Crosstown Arts

Austin Blue
2018-08-03 13:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | TN
Art show and music video release
Organized by the artist

Babu Press Presents Marvin and the Marvelous Map
2018-08-04 06:00 - 07:00 | Crosstown Concourse, Central Atrium, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN
Babu Press and Memphis Symphony Orchestra principal oboist Joseph Salvallagio present this fun and educational event, perfect for the whole family.
Come enjoy an original children’s story featuring audience participation and musical accompaniment by MSO musicians Joseph Salvallagio (oboe), Mark Wallace (cello), and Jenny Davis (flute). While kids enjoy the concert, parents can enjoy French Truck Coffee’s 2-for-1 Saturday mimosa special and coffee with breakfast.
There will also be a fun craft component for everyone after the performance! Free and open to the public. Presented in partnership with French Truck Coffee.

Mt. & Valley
2018-08-04 14:00 - 17:00 | TN
Join local singer/songwriter Josh Waddell as he celebrates three years of making music in Memphis.
You will hear the stories behind his original music as well as experience his soothing Americana style in an intimate, inviting space. This will be a unique event, as Waddell will share future plans and introduce a new collaboration effort: MT & VALLEY.
Opening performance by Arkansas native Katie Ferron.
Tickets are $10

Resident Artist Pecha Kucha
2018-08-06 13:00 - 15:00 | Crosstown Arts East Atrium, 1350 Concourse Avenue, Memphis, TN, United States
Crosstown Arts resident artists will deliver talks in the Pecha Kucha format.
The key to Pecha Kucha is the 20×20 format: all presenters show 20 slides for 20 seconds each, making each presentation concise and dynamic. If you’re wondering what “Pecha Kucha” means, it draws its name from the Japanese term for the sound of “chit chat.”
Pecha Kucha Nights began in Tokyo as an opportunity for artists, designers and architects to show samples of their work through a concise, timed presentation in a relaxed community setting. Over the past 10 years, these events have expanded to hundreds of cities across the globe, and often include a variety of community members sharing a wide array of interesting (and sometimes hilarious) topics.

Presenting Artists:
Chris Kardambikis
Olanyiyi Akindina
Brent Fogt
Xavier Neal-Burgin
Christopher Kojzar
Stephanie Mercedes
Carrol McTyre
Ify
Asuka Gato
Beth Krebs

Shoot & Splice: Filmmaking Within Your Means
2018-08-07 13:30 - 16:00 | Crosstown Arts East Atrium, 1350 Concourse Avenue, Memphis, TN, United States
Presented by Mark Jones
Join prolific Memphis filmmaker Mark Jones as he presents his workshop and discussion, “Filmmaking Within Your Means.” Mark will share his writing and filmmaking ethos, including writing for realistic and simple locations and minimizing the amount of speaking roles. But most importantly, this workshop will help teach you how to embrace your supposed creative limitations to make a wholly unique and original film.
Mark Jones lives in Memphis, Tennessee, with his partner. He has made three feature films, “Tennessee Queer,” “Fraternity Massacre At Hell Island,” “Eli Parker Is Getting Married?,” and one web soap opera, “On The Edge of Happiness.” Mark worked at WKNO-TV, the Memphis PBS station, for several years both on the production crew and as an associate produce for a local roundtable discussion show. He now has a web talk show, “Memphis on the Mark,” where he interviews locals artists in the fields of film, music, and theatre. Mark’s short films (“Death$ in a $mall Town,” “Winding Brook,” “Henry,” & “Best Wedding Gift”) have screened at dozens of festivals around the country.
Reception at 6:30pm, discussion begins at 7pm. Free and open to the public. Complimentary beverages will be available. Presented by Indie Memphis in collaboration with Crosstown Arts.Crosstown Arts at Crosstown Concourse // East Atrium – L2 | 280 (above the red staircase)

Open Crit
2018-08-14 13:00 - 15:00 | TN
Facilitator: Melissa Farris

Presenting artists:

Kaleob Elkins

David E Johnson

Sara Moseley

Lance Layman

Crosstown Arts’ Open Crit series is a monthly critique event where visual artists are invited to bring new and/or in-progress studio work for critical feedback and group discussion particular to each artist’s practice.

A dedicated facilitator with experience in a group critique setting will guide discussion for each critique event, which will include up to 4 artists’ work, with 15-25 minutes devoted to the work of each.
All visual artists and anyone interested in joining the discussion are welcome to participate regardless of their level of expertise, prior professional art experience or background/education in fine art. Participation is free and open to the public. Input during the critiques from everyone in attendance is welcomed and encouraged.
No formal preparation is necessary for participating artists, who will have an opportunity to introduce and contextualize their work on view at the beginning of each critique. Participating artists are only asked to be open to (and interested in) considering reactions to their work by the group, which will always be done in a supportive, constructive and casual environment, but could at the same time be challenging.
Special thanks to Art Center for donating a $25 gift certificate for each participating artist.

To participate, artists can sign up here:
Open Crit Request form

Contact Mary Jo at maryjo@crosstownarts.org with any questions!
Artists are asked to bring no more than 8 individual pieces (in any medium). Maximum run time for time-based work(s) is 10 minutes.
Participating artists are encouraged to invite friends, peers and colleagues to the open crits, both to see their work in progress and to give constructive feedback.

Barbecue Digest
2018-08-16 14:00 - 16:30 | TN
Join the Southern Foodways Alliance for a film screening and discussion of Tennessee barbecue.
The group will screen segments from Whole Hog about pitmaster Ricky Parker, followed by Like Father, a film about his son Zach Parker.
Zach, now owner of B.E. Scott’s Barbeque, will sit on the panel and offer a taste of whole hog barbecue for attendees.
Tickets are available here for $12 per person.

Continuum Music Festival
2018-08-16 - 2018-08-18 | Crosstown Arts at Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse Avenue, Suite 280, Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
A festival of collaborations among musicians and artists of diverse genres from Memphis and beyond, bringing to life unique performances and workshops in the award-winning Crosstown Concourse.
Performances by: Amy Lavere & Will Sexton with musicians of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, IMAKEMADBEATS, ~Nois Saxophone Quartet, Artistik Approach, Troika String Trio, Blueshift Ensemble and ICEBERG New Music, if … else, Crosstown Winds, Vibes & Waves crew, among many others.
Interactive workshops:
Sound Scavenger Hunt
Mindful Listening Workshop
The Polyrhythmic Body: A Movement Excursion for Non-dancers Who Love Music
“I Am Sure My Music Has a Taste of Codfish in It”: Thoughts on the Relationship Between Food and Music
Suggestions on How to Listen to Contemporary Classical Music
Ticket prices (purchase on Eventbrite below):
Friday – $10
Saturday – $20 (all events are free until 5:45 pm)
Festival Pass – $25
(present your mobile ticket at Farm Burger for 10% off your purchase)
Purchase Ticket Here

Sponsored by Amro Music and Memphis Botanic Garden

Friday, August 17 – $10
Composer Spotlight: John Cage
Events sponsored by Sonosphere
Crosstown Concourse – East Atrium
6-7 pm
Mindful Listening Workshop
This workshop explores different ways of hearing the world around us. Participants are led through a series of Pauline Oliveros-inspired sound and meditation activities designed to emphasize active and creative listening strategies. The individual exercises help attune participants to the sounds in our lives — especially those we might not have noticed before — while the group discussion following each exercise helps develop a richer vocabulary for describing them. Led by ICEBERG composer Drake Andersen.
7:15-7:45 pm
Presentation: John Cage’s Life and Work
A short presentation given by ICEBERG New Music and Sonosphere about John Cage, giving background on the composer’s life, the use of chance operations in his compositions, and the influence of Zen Buddhism on the composer and his art.
8-9 pm
The Music of John Cage
Performed by members of Blueshift Ensemble, ~Nois Saxophone Quartet, and ICEBERG New Music. Program will feature a variety of works by John Cage including Imaginary Landscape No. 4 (for 12 radios) and several of Cage’s “plant-based” compositions, in which performers play on amplified cacti and other plants. Plants provided by Memphis Botanic Garden.

Saturday, August 18 – $20 (all events after 5:45 pm require a ticket; events before 5:45 pm are FREE)

Crosstown Concourse East Atrium/Theater Stair/Listening Room
Noon-12:15
Welcome & Introduction
12:15-1 pm – East Atrium
Troika String Trio
The Troika String Trio will perform Beethoven’s ‘String Trio,’ Op. 3, No. 1, Schubert’s ‘Serenade’ from “Schwanengesang” (arranged for trio), and an special arrangement of Coldplay’s ‘Viva La Vida.’ Featuring Memphis Symphony Orchestra musicians Jessie Munson (violin), Beth Luscombe (viola), and Mark Wallace (cello).
1-2:30 pm – Theater Stair
Workshop: Sound Scavenger Hunt
A sound scavenger hunt is an activity that helps to build awareness of the sounds all around us. Participants are divided into teams and roam Crosstown Concourse, searching for the sounds on their checklist. Sounds are classified according to properties, such as “high, short, loud” or “low, short, soft.” Participants capture the sounds using portable audio recorders (provided). After the scavenger hunt, the teams regroup to compare, discuss, and play their sounds.
2-2:30 pm – Central Atrium
If…Else
Experimental performer/listeners if…else seek the edges of sonic space. They enter their creations curiously and invite others into a shared space of discovery. Audience members are invited to be a part of the performance by playing small photo-oscillators with flashlights. Featuring flutists Philip Snyder and Jenny Davis.
2:30-3:30 pm – Central Atrium
Workshop: The Polyrhythmic Body: A Movement Excursion for Non-dancers Who Love Music
Lead by Sarah Ledbetter, the workshop focuses on how we can use our bodies to experience musical elements such as rhythm, polyrhythm, and call and response. No dance or musical experience necessary to participate in this workshop.
3-3:40 pm – East Atrium
Crosstown Winds
A Memphis-based woodwind trio (flute, clarinet, and bassoon), Crosstown Winds is a prize-winning ensemble of the 2018 Coltman Chamber Music Competition Collegiate Division.
3:45-4:10 pm – East Atrium, mural wall
Vibes & Waves Crew
Memphis Jookers Alex Hall, James Sullivan, and Jadyn Nathan will perform with cellist Joshua Keller.
4:15-5 pm – East Atrium
Presentation: “I Am Sure My Music Has a Taste of Codfish in It”: Thoughts on the Relationship Between Food and Music
In this talk, we explore different ways in which food and music have interacted together throughout the ages, as we are reminded of the depths to which these two aspects of human experience have shaped our culture and society. As we look at some of the favorite recipes and odd eating habits of famous composers, we may also tumble deeper into the rabbit hole, gaining glimpses into the very nature of perception, art, and what this has to do with our lives. Presented by ICEBERG Composer Victor Baez
5-5:45 pm: BREAK (all events after this break require a ticket)
5:45-6:30 pm – East Atrium
~Nois Saxophone Quartet
~Nois is a Chicago-based saxophone quartet devoted to the creation and performance of new music. Founded in 2016 by graduate students at Northwestern University, ~Nois has quickly emerged as one of the premier young ensembles dedicated to contemporary performance. ~Nois has been a prize winner at major chamber music competitions including the Second Prize in the Open Division of the 2018 M-Prize International Chamber Arts Competition, the Silver Medal at the 2017 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, Second Prize at the 2018 North American Saxophone Alliance National Quartet Competition, and First Prize at the 2016 Chicago Woodwind Ensemble Competition.
6:30-7:00 pm – East Atrium
Presentation: “Suggestions on How to Listen to Contemporary Classical Music”
From the presenter: “As a living composer, I know that contemporary music is not for everyone. And for many, it’s a question of not knowing where to start. So sit back and relax as we talk about and explore ways to listen to contemporary music in a way that won’t overwhelm you or leave you feeling foolish.” This talk will be a perfect introduction to Blueshift’s concert of ICEBERG composers at the Continuum Music Festival. Presented by ICEBERG Composer Derek Cooper
7-7:45 pm – Listening Room
Blueshift Ensemble performs works by ICEBERG New Music
Collaboration between Memphis-based Blueshift Ensemble and NYC-based composer collective ICEBERG New Music. Featuring works by Will Healy, Victor Baez, Drake Andersen, Yu-Chun Chien, and Max Grafe.
7:45-8:30 pm – East Atrium
Artistik Approach
Artistik Approach is a multi-talented duo whose a cappella-based music incorporates elements of various musical style and genres. Members Eso Tolson, from East St. Louis and Siphne Aaye, from New Orleans, combine singing, beatboxing, and rapping to create a fresh and creative sound. Their abilities have given them the opportunity to perform with musical acts rooted in a variety of genres including spoken word, jazz, hip-hop, rock, r&b, dub-step, reggae, and soul.
8:20-9:10 pm – Listening Room
Amy Lavere and Will Sexton with members of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra
A burgeoning star, Amy LaVere is becoming renowned worldwide for her songwriting, bass playing, and vocals. This performance features a special collaboration between Amy and Will with an orchestra featuring musicians of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra with arrangements by Sam Shoup. Amy sings with a sweet, haunting voice that can turn on a dime from innocent to lusty (“Norah Jones with an added Cyndi Lauper element” — Mojo Magazine; “Spookiness suits her” — New York Times). Whether playing as a duo with her husband Will Sexton or with retro-country sensation Motel Mirrors, she’s an inventive, thoughtful singer-songwriter who has crowds throughout the US and Europe smitten.
9:20-10 pm – Listening Room
IMAKEMADBEATS
There are few producers in hip hop that have as much combined skill and mystery attached to their name as IMAKEMADBEATS. The enigmatic, faceless man behind the boards has built his reputation on an obsessive dedication to his craft; a mad scientist-like approach to tweaking samples, drums, and live instruments; and a signature sound that’s put listeners in the emergency room with severely broken necks. Last year IMAKEMADBEATS released his latest project, Better Left Unsaid, under the imprint he founded in 2015, Unapologetic. The label houses innovative and daring artists such as Cameron Bethany, AWFM, Kid Maestro, and more.

Farewell For Now Concert
2018-08-17 14:00 - 16:00 | TN
Bridging Souls Productions will celebrate eight years of dance throughout Memphis and the Mid-South with a final performance.
Admission: $10

Crosstown Block Party
2018-08-18 11:00 - 18:30 | TN
Party at 430 N Cleveland and the Hitone, featuring Al Town. Presented by Mad Air Decks.
Hand-designed Mad Air skate deck art by 27 local artists and local vendors at the 430 Gallery. Live music at the Hitone from 7 pm to 2 am. And an outdoor skate ramp presented by Al Town.
$10 wristband to attend both venues

Outflix Film Festival Preview & Local Short Film Competition
2018-08-21 13:30 - 16:00 | TN
Sponsors: Jacob & Scott Gettig, Christine Weinreich & Nathan Weinreich
Join us for the preview of the 21st Annual Outflix Film Festival. The event will reveal this year’s festival line-up and winners of their local short film competition. Special guest judges from Oxford Film Festival, Indie Memphis, and the local filmmaking community will also host a panel discussion following the competition. Light food and beer/wine provided (ID required). Free to the public. Donations accepted.
The local short films that we will be showing are:
Graham and Zeke (8 minutes)
Director – Cheryl Monique
Producers Allie Sultan (in attendance) and Cheryl Monique
Graham Bell and Zeke Miller, a transgender couple, are navigating life mid-transition. They share their insights surrounding love, gender, and pet snakes. Through this film they invite us into their lives, openly discussing the ups and downs that they face in their journey to a more perfect union.
Motions (9 minutes)
Director – April “skyy” Blair (in attendance)
Two women meet, fall in love and go through the motions in a very short span of time.
Conway Pride (22 minutes)
Director – Stephen Stanley
Producer – Joe Bush
Producer – James Winston
The small Arkansas town of Conway has had an annual LGBT Pride Parade since 2004. Its 2017 edition is threatened when the founders and local activists, John and Robert, both pass away. The adopted children of the couple band together to save a local institution and honor their gay dads.

The Music of Freddie Hubbard
2018-08-25 13:30 - 16:00 | Crosstown Arts East Atrium, 1350 Concourse Avenue, Memphis, TN, United States
Tickets – $15 (purchase on Eventbrite)
Doors at 6:30 pm | show at 7 pm
Jazz tribute to American jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard featuring Scott Thompson (trumpet | flugelhorn), Art Edmaiston (tenor sax), Pat Fusco (piano), Sam Shoup (acoustic bass), and James Sexton (drums).
The Crosstown Jazz Series, presented by Strictly Jazz Entertainment in collaboration with Crosstown Arts, is designed to salute classic jazz music as contemporary musicians perform the work of the legends.

About Scott Thompson:
Scott Thompson boasts more than 35 years of experience as a professional trumpet player and has been one of the most recorded trumpet players in the last 25 years. Thompson received his undergraduate degree in Trumpet Performance and his master’s in Jazz Pedagogy at the University of Memphis.
He’s performed with Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Randy Brecker, Chuck Findley, George Coleman, Lee Konitz, and all the Memphis piano greats, such as Phineas Newborn, James Williams, Donald Brown, and Mulgrew Miller.
His recording/touring credits include Al Green, Rufus Thomas, Cat Power, Lucero, Ann Peebles, and the Bo-Keys. His Grammy-winning credits include Robert Cray and Otis Rush. In 1993, Thompson won the Carmine Curuso International Trumpet Competition.
Lately, Thompson has been performing with Memphis’ Love Lite Orchestra, John Paul Keith, and Heavy Hitters 901, as well as his own jazz sextet, Scott Thompson’s Rescue Animals, which performs his original compositions.
Thompson’s musical influences include Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard, Randy Brecker, and Clifford Brown among others.

About Strictly Jazz Entertainment:
Strictly Jazz Entertainment is committed to cultivating a growing community in the knowledge and appreciation of jazz. We facilitate dialogue and collaboration between the devoted supporters of jazz and the brand new constituents – those new to the genre – for the furthering of the jazz community. We provide a bridge between leading artists and a community that typically does not embrace jazz by promoting concerts in various venues to generate an atmosphere that is viable for the absorption of pure jazz.

The Little Dictator
2018-08-30 12:30 - 14:30 | TN
Temple Israel will host a film screening of The Little Dictator, a short, comedic film centering around Israeli identity and culture.
Drinks, snacks, and a lively post-film discussion. Watch the trailer here.

Shoot & Splice: Making a Web Series
2018-09-04 13:30 - 16:00 | Crosstown Arts East Atrium, 1350 Concourse Avenue, Memphis, TN, United States
Join Jessica Chaney and Amanda Willoughby of Not Your Ordinary Films as they share secrets and give behind-the-scenes stories of creating the independent web series, This Can’t Be Life. Jessica and Amanda will discuss why they didn’t wait for a studio to pick up their TV show by creating it on their own.
They’ll also share insights into their creative process, how they built their audience, and much more. To learn more about Not Your Ordinary Films, see their Facebook page.
Shoot & Splice is a monthly filmmaking forum presented collaboratively by Indie Memphis and Crosstown Arts.
Reception at 6:30pm, panel discussion begins at 7pm. Free and open to the public. Complimentary beverages will be available.

Conversations with Daniel
2018-09-07 14:00 - 16:00 | TN
Art exhibition featuring work by Daniel Harris
Organized by the artist
Artist Statement:
As a man with cerebral palsy, I use my artistic abilities through illustration and imagination to enhance transformational conversation about our differently abled culture. I use a wide range of mediums, from acrylic abstracts to ink drawings and books and poetry.

The Art of Addiction
2018-09-08 12:30 - 17:00 | TN
Open-call exhibition of artwork by individuals who have been touched by substance abuse. Themes includes empowerment, understanding, acceptance, and recovery.
Hosted by local addition recovery group, A Betor Way — named for Memphis-based artist Ronnie Bobal (otherwise known by his graffiti tag as Betor), who was tragically lost to a drug overdose on Christmas Day 2016.
A Betor Way shares information to make addicts and their support systems aware of the programs and initiatives available.

Open Crit
2018-09-11 13:00 - 15:00 | TN
Facilitator: TBA
Presenting artists: TBA

Crosstown Arts’ Open Crit series is a monthly critique event where visual artists are invited to bring new and/or in-progress studio work for critical feedback and group discussion particular to each artist’s practice.

A dedicated facilitator with experience in a group critique setting will guide discussion for each critique event, which will include up to 4 artists’ work, with 15-25 minutes devoted to the work of each.
All visual artists and anyone interested in joining the discussion are welcome to participate regardless of their level of expertise, prior professional art experience or background/education in fine art. Participation is free and open to the public. Input during the critiques from everyone in attendance is welcomed and encouraged.
No formal preparation is necessary for participating artists, who will have an opportunity to introduce and contextualize their work on view at the beginning of each critique. Participating artists are only asked to be open to (and interested in) considering reactions to their work by the group, which will always be done in a supportive, constructive and casual environment, but could at the same time be challenging.
Special thanks to Art Center Supply Store for donating a $25 gift certificate for each participating artist.

To participate, artists can sign up here:
Open Crit Request form

Contact Mary Jo at maryjo@crosstownarts.org with any questions!
Artists are asked to bring no more than 8 individual pieces (in any medium). Maximum run time for time-based work(s) is 10 minutes.
Participating artists are encouraged to invite friends, peers and colleagues to the open crits, both to see their work in progress and to give constructive feedback.

Woven Lines
2018-09-14 13:00 - 16:00 | TN
Sculpture and paintings by Fulton Boggs, mixed media paintings by Melanie Pyron.
Organized by the artists

Don Lifted
2018-09-14 15:00 - 17:00 | Crosstown Arts East Atrium, 1350 Concourse Avenue, Memphis, TN, United States
With special guest Madame Fraankie
Doors at 8 pm | Performance at 9 pm

On Fri​day, September 14th ​at 8:00pm, ​Visual​, Musical, and ​​Performance ​Artist Lawrence ​​Matthews​, also known as Don Lifted, will transform Crosstown Arts visually and sonically​ with brand new music. ​His performance will feature sculptural and video installations, as well as performances from his album “Alero” and his coming album “Contour,”​ which will be released on September 21st. Audiences will be immersed in music performed live and surrounded by swirling nostalgic imagery that follows the narrative of each song. Brand new Don Lifted merchandise will be available for purchase at the event.
Production on “Contour” began in Memphis in late 2015. In 2018, the record was finished and mastered in Hollywood​ by Grammy Award-winning Engineer Mike Bozzi (Flower Boy, Ctrl, Good Kid, Maad City, To Pimp A Butterfly, Damn, Blankface LP).
Matthews is a multi-disciplinary creative​ with connections reaching deep into the ​Memphis art scene​. Born in Memphis, his work combines Post Modern, Pop Art, and contemporary influences to tell the story of the African Descendant living in America. His work ranges from oil paintings, collage, photography, and ready-made sculpture, to music and film. Matthews’ musical style incorporates hip-hop, alternative rock and electronic music resulting in emotionally vulnerable storytelling and eclectic production. A hot emerging artist, Matthew’s work began to garner acclaim before he had completed his Bachelor’s in Fine Art at University of Memphis, awarded “Best of Show” in the University’s 31st Annual Juried Student Exhibition in 2014 and the Deans Creative Achievement Award and Department of Art Creative Achievement Award in 2015. In 2016, he was awarded the Arts Accelerator Grant from Arts Memphis. His performances helped inaugurate Crosstown Art’s new space in the Concourse and have been feature events at the Brooks Museum and Civil Rights Museum. Matthews is also a member of the Collective, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing the work of local artists of color.

Wish Book: Lay of the Land with John Pearson
2018-09-20 - 2018-12-02 | Crosstown Arts, East Gallery, Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Exhibition of photographic works by John Pearson
Opening reception: Friday, Sept. 21, 6-8 pm
On view: Sept. 21-Dec. 2
Location: East Gallery & East Atrium
Performance by >mancontrol< at 7 pm
These large-scale, landscape cyanotypes on fabric link the tactile and the visual by committing the photographic process to the physical landscape. Pearson works outdoors on the ground, making 1:1 indexical photographic prints during midday sunlight. In these photographs, view is replaced by elemental record; while the horizon, removed from the composition, becomes the topographic support and source for construction of the images.
Pearson’s intention is not to convey the solely visual appearance of place — in this case, the arid southern California landscape — but rather to invoke a more dynamic experience of place by means of the transformative nature of photography.

Artist statement:
My intention is to provide the viewer a photograph that offers an experience of the landscape that does not rely solely on visual appearance. An image of a different scope that conveys the material phenomena of a location, a more tactile involvement with the landscape, that attempts a solution to the distance conventional photography asserts. My interest is to bridge this gap between being immersed in a landscape and simply looking at it as a photograph.

These large-scale, landscape cyanotypes represent an experience of the arid Southern California landscape. They are made outdoors on the ground in the middle of the day in Griffith Park and Death Valley. This is a rudimentary photography, made without camera or film, recording the moment, the light, and the terrain of a particular but negligible plot of ground in a vast space at high noon. It is influenced by the landscape embodied in the 1840s cyanotype photograms of Anna Atkins, and it responds to the grand vistas of photographers such as Ansel Adams by bringing vision back to the body and using what is within reach: rocks, dirt, open sky, and sunlight. This series of photographs is an inquiry of place, an expression of a phenomenological sensation, and a proposition of sense.

The videos and photographs both are invested in observation, the presence and action of light, the parallels of light entering the shadowed interior of the camera and the eye functioning as an aperture to the blackness of the body’s interior. That dependence of light on darkness interests me. Video provides a physicality to the process of making images, a physicality that links vision back to the body, to movement and pulse, rather than the mechanical idealized view of the camera. Video is more performative and allows for an intuitive, animated exploration of light.

Curated by Terri Phillips and Brian Pera in collaboration with Crosstown Arts
The Wish Book series is a series focusing on non-traditional approaches to film as a medium. Curators Brian Pera and Terri Phillips welcome internationally recognized artists, filmmakers, and critics to Memphis for this exciting series, which takes its name from the famed Sears Catalog and is hosted by Crosstown Arts at Crosstown Concourse, itself once a major Sears distribution center.

Artist Talk with John Pearson
2018-09-21 09:45 - 10:45 | Crosstown Arts, East Gallery, Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Artist John Pearson will discuss his work in Wish Book: Lay of the Land.
These large-scale, landscape cyanotypes on fabric link the tactile and the visual by committing the photographic process to the physical landscape. Pearson works outdoors on the ground, making 1:1 indexical photographic prints during midday sunlight. In these photographs, view is replaced by elemental record; while the horizon, removed from the composition, becomes the topographic support and source for construction of the images.
Pearson’s intention is not to convey the solely visual appearance of place — in this case, the arid southern California landscape — but rather to invoke a more dynamic experience of place by means of the transformative nature of photography.

Curated by Terri Phillips and Brian Pera in collaboration with Crosstown Arts
The Wish Book focuses on non-traditional approaches to film as a medium. Curators Brian Pera and Terri Phillips welcome internationally recognized artists, filmmakers, and critics to Memphis for this exciting series, which takes its name from the famed Sears Catalog and is hosted by Crosstown Arts at Crosstown Concourse, itself once a major Sears distribution center.

Shades of Gray
2018-09-21 12:00 - 2018-09-22 17:00 | TN
An exhibition of black-and-white photographs by Sabrina Turner
Organized by the artist

About the artist:
Sabrina Turner is currently based in Memphis, Tennessee. She has been a professional photographer since 1990. Having used many different formats, she now works exclusively in digital. Ms Turner’s primary work is in medical photography as an ophthalmic photographer. However, her true love is to find and document the beauty in everyday places and things, creating artistic images that display beauty in urban culture and in nature. Her photographs expose the wonders that are otherwise hidden to the ordinary public.

Opening Reception for Wish Book: Lay of the Land with John Pearson
2018-09-21 13:00 - 15:00 | Crosstown Arts, East Gallery, Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Exhibition of photographic works by John Pearson
On view: Sept. 21-Dec. 2
Location: East Gallery & East Atrium
These large-scale, landscape cyanotypes on fabric link the tactile and the visual by committing the photographic process to the physical landscape. Pearson works outdoors on the ground, making 1:1 indexical photographic prints during midday sunlight. In these photographs, view is replaced by elemental record; while the horizon, removed from the composition, becomes the topographic support and source for construction of the images.
Pearson’s intention is not to convey the solely visual appearance of place — in this case, the arid southern California landscape — but rather to invoke a more dynamic experience of place by means of the transformative nature of photography.
Performance by >mancontrol< at 7 pm
Radical experiments in sound creation using light sensors and projected images to make “songs” in the moment. What you see makes what you hear!

Join the Revolutions Bicycle Co-op group ride to the Wish Book opening! The bike group will meet at 6 pm at the Explore Bike Share station in Overton Park. The ride rolls out at 6:15 pm. See their Facebook event page for more info.

Artist statement:
My intention is to provide the viewer a photograph that offers an experience of the landscape that does not rely solely on visual appearance. An image of a different scope that conveys the material phenomena of a location, a more tactile involvement with the landscape, that attempts a solution to the distance conventional photography asserts. My interest is to bridge this gap between being immersed in a landscape and simply looking at it as a photograph.

These large-scale, landscape cyanotypes represent an experience of the arid Southern California landscape. They are made outdoors on the ground in the middle of the day in Griffith Park and Death Valley. This is a rudimentary photography, made without camera or film, recording the moment, the light, and the terrain of a particular but negligible plot of ground in a vast space at high noon. It is influenced by the landscape embodied in the 1840s cyanotype photograms of Anna Atkins, and it responds to the grand vistas of photographers such as Ansel Adams by bringing vision back to the body and using what is within reach: rocks, dirt, open sky, and sunlight. This series of photographs is an inquiry of place, an expression of a phenomenological sensation, and a proposition of sense.

The videos and photographs both are invested in observation, the presence and action of light, the parallels of light entering the shadowed interior of the camera and the eye functioning as an aperture to the blackness of the body’s interior. That dependence of light on darkness interests me. Video provides a physicality to the process of making images, a physicality that links vision back to the body, to movement and pulse, rather than the mechanical idealized view of the camera. Video is more performative and allows for an intuitive, animated exploration of light.

Curated by Terri Phillips and Brian Pera in collaboration with Crosstown Arts
The Wish Book series is a series focusing on non-traditional approaches to film as a medium. Curators Brian Pera and Terri Phillips welcome internationally recognized artists, filmmakers, and critics to Memphis for this exciting series, which takes its name from the famed Sears Catalog and is hosted by Crosstown Arts at Crosstown Concourse, itself once a major Sears distribution center.

Crosstown Arts Resident Artist Talk
2018-09-25 13:00 - 15:00 | Crosstown Arts, East Atrium, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280, Memphis, TN, United States
Crosstown Arts offers multidisciplinary residencies in to visiting and Memphis-based artists and curators, working in any creative discipline including visual and performing arts, music, film, and writing in all genres.
The resident artists discuss their work in a series on monthly artist talks. This month: Sid Richardson,Santina Amato, Jeremiah Matthews, and Alex Paulus.

Give a Damn! Music + Activism at Stax Records
2018-09-27 - 2018-12-02 | Crosstown Arts, West Gallery, Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
On view: September 28-December 2
Opening reception: Friday, Sept. 28, 6-8 pm
“Give a Damn,” a title taken from the 1970 Staple Singers song, is the culmination of a year-long examination of Stax Records’ commitment to political activism, community engagement, and social justice in the years following Dr. King’s 1968 assassination in Memphis.
This exhibition is presented by The Stax Museum of American Soul Music and hosted at Crosstown Arts. It features never-before-seen artifacts including Isaac Hayes’ 14-foot long custom-made office desk, stage clothing worn by Johnnie Taylor and Isaac Hayes, rare photos and documents, short films, music, and original artwork contributed by Shelby County students.

Historical background:
For the musicians and staff of Stax Records, the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. proved to be a catalyst for change. While never explicitly told to keep politics out of the studio, most Stax artists kept their political preferences to themselves, or simply chose not to engage. The death of Dr. King, though, literally put the struggle for freedom at the front door of Stax Records and made it difficult for those working within to ignore.
The transformation began overnight, with Stax artists Isaac Hayes and Rufus Thomas thrown into the role of peacekeepers during the unrest that followed Dr. King’s death. The era peaked at 1972’s Wattstax Festival, where Stax gave an all-day concert for more than 112,000 people in support of the community the wake of the Watts Rebellion, and lasted until the studio’s doors closed in December 1975.
Stax artists increased their participation in civic causes, initiated relationships with politicians and activists, adjusted their sound and look to align with both a growing counterculture and black consciousness movement, and became community leaders, empowered by their success and support from label owner, Al Bell. Simply put, Stax Records began to “give a damn.”

Opening Reception — Give a Damn! Music + Activism at Stax Records
2018-09-28 13:00 - 15:00 | Crosstown Arts, West Gallery, Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
On view: September 28-December 2
“Give a Damn,” a title taken from the 1970 Staple Singers song, is the culmination of a year-long examination of Stax Records’ commitment to political activism, community engagement, and social justice in the years following Dr. King’s 1968 assassination in Memphis.
This exhibition is presented by The Stax Museum of American Soul Music and hosted at Crosstown Arts. It features never-before-seen artifacts including Isaac Hayes’ 14-foot long custom-made office desk, stage clothing worn by Johnnie Taylor and Isaac Hayes, rare photos and documents, short films, music, and original artwork contributed by Shelby County students.
DJ LeRoy (PRE$$URE WORLD) will be spinning deep soul hits from Stax Records and rarely heard tracks from other top Memphis studios.

Historical background:
For the musicians and staff of Stax Records, the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. proved to be a catalyst for change. While never explicitly told to keep politics out of the studio, most Stax artists kept their political preferences to themselves, or simply chose not to engage. The death of Dr. King, though, literally put the struggle for freedom at the front door of Stax Records and made it difficult for those working within to ignore.
The transformation began overnight, with Stax artists Isaac Hayes and Rufus Thomas thrown into the role of peacekeepers during the unrest that followed Dr. King’s death. The era peaked at 1972’s Wattstax Festival, where Stax gave an all-day concert for more than 112,000 people in support of the community the wake of the Watts Rebellion, and lasted until the studio’s doors closed in December 1975.
Stax artists increased their participation in civic causes, initiated relationships with politicians and activists, adjusted their sound and look to align with both a growing counterculture and black consciousness movement, and became community leaders, empowered by their success and support from label owner, Al Bell. Simply put, Stax Records began to “give a damn.”

365
2018-09-28 13:00 - 16:00 | TN
Photo-a-day series by artist Valerie Sparks
Artist Statement:
In 2017, I challenged myself to a photo-a-day project which I first displayed on Instagram. Now I will present my year’s worth of all 365 photographs that I took, into one collection.

Organized by the artist

The Music of Billie Holiday
2018-09-29 13:30 - 16:00 | Crosstown Arts, East Atrium, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280, Memphis, TN, United States
Tickets $15 (purchase on Eventbrite)
Doors at 6:30 pm | Show at 7 pm
Tribute to American jazz singer Billie Holiday featuring Tamara Jones Monger (vocals), Keenan Shotwell (piano), Carl Casperson (acoustic bass), Gerard Harris (guitar), and James Sexton (drums).
The Crosstown Jazz Series, presented by Strictly Jazz Entertainment in collaboration with Crosstown Arts, is designed to salute classic jazz music as contemporary musicians perform the work of the legends.

About Strictly Jazz Entertainment:
Strictly Jazz Entertainment is committed to cultivating a growing community in the knowledge and appreciation of jazz. We facilitate dialogue and collaboration between the devoted supporters of jazz and the brand new constituents – those new to the genre – for the furthering of the jazz community. We provide a bridge between leading artists and a community that typically does not embrace jazz by promoting concerts in various venues to generate an atmosphere that is viable for the absorption of pure jazz.

.WAVFest
2018-09-29 15:00 - 18:30 | TN
Memphis artist ISpeakWithAGift presents the first annual .WAVFest featuring live performances from himself and friends from inside and outside the city. The line-up includes ISpeakWithAGift, Early, She’Chinah, ODDyssey, De Apollo, Ghost, Sumdude, and 2030M.
Food and refreshments will be served. Ages 18 and up.
Organized by the artist

Spins
2018-09-29 17:00 - 18:59 | Crosstown Arts, The Green Room, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280, Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
A live monthly DJ series at Crosstown Arts

This month: DJ Siphne Aaye
$5 cover (purchase on Eventbrite or at the door)

The SPINS series will feature music as diverse as the City of Memphis. Each month, a rotating line-up of DJs will play everything from old-school Hip-Hop and House to Ultra Lounge and Afrobeat. There’s something for everyone to enjoy. So, come chill. Come hang. Come Party!
