Artists of all types show off works, demonstrate techniques at Mighty ‘Sip Fest

Published 7:38 pm Saturday, April 15, 2023

By Terri Cowart Frazier

Scattered along Washington Street were out-of-town car tags – some from as far away as Michigan and Florida. No doubt many were visitors in town attending Vicksburg’s Mighty ‘Sip Fest, which kicked off Thursday with a concert by the Vicksburg Chamber Choir. On Friday the Vicskburg Convention Center’s Arts and Musical Festival cranked up with a concert by Mr. Sipp.

Saturday, a plethora of events were held including a ‘Sip and Stroll on the old Mississippi River Bridge.

Other happenings were scattered throughout the downtown area – several of which featured live artist demonstrations.

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Drew Landon Harris, a local artist who created and painted the Welcome To Vicksburg Mural, located across the street from the Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum, was one of the featured artists at the Jackson Street Gallery.

During Harris’ demonstration participants lined the walls of the gallery as he gave instructions on “gestural figure drawing.”

“I am just having them warm up and then I am just going around giving people tips,” Harris said. The goal of the instruction, he said, was to “get people drawing.”

Other artists at the Jackson Street Gallery included Ronny White, Kayla M. Boler, Lenore Barkley and Jacky Feazell, who creates metal art pieces.

Judy Busby and Emily Wolfe, owners of Jems Luxe Fibers, were also on hand demonstrating the process of needle punching, and Joyce Ferris was talking about community gardening.

At the Old Depot Museum, Dave Benway, who is the executive director of the museum, explained how he makes his painted figurines and Larry Walker was outside sharing some of his photography techniques.

Walker said he was having fun being part of the Mighty ‘Sip Fest.

“It’s been fun, and I have been taking some free family portraits,” he said.

Over at Parish Waterfowl, located on the 1100 block of Washington Street, owner Brad Eldridge was demonstrating how he makes his duck calls, and he was also letting folks hear how they sound when blown.

Across the street at the Attic Gallery, Ellen Langford was demonstrating her acrylic painting techniques.

The Mighty ‘Sip Fest also offered antiquity appraisals at the Old Court House Museum, along with musical acts performing at the Vicksburg Convention Center.

Events will continue through Saturday night with the Vicksburg Art Association Spring Art Show reception beginning at 7 p.m. at the Firehouse Gallery. The show will also be open on Sunday from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Also on Sunday, “Gold in the Hills” will be performed at the Parkside Playhouse Theatre at 2 p.m. and a concert will be performed by the Vicksburg Orchestral Society at the Church of the Holy Trinity beginning at 2 p.m.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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