Meet Wayne Andrews | Arts Council Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Wayne Andrews and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Wayne, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
The Arts are the most entrepreneurial endeavor. Artists have spent their time refining a skill allowing them to capture our imagination with their work, music, or writing. Developing their skill can leave a gap in all the tools to connect the wider public with their work. Art is not limited to a geographic footprint. As the Director of the Arts Council building programs which connect artists to resources that help them build a following, apply their art to different channels, and share their creative voice is energizing.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Creating a space for creatives has been the goal of the Arts Council since I have been the director. Our team has developed programs including the Community Supported Artist program, Arts Incubator, and the Arts Lab to establish an environment that attracts creatives to our community. We aim to attract diverse skills, backgrounds, and skills in a space that provides the resources for these voices to intersect, connect, and collaborate.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oxford is located in the Hill Country of Mississippi. Just South of Memphis and within a short drive to the Mississippi Delta. It provides a great base to explore the literary. food and musical influences that have shaped popular culture. Our trip would start with a walk around the Historic Oxford Square which includes the oldest department store in the South, Neilsons, and one of the top independent bookstores, Square Books. Dinner would be at the James Beard nominated Saint Leo with a nightcap at Bar Muse named one of the top 20 bars in the United States. Our next day would start with a tour of the University of Mississippi Museum featuring contemporary exhibits and the South’s largest collection of Greek antiquities. Connected to the Museum is Bailey Woods, a national walking trail, whose 3/4 walk terminates at Rowan Oak, the home of William Faulkner.. An evening would include attending Thacker Mountain Radio Hour a live radio show broadcast every Thursday from the Powerhouse Community Arts Center. We would take day trips to Holly Springs exploring the Kate Freeman Clark home filled with paintings from her years in New York. The next day a day trip to the Delta exploring the crossroads of the Blues in Clarksdale, MS, the Blues Museum, and dining at Morgan Freeman’s nightclub Ground Zero with authentic BBQ and live blues.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would give a shout out to Danette O’Connell who is one of the founders of the NonProfit Collective Foundation and  has been helping for-profits and nonprofits start and grow since 2004 by empowering them with divergent entrepreneurial thinking and a unique combination of finance and operations experience. She has over 20 years of a proven track record in positioning organizations through dynamic start-up, turnaround, merger, and accelerated growth periods.

Ms. O’Connell is focused on building and managing all aspects of a business transformation. She is proficient in strategic planning, financial planning, and business transformation. She has gained a reputation through satisfied customers and growing businesses.

Website: oxfordarts.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yacartscouncil/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yoknapatawphaartscouncil/

Other: https://vimeo.com/user15216860

Image Credits
photos by Wayne Andrews