Mobile Museum of Art brings the iconic photographs by Gordon Parks during the Jim Crow era back to the city where they were captured with the special exhibition, Gordon Parks: Segregation Story in Mobile, 1956.

This exhibition of photographs documents the everyday activities and rituals of one extended black family, the Thorntons, in Mobile and Shady Grove, Alabama, during segregation. The images were originally published in a 1956 photo essay by Parks, an assignment from Life magazine after the Montgomery bus boycotts, but have come to be known around the world for helping to inspire the Civil Rights movement.

In an essay accompanying the portfolio of photographs Segregation Story produced in 2012 by The Gordon Parks Foundation, noted American cultural historian and art critic Maurice Berger explains,

“These quiet, compelling photographs elicit a reaction that Parks believed was critical to undoing racial prejudice: empathy. Throughout his career, he endeavored to help viewers, white and black, understand and share the feelings of others. It was with this goal in mind that he set out to document the lives of the Thornton family, creating images meant to alter the way Americans viewed one another and, ultimately, themselves.”

These photographs are lent to MMofA by the Gordon Parks Foundation. Opening day will be free to the public, but due to COVID-19 a reception and other programming in various disciplines—film, poetry, visual arts and civil rights history—will be held at a later date.

This exhibition of photographs documents the everyday activities and rituals of one extended black family, the Thorntons, in Mobile and Shady Grove, Alabama, during segregation. The images were originally published in a 1956 photo essay by Parks, an assignment from Life magazine after the Montgomery bus boycotts, but have come to be known around the world for helping to inspire the Civil Rights movement.

These photographs are lent to MMofA by the Gordon Parks Foundation. Throughout the exhibition, MMofA is also partnering with area African American organizations on programs in various disciplines: film, poetry, visual arts and civil rights history.

The Mobile Arts Council Gallery will be hosting Alabama Astronaut – The Folk Art of Abe Partridge and L’inizio by Muffinjaw Designs throughout the month of April.  Abe Partridge is a creator of mixed media, folk art paintings and was the First Place Winner of the Mobile Arts Council’s 2020 “The Throwdown.” His works are featured in galleries across the US. Muffinjaw Designs is Mobile’s first portable glass blowing studio and is owned and operated by Freddie Blache. Freddie, Tres Johns, and Gage Nobles’ group show will feature functional and sculptural glassware. The Mobile Arts Council Gallery @ Room 1927 is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday-Friday.

USA’s Faculty Woodwind Trio,Trebuchet, will perform in concert on Tuesday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center Recital Hall. Trebuchet, comprised of flutist Dr. Andra Bohnet, oboist Dr. Rebecca Mindock, and clarinetist Dr. Kip Franklin, will be joined for this concert by other faculty artists and members of the larger Mobile musical community.

The “Blaserquintet – Fuvosotos” by Endre Szervansky will begin the concert with the collaboration of Dr. Jason Rinehart (horn) and Richard Hopkins (bassoon) and Trebuchet to form a woodwind quintet. The middle section of the evening will feature a variety of Celtic and rock tunes with Trebuchet plus cellist Mary Helen Harper. In the final work of the evening, the woodwind quintet will be joined by Dr. Doreen Lee (piano) for Louise Farrenc’s brilliant Sextet in C minor.

This Musical Arts Series concert is closed to the public and will be accessible only as a live stream event. We trust you will be able to be with us for the concert by going to our linked live stream site.  On this department page you’ll also be invited to open a virtual program for the concert and in some cases program notes as well.  Join us!

Here is the full Concert Live Streams link — https://www.southalabama.edu/colleges/music/livestream.html

Executive Director Todd Lasseigne, who has taken plant-finding expeditions all over the world, will lead an evening walking tour of odd and unusual plants at Bellingrath from 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 22. This event is a sequel to Dr. Lasseigne’s Winter Wednesday presentation on February 24.

During “Cool and Crazy Plants: The Sequel,” guests will discover:

• The Japanese fetterbush
• The Japanese andromeda
• Moso bamboo
• Two varieties of andromeda
• True and false cleyeras
• The Florida hobblebush

… and much, much more! Questions are encouraged on this informational evening stroll.

Registration is required to attend. To register, please call 251-459-8868, or email astrickland@bellingrath.org. This session is included in regular Gardens admission: $14 for adults, $8 for ages 5-12. There is no charge for members of the Friends of Bellingrath or for ages 4 and younger.