Sat. Oct. 17, 2009-- 12-3p.m.: RCAA's Arts Flair (Pearl, MS)

Join us on Saturday, October 17, 2009 from 12-3p.m. at the Pearl Public Library (2416 Old Brandon Road * Pearl, MS) for our annual Arts Flair.


Members of the alliance will be on hand with their work and available to talk with you about their plans to encourage literacy, more creative activities in the school system, and what they do and how you can support them in having more opportunities in Rankin County. Interested in becoming a member? We'll be able to tell you how you can join us!

ADMISSION TO THIS MEETING IS FREE, AND REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED.Make sure to visit www.rankincountyarts.org for frequent updates. Need more information? Contact Cyrus A. Webb at cawebb4@juno.com or 601.896.5616.

RCAA Outlines It's Agenda for 2009-2010

On Tuesday, July 14, 2009 the Rankin county Arts Alliance held its first meeting of the new fiscal year at the Pearl Public Library. Thje purpose of the meeting was to outline the organization's agenda for the new year and discuss how it could work with more with businesses to get its members the most exposure and build partnerships throughout the state.

Led by third year President Cyrus A. Webb, the following agenda was outlined:
* The Official Rankin County Arts Alliance website (www.rankincountyarts.org) will be updated weekly to stay current with new developments.

* The new RCAA brochures have been printed and will be distributed to area businesses and libraries as an introduction to the work the RCAA is doing and let others know how they can support and participate.

* The RCAA has renewed its membership with the Rankin County Chamber of Commerce in order to stay abreast with events and activities going on throughout Rankin County.

* RCAA board of directors and members will use social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Myspace to let their associates and others know what is going on with the organization.

* The RCAA will work with the community, including the school system, to encourage the arts among the youth.

* Businesses that have been supportive of the RCAA in the past (i.e. Cups in Brandon, MS Blood Services, Cici's Pizza in Brandon, Community Banks in Rankin County, etc) will be a continued source of displaying the talent of Rankin County.

* The RCAA will take the lead in empowering the county to use the arts to help ohters and heal some of the issues Rankin County is dealing with through creativity.

RCAA members Mary Ann Galle (Treasurer) and Mary Porter also outlined businesses and ways that the RCAA can show their support of businesses in Rankin County, and Galle talked about how she has found success through the MS Farmers Market.



The Rankin County Arts Alliance will be hosted its yearly Arts Flair on Saturday, August 22, 2009. Details will be announced soon.
For more information, contact Cyrus A. Webb at cawebb4@juno.com or 601.896.5616.

RCAA Hosts 1st Meeting of 2009-2010 Fiscal Year: Tues. July 14, 2009

The Rankin County Arts Alliance is pleased to announce that its first meeting of the 2009-2010 Fiscal Year on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at the Pearl Public Library in Pearl, MS.

The meeting will begin at 6p.m. and will outline what the organization's plans are for the fiscal year, including our plans to further promote reading, the arts and dialogue in Rankin County. Admission is free, and refreshments will be served.

For more information, contact Cyrus A. Webb at cawebb4@juno.com or 601.896.5616. You can also visit www.rankincountyarts.org .

RCAA Member Mary Ann Galle on Display in Jackson, MS during June 2009

The Rankin County Arts Alliance is pleased to announce that member Mary Ann Galle is on display during the month of June 2009 at the Arts Center of Mississippi in Jackson, MS.

Galle is sharing the stage with fellow artists Anthony Difatta and Chris Olszewski until June 27, 2009. In the area? The Arts Center is located at 201 East Pascagoula Street.

To find out more information about the exhibit, call 601.960.1557.

Conversations recognizes author Patricia Neely-Dorsey

Conversations Book Club President Cyrus A. Webb is pleased to announce that this week's review that appears in the Clarion Ledger Newspaper (Rankin Ledger Insert) is of author Patricia Neely-Dorsey's book Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia.

(Read the review here: http://www.rankinledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090103/LIFE/901030305/1003)

 

Author Patricia Neely-Dorsey also sat down for a "Take Ten" Interview with Conversations about herself and her book. Read an excerpt below:

 

In 2009 many new literary voices will be joining the growing coalition of published authors. One such individual is Patricia Neely-Dorsey. Her book Refections of a Mississippi Magnolia was released in 2008 to glowing reviews, and she will be spending her time getting it out to the world in the coming months while writing on her next project. Patricia took out time recently to talk with Conversations about her beginnings as a writer, the book and what keeps her going. Here is our conversation.

Happy New Year to you, Patricia, and thank you for taking out time to participate in Conversations' "Take Ten". Before we talk about your book Reflections of A Mississippi Magnolia I want you to talk about you. How would you describe yourself and your evolution over the years?
Happy New Year to you, Cyrus, and Thank You for this wonderful opportunity to share with you about my book. In answer to your question, I would say that I have always thought of myself as very interesting and unique. On all of the questionnaires that I ever filled out since I was in grade school, I always described myself as that. Everyone also tells me that I am very funny.. so I guess I am that , too. People are always commenting on how funny some of my poems are. Evolution? Although ,I felt that I really knew myself inside and out and that everything was pretty much set with me, I think a real evolution began in me and with me when I turned 40. All of a sudden, it seemed that I just had all of these new revelations about myself and the world around me. It was like a new lease on life. The forties have truly been fabulous. and very eye-opening thus far. I feel that I know myself so much better and that I am so much more comfortable in the skin I'm in.

Growing up, I believe everyone has a dream about what they see themselves doing. For you how would were you answering the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
As far as what I dreamed of and wanted to be when I grew up , I never really had a realistic, concrete idea of that. In grade school, my idol was Beverly Johnson, one of the first black "supermodels", so naturally I wanted to be a supermodel …but being 5'6 (not quite tall enough) and living in Tupelo, MS. I started to realize that probably wouldn't happen ...But, then again, Elvis Presley came from Tupelo…so anything is possible (LOL). Obama validated that for all of us.

 

To read the entire interview with the author click here: http://authorstaketen.blogspot.com/2009/01/take-ten-author-patricia-neely-dorsey.html

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Sat. Nov. 29, 2008: RCAA Member holds closing ceremony in Pearl, MS

Fri. Oct. 17: Rankin County Arts Alliance Announcements

 The Rankin County Arts Alliance is pleased to give you these announcements as you prepare for your weekend.

• MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2008: The Rankin County Arts Alliance is pleased to announce that its next public meeting will be on Monday, October 20, 2008 at 6p.m. at the Subway Restaurant in Pearl, MS (3000 HWY 80E). During this meeting the new 2008-2009 directories will be distributed to current members as well as to those who join the alliance. The website for the alliance has been relaunched as http://www.rankincountyarts.org. RCAA President will talk about his new campaign to work with schools in the Rankin County area as well as announce new partners with the alliance. Those interested in having their questions answered about the alliance's direction heading into the new year are welcome to attend. Annual membership dues for the RCAA are $20 for adults and $10 for those 18 and under. For more information contact Cyrus A. Webb at 601.896.5616 or cawebb4@juno.com.
• ARTS & CRAFTS VENDORS SOUGHT: Grace Baptist Church, 1013 Hwy. 471 in Brandon, will hold an Arts & Crafts Fair on Nov. 8. Vendor spaces are available for $20. Those interested should call the church at (601) 824-7334.
• RCAA Member Mary Ann Galle art display Oct-Nov. 2008: We are pleased to remind you that RCAA member Mary Ann Galle will be displaying artwork at the Pearl Public Library in Pearl, MS during the months of October and November 2008. Make sure to visit the large conference room and see some of her beautiful work. For library hours, call 601.932.2562.

Have announcements you want others to know about? Send them to cawebb4@juno.com!