isn’t about to change either: the bakery continues to soak grains for eight to ten hours to dissipate phytic acid and make minerals and nutrients more available. This time-honored way of baking bread results in healthy, easily-digestible, and delicious loaves. 

Serious Bread, a Jensen family affair, has daughter Renee serving as manager, buyer, and scheduler. In addition, the Jensens are “phasing in” new bakers who add new goodies.

Jose “Pablo” Paz, trained with an “old-time” French baker, and comes from a long line of bakers. In addition to the artisan bread he bakes daily assisted by apprentice Phillip DelValle, Pablo rustles up cinnamon rolls, shoe soles, turnovers, and seasonal King Cakes—the latter so spectacular they were featured on WGNO TV News with a Twist during Mardi Gras.

The Jensens understand the importance of staff. Rose Gooding has been part of the “work family” for five years.  She is the creator of the all-natural energy bars which are a favorite of athletic types who swear the healthy snack sustains them during long runs and bike rides.

Sara Hahn assists Rose in the creation of scones, muffins, cookies, the occasional cake, and an assortment of luncheon items like tabbouleh, hummus, chicken salad, and other mouth-watering foods. 
​
In the spirit of progress and change, Al adds, “We are giving serious thought to offering a mini flatbread and soup meal.” The lucky Mudfest patrons that sampled the Jensen’s 100-year-old family recipe, lentil- and goat-sausage soup, will approve.
Serious Bread is open Tuesday through Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
 

The Porch's owner, JoAnn Saucier, invites you to grab your BFF and head over on Second Saturday, April 14, for drinks, snacks, and live music. While there, take advantage of many shops under one roof in Century Hall and ample on-site parking.

​Sit a spell. Feel happy and good. 

The porch—wraparound or screened in—we love it and can’t seem to imagine living without. Some of us live for and on our porches, especially in the summer months.
 
JoAnn Saucier created The Porch at the Bay, one of the Century Hall shops at 112 S. Second Street, Bay St. Louis, to reflect the “easy feel” of the front porch. “When people walk in,” she says, “I want them to feel happy and good.”
 
Shoppers will find an eclectic mix of farmhouse-meets-industrial. Lovely chalk-painted pieces, both large and small, fill The Porch. Saucier rehabs the “worst-looking stuff” she can find, meticulously restoring and repainting it from one of the many luscious chalk paints she keeps on hand in the shop.
​
“In fact,” she notes, “I would like to offer classes on chalk painting soon.” 

An array of handy kitchen items with a farmhouse look rounds out the merchandise. Think “uncommon goods for creative ideas,” like grain-sack material that Saucier describes as “perfect for turning into table runners or covering a chair seat,” adding, “the possibilities are endless!”
 
Beautifully woven baskets adorn the walls and, below, them, fabulous planters that look like baskets but are made from cement. Saucier confides laughingly that she might just have a “basket addiction.”

The Porch, which opened in 2017, is a relative newcomer to the Bay. Before moving to Bay St. Louis, Saucier ran The Porch on Magazine Street in New Orleans. With a background in art, Saucier first opened a booth on Magazine Street with a fellow student at New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts. 
​
Over the years, Bay Life Gifts owner Janice Guido, friend and neighbor (before Guido relocated to the Bay), encouraged Saucier to move to Bay St. Louis. With husband in tow, Saucier began visiting the Bay increasingly often and, as she tells it, “The more we came here, the less we wanted to go back.” In 2014, the couple began making plans to move to the Bay in earnest. 

​In 2017, Saucier opened The Porch in Century Hall. A year later, Guido moved Bay Life Gifts from Main Street to Century Hall, and the two are neighbors once again. The Porch is downstairs on the left, and Bay Life Gifts is downstairs on the right. It’s a double delight!
 
Saucier loves being in the Bay—"The people, the atmosphere, the slower pace . . . it all just makes me happy.” And she has found her perch in Century Hall.
 
Saucier says she loves bouncing ideas off “fun and energetic” shopkeepers like Guido and Susan Peterson, Bay Elements proprietor and manager of Century Hall. “Other shopkeepers always have great ideas,” she says.
 
The future holds all kinds of possibilities. Saucier looks forward to adding a few more food products to flesh out the jellies and spices she already carries, and, perhaps most importantly, Saucier is looking forward to returning to her artwork and displaying it in the shop. 
 
Saucier’s most recent development takes the form of an online series entitled “Meet Me on the Porch Monday.” The series of inspirational porches can be found only on Facebook at @ThePorchattheBay. 
 
The Porch is open 10 to 5 Tuesday through Saturday, 11 to 3 on Sundays, and is closed for business on Mondays. 

The annual ArtsAlive! event  in Bay St. Louis is no average art festival - it's a hands-on learning experience geared toward the next generation of artists.  Peek behind the scenes and check out the 2018 schedule of events! 
- by Denise Jacobs, photos Ellis Anderson, Brenda Comer

ArtsAlive 2018 Schedule

Juried exhibition and Patron' Party
530 pm Friday March 23
200 North Beach Restaurant

Arts Alive Artist / Artisan Showcase
hands-on activities 
Saturday, March 24, 10am - 5pm
Throughout Old Town

Live music til 7:30pm
Mockingbird Café
110 South Second Street

Student Film Showcase
7:30pm - 8:30pm
Mockingbird Café
110 South Second Street

In the new MakerSpace tent on the corner of Second and Main, a whole lot of hands-on “making” with upcycled materials will be going on. Activities include drum-making with Bay Ratz Marching Battery Director Brian Wilemon; screen printing with Kerr Grabowski; basic wiring, soldering, LED lighting, and control with David Schwartz; and clay ocarina flute-making with Rosie Demoulin. 

​The MakerSpace is also the go-to place for face painting. Then, over at the French Potager on the second block of Main, the Raw Oyster Marching Club will lead an interactive workshop on oyster decoration. 

​Volunteers of all ages will decorate and paint trash cans along the beach under the artistic direction of Chris Stebley, a successful Ocean Springs artist whose love for the Gulf Coast’s natural beauty shines through in watercolors, block prints, decorated pottery, and murals. Barney refers to Chris a “real exciting draw.”  

Arts Alive! is free and open to the public; however, some events, like the Patron's Party and selected hands-on activities, require an Arts Alive! button. A voluntary contribution of $5 will buy a clever and colorful button designed by John Anderson, architect at unabridged Architecture. Buttons will be available all day during Arts Alive! and can be purchased in advance at Mockingbird Café, French Potager, 200 North Beach, and C&C Italian Bistro. ​

“The next generation” isn’t just an expression; Barney can put names and faces to those future artists.
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Since the beginning of this academic year, a small posse of volunteers from Arts, Hancock County has met with the next generation of artists at the Bay/Waveland Boys and Girls Club on Thursday afternoons.  

The after-school meetings grew out of the 2017 Magnolia Bayou STEM Project via Mississippi State University. You might say that Barney and Ann Madden, the lens in Smith & Lens and current vice president of the Arts, Hancock County, put the “A” in STEAM-based projects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.) With the conclusion of summer, Barney thought, why stop there?

“Maintaining the connection to students is important,” Barney explains, noting that art education has essentially been de-funded in the public schools. For Barney, continued involvement with students is “an opportunity to give back in a really meaningful way.”

“Success,” Barney muses, is “dependent on community involvement and the generous sponsorship of local businesses and individuals.” For their part, individual businesses will host and sponsor a wide diversity of artists in partnerships that are sure to benefit artist and business alike.

Social Chair’s Yuki Northington, president of the Old Town Merchants Association, attributes the success of Arts Alive! to the accessibility of artists to the public: “Arts Alive! is always a well-attended event because customers have the opportunity to speak with each artist directly, and there is always something new to discover. Our town is bursting with artists, and this event is really their time to shine.”
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Special funding and volunteer efforts will really apply the shine. The Hancock County Tourism Bureau has made possible “an aggressive plan” to draw more visitors from neighboring markets like New Orleans and Biloxi. The Hancock County Board of Supervisors made the beachfront beautification project possible.

“The traction of people who like art is gaining momentum,” says Barney. Astoundingly, over 400 people regularly attend family-friendly First Fridays at the Lazy Magnolia Brewery, events that feature local artists, sometimes in demonstration mode. In fact, the March 2 event included 12 artists from Arts, Hancock County.

​“We’re real excited about this growing partnership with Lazy Magnolia Brewery. Leslie and Mark Henderson have been great supporters of the arts, both personally and through their business.” 

Barney views the buttons that are being sold this year as a mechanism for those in the community who want to support the arts as another way of giving back. For its part, Arts, Hancock County will distribute buttons to next-generation artists at both CASA and the Boys and Girls Club. As Barney says, “Even $20 pays for materials for hands-on activities for four kids”

Tax-deductible donations can be made online or in person at Mockingbird Café, French Potager, 200 North Beach, and C&C Italian Bistro. Every donation directly enables the participation of those who otherwise would not be able to attend.
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Barney encourages would-be volunteers to register online and indicate their volunteer preferences.  ​

The Bay St. Louis Little Theatre celebrates Tennessee Williams March birthday with a hilarious Stella Yelling contest and a series of original one-act plays for budding playwrights.  Stanley and Blanche would love it. And so will you.
- story by Lisa Monti, photos by Ellis Anderson 

“We decided that first year we owned the building that we would start the tradition. Now it’s in its 10th year, all because of the community’s support,” said Cheryl Grace, the theater’s director. “They just support us in everything.”

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The signature “Stella” yelling from Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire” is the basis for the contest that attracts Stanley Kowalskis of all ages. The audience, many seated in lawn chairs outside the theater, chant to bring namesake character out onto the theater’s actual balcony. Amy Coston, the original and only Bay St. Louis Stella, will reprise her role for the 10th time. “It’s her only acting gig of the year,” Grace said.
 
In previous years, anyone who wanted to compete just stepped up and paid the $10 entry fee. This year, the contest will be split into two categories: one for adults and a another for kids 12 and under.
 
The deadline to sign up is 30 minutes before the 4 p.m. contest, to allow for spectators who inevitably get caught up in the moment. “Some people come in costumes and others sign up at the last minute because it looks like so much fun,” Grace said.
 
Grace expects 25 or 30 contestants again this year. Winners have come from Oklahoma, Texas and Meridian, Miss. “We’ve had tons of contestants come from New Orleans, which has its own contest. Last year we had a gentlemen from Japan compete. It’s amazing,” Grace said.

​A panel of judges from the community rate the yellers on their believability, originality, enthusiasm and appearance. First place winners in both categories will receive a large trophy along with bragging rights and cash. The adult winner gets $150 and the young winner will receive $50. Second and third place winners also will be rewarded with cash prizes. Silver Slipper Casino sponsors the contest every year.
 
In the early days of the Williams tribute, the Little Theatre presented one of his plays but organizers recently decided instead to try to discover the next Tennessee Williams in the state through its Mississippi Writes Original competition.
 
“Last year for the first time we asked for submissions of one-act plays by only Mississippi writers,” Grace said. The Mississippi-centric works are chosen for production based on their insight, creativity, craft and engagement. Each play runs approximately 20 minutes and has minimal production requirements.

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This year four winning playwrights will sit in the front row of the theater and see their plays come to life on stage. “At the end of every show, we do a ‘Chat with the Cast’ and allow audience members to enjoy wine and cheese while asking the writers and actors questions about the show. It’s an amazing evening,” Grace said.
 
All five plays will be performed March 23, 24, 25, 30 and 31.

Stella Yelling contest
Saturday, March 31
4 p.m.
In front of Bay St. Louis Little Theatre
398 Blaize Avenue
Free to the community
$10 contestant fee
 
 
Mississippi Writes Original
One-act plays and Chat with the Cast
March 23, 24, 30 and 31, 8 p.m.
March 25 2 p.m. matinee
Regular ticket fees
Bay St. Louis Little Theatre
(228) 467-9024
info@bsllt.org