As social distancing continues, state and local tourism employees and those who operate short-term lodging options are feeling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as reservations decrease while event cancellations and postponements increase.
With many people practicing “social distancing” because of the coronavirus, it isn’t difficult to think about the many dystopian films that have been released over the years.
Often referred to by locals as a “hidden gem,” Satterfield’s Pottery is on the rise in Oxford due to the high demand of exquisite, handcrafted pottery.
A Water Valley seamstress is taking a classic artform and refashioning it in her own unique way.
Some Oxford citizens have turned the joy of creating art into a business. Studio Whimzy, an art studio located at 807 College Hill Road across from Pat Lamar Park, was created by Sarah Kathryn Dossett Bridgers.
The Oxford Film Festival Board of Directors and staff announced Friday that because of public health concerns regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19), the 2020 Oxford Film Festival, scheduled for March 18-22, has been postponed.
Tupelo native Helen McDougald is a lifelong pageant girl who is hoping to use her platform about dyslexia and the arts to influence the University of Mississippi and Oxford communities.
Your parents probably taught you not to go into alleyways when you were a kid, because those were places where bad things happened. Ignore your parents.
The End of All Music, an independently owned record store in Oxford— with an entrance located in an alleyway—is the opposite of bad.
With the addition of a new mural on University Avenue and Oxford’s arts center, the Powerhouse, located there – this semester Oxford Stories is embarking on a small solutions journalism project. Our reporters are starting a community conversation about the possibility of a continued arts emphasis in the University Avenue area.
University Avenue business owners who run fabric, antique, and home furnishing stores said a few small tweaks could improve the already successful area.
Established local businesses line University Avenue – an older, yet still thriving part of Oxford. Business owners on this side of town say it’s vital that local businesses remain in the area, and some believe an arts district could attract more.
Portland, Oregon is a city with a population of about 647,000 people compared to Oxford’s 23,000. With the slogan “Keep Portland Weird,” the city focuses heavily on the arts, with hundreds of galleries, theaters and murals.
University Avenue is in an area that is transitioning with new business developments, and the street has experienced new business growth, but some also view it as the older part of town. Opinions are mixed on whether an arts district, or area of arts emphasis, would be beneficial.
Art can be found in every corner of Oxford. Sculptures in Lamar Park, The Powerhouse Community Arts Center, and the upstairs space of Sugar Magnolia Antique Mall are just a few of examples of art-centric locations. But would an arts district be supported in Oxford?
Oxford, Mississippi is well known for its creative culture. Many renowned artists, writers, chefs, and other artistic people reside in the town. Travelers from all over visit. Some in the arts community envision an Oxford arts district with residential and studio artist spaces.
If you spend a lot of time on the west side of town, you may not have much of a reason to venture over to University Avenue for anything, which might lead you to believe business is declining in that area. However, according to two University Avenue business owners, business has been steady.
Arts, culture, and creativity can improve a community’s competitive edge, attract new visitors, and integrate the visions of both community and business leaders. That’s why some view public art as an investment.
Madison Mayfield, an Oxford citizen and artist, is from Portland, Oregon, a city known for arts inclusivity. While Portland has a well-known arts district, she isn’t sure a designated arts district would be a good fit for small town Oxford.
Kaleigh Hall, 22, began interning at Oxford’s Southside Gallery at 150 Courthouse Square in August. She and her boss, Wil Cook, said an arts district, or area of continued arts emphasis, could be beneficial to Oxford.
It’s no secret, but every year, a group of artists have a One Night Stand on University Avenue.
There are more than 250 undergraduate art majors enrolled in three programs at the University of Mississippi’s Department of Art and Art History. Some shared their thoughts about having a possible arts district, or area where art is emphasized, in Oxford.
One example of a large, successful arts district that could offer Oxford ideas is the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District with a board of directors that includes business owners, activists and artists.
