The Benches of Idlewild Elementary

The Commercial Appeal wrote a great story about these benches, created by Idlewild students with Idlewild's artist-in-residence, Deirdre Daw. I wanted to add a few pictures I took at their unveiling on Earth Day.











You'd think that the benches, while looking beautiful, wouldn't really work as seats. Something about all that raised environmental ornament sticking you in the butt.

But looks deceive -- the benches are very comfortable. I even saw a couple sitting on one for 45 minutes straight at Idlewild's Neighborfest.

Events in May, Abridged and Action-Packed

This is a small sampling of fun/interesting stuff that's going on. For more comprehensive lists, I would consult Memphis in May's site, the extensive Sierra Club calendar and the Memphis Flyer event calendar.

April 30, May 1, May 3, May 8, May 10, May 17-18, May 25

• April 30 (Wednesday):
  Our Vibe. Our City. On Film. Screening
  6:30- 8:00, Malco's Studio On The Square, 2105 Court Street
  


• May 1 (Thursday):
  "The City Livable: Modest Suggestions for Making Memphis Great"
  Reception at 4:30 p.m., presentation at 5:00 p.m.
  Buckman Hall, Christian Brothers University
  Please use CBU's Central Avenue entrance and parking lot.
  


• May 1 (Thursday):
  Sierra Club First Thursday Gathering
  5:30 pm - 7:00 pm, Otherlands, 641 S. Cooper
  
  Sierra Club members, activists and friends can meet in a casual setting to talk about issues and interests. For more information contact Juliet Jones, Vice Chair, at (901) 374-0582 or juliet101@comcast.net
  


• May 1 (Thursday):
  Cooper-Young Nite Out
  5pm - 9pm
  Cooper-Young Historic District
  


• May 3 (Saturday):
  Mississippi River Canoe and Kayak Race
  10 a.m.
  


• May 3 (Saturday):
  Neighborfest at Idlewild Elementary.
  11 a.m. to 3p.m.
  
  Eat a snocone and a hamburger, and learn about the great things happening at this fine Memphis elementary school!
  


• May 3 (Saturday):
  Jug Band Jam Session in Tribute to Will Shade.Will Shade, the Memphis Jug Band leader, was buried in an
  unmarked grave in 1966. His gravestone will finally be installed this week. Ceremonies honoring him will be this jam session and the gravestone installation at the Shelby County Cemetery


• May 3 (Saturday): Mission Accomplished? Fest
  2 p.m., National Civil Rights Museum
  


• May 3 (Saturday):
  Memphis Warehouse Revival v3.0!
  
  Thrown by the Rozelle Art Guild, this party at 822 Rozelle is scheduled for May 03 at 10PM. DJs Saturna, Mind At Large, University Acid Squad, Jim Henson, Bobby Lee, Mr. White, and the triumphant return of Memphis's own Shawn OD! $10 door, +$5 to drink. Ages 18+.
  


• May 8 (Thursday):
  Artist Rick Lowe speaks on Project Row Houses
  6:30 p.m., Memphis College of Art
  Sponsored by the UrbanArt Commission.
  
  If you're an artist, architect, developer or activist, don't miss this.
  


• May 10 (Saturday):
  Old Forest Hike
  10:00am to 11:30am, Overton Park, led by the Citizens to Protect Overton Park.
  
  Meet at the bridge on Old Forest Lane, next to the Rainbow Lake parking lot, for a guided walk through the Old Forest at Overton Park. Email Naomi or call 901.278.2396 if you need more info.
  


• May 17-18 (Saturday-Sunday):
  A Weekend with the Reddings
  
  On Saturday and Sunday, May 17 & 18, 2008 the Soulsville Foundation will once again make history when Otis Redding's family will be our special guests and events participants on two very exciting evenings. The family includes Otis Redding's widow, Mrs. Zelma Redding, along with his three children, Otis III and Dexter Redding and Karla Redding-Andrews.
  
  All will be special guests on Saturday, May 17th at the Stax Music Academy SNAP! After School Spring Concert at the University of Memphis' Michael D. Rose Theater. Otis III and Dexter will perform with the students. All ensembles will be featured during the concert - Stax Music Academy Rhythm Section, StreetCorner Harmonies, Premier Percussionists, and the Soulsville Swing Band, as well as The Soulsville Charter School's Soulsville Symphony Orchestra. Also starring as a speical guest is the academy's Artist in Residence, internationally acclaimed saxophonist Kirk Whalum.
  
  The concert is at 7 p.m. and admission is just $5!
  
  On Sunday, May 18th, the entire Redding family will be our guests for our "Conversations With The Reddings" panel discussion/Q&A, along with others who knew Otis Redding well, including Ben Cauley, the only Bar-Kay band member on board the plane to survive the tragic crash on December 10, 1967 near Madison, Wisconsin, which took the life of Redding at the age of 26. This event will take place in the Stax Museum's intimate Studio A. The discussion will not only focus on Otis Redding the phenomenal entertainer, but also Otis Redding the loving father and husband.
  
  "Conversations With the Reddings" will take place from 5 - 7 p.m. $10 general admission and free to Stax Museum members.
  
  This will be Zelma Redding's and Karla Redding-Andrews' first visit to the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.
  


• May 25 (Saturday):
  Chickasaw Group Sierra Club Canoe Trip Through Mississippi River Bottomlands
  8:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park
  
  Meet at the Visitor's Center. Reservations required. Free! Canoes provided. Bring your lunch and water. For reservations, contact Judith Hammond, (901) 276-2819.
  

Family Art Tomorrow Night

One Laptop Per Child in Birmingham

I've previously made a pitch for the XO laptops for the schoolchildren of Memphis. Thanks to a link from Justin, I see that Birmingham, a city with a very similar history, is making the leap.

One Laptop Per Child doesn't dump raw commercial technology in the laps (literally) of children. The laptop, from concept to configuration, embodies a complete vision of learning from MIT's Media Lab, based on the principles of constructionism.

I wonder whether the traditional consumer model of primary and secondary education is too boring for those who don't have the proverbial carrot or stick pull/pushing them forward. When adolescent independence hits them, they light off like Huckleberry Finn for the territory. A curriculum, and city, based on doing and creating might help bring them back.

Family Art Night at Peabody Elementary

I wanted to touch base with you about Peabody's Family Art Night. Again, the date is set for March 11, 2008 @ 6:00pm. The event will be held at Peabody Elementary which is located at 2086 Young Ave. in the Cooper-Young community.

Family Art Night was started last year, as a vision by me to promote Arts in the schools. As you may know, when budget cuts come along, the Arts are oftentimes the first to go. Also, some people view the Arts as simply a creative past-time and do not understand the value it has in impacting a student's learning. My aim was to show that despite these woes, discipline-based art education was still attainable in the classroom. I worked to show teachers how to integrate art into the regular curriculum. Also, I strived to show parents the importance of art when it comes their child's education, and I wanted everyone to walk away with an awareness and appreciation of the Arts.

Furthermore, Family Art Night consists of stationed-based activities for the students; a Meet-and-Greet with local artists and art organizations; and special performances. All in all, it is a night where the Arts come alive!

Many people, both students and parents, commented on how they thoroughly enjoyed the event and looked forward to it again.

This year, the theme for the event will be "Passport to the Arts", which coincides with Peabody's International Studies Program and we have added a "traveling artists" component whereas artists will create artwork and the New Ballet Ensemble School dancers will show various ballet techniques.

Artfully yours,
Regina Boyd
"Every child is an artist..." -Pablo Picasso

I met Regina and heard about this great event at the CODA Conference last fall.

Sculpture at Brewster

This is the art work I mentioned on Thursday. I like it but it's unfortunate that it has to fight with those lightposts for visual territory. It wins, but it's still unfortunate.

On Trolls and the Memphis City Schools

As a Memphis City School parent and someone who works with MCS grads all the time, I wanted to say this:

considering the amount of venomous derision that is spewed at their education by members of the community who (I suspect) have nothing to do with the schools, MCS children are universe-class overachievers.

Problems, there are lots of them. We have to solve them. We can solve them.

But anyone who is so smug and complacent that they tear down children who are working and learning, should take heed.

Because in a generation the products of MCS, wonderfully unaware that they're supposed to be idiots, who have kept learning, have kept working, will have zipped past any and everyone who has staked their self-worth and gauged their competition on today's status quo.

A Metaphor to Embrace

"For those of you who remain to toil in this precious, precious part of the vineyard, I ask you to see to it that the future holds promise and opportunity for all of God's children."

Carol Johnson

Neighborfest at Idlewild Elementary

Idlewild Elementary School is hosting NeighborFest this Saturday to show itself off to its neighborhood and its city. This is a great chance to tour the school and meet with the students, teachers, administrators and parents who make up the school. If you're not in the district, it is an optional school.


Truth in Spamming: my son attends Idlewild.

In 1st grade, he has learned about schemas, deciduous trees and Van Gogh, begun preparing for geometry and for algebra, and completed 6 reports which included oral presentations. Although Idlewild is an optional school, there is no separation of optional classes. Everyone in 1st grade learned and did these things.

Nothing makes me as proud of Memphis as Idlewild does.

It's a diamond, a brilliant future for Memphis.