MARCH/ APRIL 2026
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Jim Walker
Michael Agee
Thomas Christenbury
Charles Hardee
Rick Humphreys
Staci Jackson
Jacob Jackson
Guy Lo in
Jennifer Moerbe
Brooks Monypeny
by
From Mud Island to the Collierville Square, pick up 4Memphis at these distribution partner locations!
EAST MEMPHIS: Babalu
Central BBQ
Crescent Center
Eden Spa & Laser
Elite Nail Salon
Owen Brennan’s
Strategic Building (6465 Quail Hollow)
Red Koi
River Oaks
Wang’s Mandarin House
Huey’s
Bog & Barley
Jewish Community Center
D’s Spirits & Wine
Buster’s Liquors & Wines
(University and East)
COLLIERVILLE: Corky’s BBQ
Memphis Pizza Cafe
Poplar Wine & Spirits
She eld’s Antiques
Southern Security
The Skybox Grill
Collierville Chamber of Commerce
Commissary BBQ
Maeve’s Tavern
Social on the Square
CORDOVA: Biggby Co ee
DOWNTOWN & MIDTOWN:
Central BBQ
Blu City Co ee
South Point Grocery
Cordelia’s Market
The Cupboard
Wilson Air Center
The Mad Grocer (Crosstown Concourse) By the Brewery
Sunrise Memphis
Arcade Restaurant
Huey’s
GERMANTOWN: Barons
Forest Hill Grill
Memphis Pizza Cafe
Staks Pancakes
West Street Diner
Toasted Yolk
Jojo’s Espresso (Methodist Hospital and Thornwood Shopping Center)
East End Grill
BARTLETT:
Southern Security
Hopson’s Espresso Print Co ee Shop
MID-CITY:
Hobson Building
Lucchesi’s Pasta
Swanky’s
Soul Fish
Patrick’s
Novel
Super Lo (Spottswood)
Half Shell
Che e’s
High Point Grocery
Venice Kitchen
The Shops of Chickasaw Oaks
Mortimer’s
Napa Cafe
Playhouse on the Square
Leftwich Tennis Center
Elwood’s Shack
Buster’s Liquors & Wines
(University and East)
Woman’s Exchange
Ginger’s Bread & Co.
Pete and Sam’s
901 Hotpot & Korean BBQ
Brother Juniper’s
The Front Porch
And many more of your favorite retail and restaurant locations!
20 Ken Hall’s March/April Art Events 30 A Million Reasons to Visit the Memphis Botanic Garden 32 Teacup Garden
40 Celebrating America’s 250th: The Greatest American Cleanup 54 Fashion: Spring Immersion 62 Fashion 4Ward 63 Andrea’s Cooktales: Spring Chicken 66 Novel 4Reads
AMI AUSTIN • BABCOCK GIFTS • BLU D’OR INTERIORS • CHICO’S COLLECTED BY ELIZABETH MALMO • COTTON TAILS • DINSTUHL’S
EAST MEMPHIS ATHLETIC CLUB • FLEET FEET SPORTS • FROST BAKE SHOP • GOETZE ART & DESIGN • HIGHTEE • HOT YOGA PLUS J. MCLAUGHLIN • JAMES DAVIS • J. JILL • JOSEPH • JOSEPH MEN
KING FURS AND FINE JEWELRY • KITTIE KYLE • LIBRO LISA MALLORY - SARAH SPINOSA INTERIOR DESIGN • LORI JAMES
NOVEL • ORVIS • PANERA BREAD • PAVO SALON • PIGTAILS AND CREWCUTS • RESTAURANT IRIS • SACHI • SECOND LINE (COMING IN '26!) • SISSY’S LOG CABIN • STOVALL COLLECTION • ZÜPMED
MARCH/APRIL 2026
March/April 2026
Volume XII • Number 2
PUBLISHER
Jim Walker jim@4memphis.com
MANAGING EDITOR
Sandi Butler Hughes sandi@4memphis.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Lesley Harris Colvett lesley@4memphis.com
ART DIRECTOR McKendree Walker mckendree@4memphis.com
ARTS CONTRIBUTOR
Ken Hall ken@4memphis.com
ADVERTISING
Cathy Farrell cathy@4memphis.com
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Daniel Kallaher
WEBMASTER
Eddie Bates webmaster@4memphis.com
PHOTOGRAPHERS AT LARGE Frank Chin
Bryant Cummings
Ken Hall Steve Roberts CONTACT 6465 Quail Hollow Memphis, TN 38120 4memphis.com
The Enclosion by Sharon Havelka ShapeShifter Art School & Gallery 3/8 3/11 3/12 3/13 3/16 3/19
I couldn’t possibly have a favorite event, but my very short list will always include Art by Design because it works on so many levels in showcasing creativity in the Memphis area. From Evening in the Garden to Bourbons in the Wild to the design vignettes, each offering of Art by Design is superlatively innovative, smart and fun, and just a visual feast. A world premiere opera is a milestone for any company, and Opera Memphis’ locally-commissioned Pretty Little Room is intensely moving and based on actual Memphis history. ShapeShifter Art School explodes with accessible creativity in March. You, and yes I mean ordinary people like you and me, can sign up for a workshop with Pinkney Herbert or Nancy Cheairs. Let that sink in. Spring isn’t fully sprung until Greg Belz’s Art in The Loop brings arts and crafts outside to the Ridgeway Loop. And performances of all kinds, it is overwhelming in the best possible way. Go get in it! -Ken Hall
March Transitions group art show
St. George’s Episcopal Church Gallery
Opening reception 3/7; through 3/20
Three Visions of Nature: Photography by Allen Sparks, Becky Ross McRae, and Michael Pachis Gallery Ten Ninety One, WKNO
Familial Objects art by Sharon Havelka
ShapeShifter Art School & Gallery, through 4/18
The Orchestra Unplugged: Who Was Gustav Mahler
Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Halloran Centre
Pretty Little Room
Opera Memphis, Crosstown Theater
Women in the Arts community event
Dixon Gallery & Gardens
Four of Hearts art by MengCheng Collective
Sheet Cake Gallery, through 3/21
American Mosaic
Germantown Symphony Orchestra, GPAC
Memphis Youth Symphony Spring Concert
Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center
Munch & Learn: Carl Moore Dixon Gallery & Gardens
Echoes of Reflection: Spatial Polyphony and Antiphony
Brooks Museum of Art
Switzerland Quark Theatre, First Congo, through 3/29
Seussical
Circuit Playhouse, through 4/12
The Hot Sardines GPAC, I saw them at the Newport Jazz Festivalterrific performers!
Dragon Medicine: Southern Roots, Universal Truths Emerald Theatre Company, TheatreWorks, through 3/22
Under an Irish Moon: Tales & Tunes from Lady Gregory’s Hearth
Tennessee Shakespeare Company
2026-27 Broadway Season Reveal Orpheum Theatre
HI//LO Cocktails & Bites
Sheet Cake Gallery with Bar Limina
3/20
3/21
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
GPAC
“Celebrate Holi Through Art” festivities
Brooks Museum of Art
Art by Amy Hutcheson
Lois Ruleman Gallery at Church Health and Focal Point in Crosstown
Jamie Barton in Recital Opera Memphis
Bartlett Community Band Concert
Bartlett Performing Arts & Conference Center
Shakespeare in the Cemetery
Tennessee Shakespeare Company, Elmwood Cemetery
Midsouth Sober Living Art Auction
Memphis Botanic Garden
Gallery takeover with Sheila Urevbu
Brooks Museum of Art
Kafe Kirk with special guest Kenneth Whalum III
Crosstown Theater
Spring Classes Begin!
ShapeShifter Art School & Gallery
Study with literally an all-star staff of instructors and really special guest artists for workshops.
Art by Design ARTSMemphis, Agricenter International, through 3/29
3/26
Stepping Into the Unknown: Films from the Bob Dylan Center film screening
Crosstown Theater
Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana
Buckman Performing Arts Center
Brazil by Night
Collage Dance Collective with Iris Collective, 505 Tillman
Joyce Cobb and the Rhodes Jazz Ensemble
Five Fridays of Jazz, Benjamin L. Hooks
Main Library
Verdi’s Requiem
Opera Memphis and Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Cannon Center
Art Show featuring local celebrities Ron Olson & David Lynch
Memphis Botanic Garden
Opening reception 4/8; through 4/30
Photography by Bruce McGee Gallery Ten Ninety One, WKNO Opening reception 4/18; through 4/30
Emerge: New Student Dance Works
University of Memphis Mainstage
4/3
The Shawshank Redemption Theatre Memphis, through 4/19
Ellie Holcomb in concert
Salvation Army 125th anniversary, Scheidt Center
Art in The Loop
Ridgeway Loop Road, through 4/12
The Music Man BPACC, through 4/12
Johnny Yancey’s Power to the People Orchestra
The Green Room at Crosstown
Romeo & Juliet
Ballet Memphis, GPAC, through 4/12
Song of the Nightingale
University of Memphis Opera and Symphony, Harris Concert Hall
Memphis Flower Show: Masquerade A biennial Garden Club of America Flower Show, Dixon Gallery & Gardens, through 4/12
Juke Joint Festival
Clarksdale, MS
Springloaded
New Ballet Ensemble
4/12
Best Buddies Friendship Walk
Shelby Farms Hyde Lake Pavilion
BECOMING Spring Jazz Gala
Collage Dance Collective, FedEx Event Center
Memphis Symphony League Hebe Awards Luncheon
Memphis Country Club
Omnium Circus
Buckman Performing Arts Center
4/17
Julius Caesar
Germantown Community Theatre, through 5/3
Mempho Presents Shell Daze Music Festival
Overton Park Shell
West Tennessee Iris Show
Emmanuel United Methodist Church
GPAC Gala
Germantown Performing Arts Center
Mary Sims: A Retrospective Dixon Gallery & Gardens
Nature Yearns art by Dorothy Gunther Pugh Dixon Gallery & Gardens, through 6/7
4/21
4/11 & 12 4/15 4/16 4/18 4/19 4/17 & 18 4/23 4/24 4/25 4/26
SIX: The Musical
Orpheum Theatre, through 4/26
Awadagin Pratt and the Iris Collective
GPAC
The Night Witches
University of Memphis Theater, through 4/25
Steve Lee in concert
The Green Room at Crosstown
Noises Off
Theatre Memphis, through 5/10
Jesus Christ Superstar Playhouse on the Square, through 5/17
Wycliffe Gordon
GPAC
Art by Eileen Townsend TOPS Gallery, through 6/20
Rhodes College Choral Collaborative
Spring Concert
McNeill Concert Hall
Photos Courtesy of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl
The AutoZone Liberty Bowl has been a Memphis tradition for over 60 years, and the President’s Gala was a premier party held on the eve of the game between University of Cincinnati and the US Naval Academy. Held at the Peabody Hotel, a cocktail reception was followed by an elegant dinner and a performance by country music star Matt Stell. The head coaches' wives were honored and University dignitaries were also recognized. Matt was selected to receive the 2025 AutoZone Liberty Bowl Outstanding Achievement Award. Each year, this award is presented by the AutoZone Liberty Bowl and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in recognition of excellence in the field of music and entertainment. This time-honored recognition dates back to the early years of St. Jude and its founder, entertainer Danny Thomas. The AutoZone Liberty Bowl is much more than a game–it has had a $1.1B economic impact for Memphis and $6M donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. libertybowl.org
Photography by Frank Chin
Laissez les bon temps rouler–the good times rolled down Beale Street and through Downtown as Memphis celebrated Mardi Gras! Next up: St. Patrick's Day. Don your green and celebrate at the 53rd Annual Silky Sullivan St. Patrick’s Parade on March 14 at 2pm. Irish eyes will be smiling! bealestreet.com
It is a January tradition at the Memphis Pink Palace, and the 2026 Science of Beer was a fun night for beer tasting and learning the science behind it all. Over two dozen breweries and restaurants were on hand for the sold-out event. Guests vote for their favorite brews, and this year’s top winners were Hampline Brewing Company in first place with Void Brewing and Cooper House Brewing coming in second and third. The first place winner for food went to Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken. The evening’s festivities benefit the education and community engagement departments at the Memphis Museum of Science and History. moshmemphis.com
Dr. Mike Farrar, a Louisiana State University School of Dentistry graduate, is committed to delivering the highest quality dentistry in a relaxed, stress-free environment. Certified in nitrous oxide and oral conscious sedation, Dr. Farrar ensures patients feel comfortable and confident throughout their care. Experience dentistry that combines advanced skill, compassionate care, and a commitment to long-term oral health.
Dr. Lyndsey Zito, a Germantown native and graduate of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Dentistry, believes in building lasting relationships—not just providing quick fixes. She focuses on early prevention, patient comfort, and overall wellness, and also offers Botox therapy for anti-aging cosmetic treatments. Schedule your appointment today at Elite Dental Care and discover the difference personalized, professional dentistry can make.
Photography by Bryant Cummings
The 2026 Mid-South Heart Ball brought together community leaders, volunteers and supporters for an unforgettable evening celebrating the Heart of Memphis. Guests honored Living Heart Award recipient Duncan Williams and rallied around the American Heart Association’s mission to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. The night ignited bold generosity to fuel CPR training, support groundbreaking research, and strengthen cardiac preparedness across our Mid-South communities. heart.org
David Lynch is a professional Memphis artist who feels the heart & soul of this great city in every brushstroke. The majority of his work is commissioned paintings which range from landscapes and scenery to vibrant murals. Each painting radiates flow and rhythm like the Mississippi River and our music, creating pieces that skew the usual, everyday scenery to capture the bold energy of Memphis. David, along with Memphis artist Ron Olson, has an exhibit at the Memphis Botanic Garden, April 1-30. DavidLynchArt.com
The Orpheum Theatre Group is where international renown and homegrown talent intersect. Touring performances introduce the Mid-South to globally celebrated entertainment while year-round programs nurture a creative landscape that is distinctly Memphis, inspiring communities and creating lifelong memories through shared stories and experiences. The Broadway musical Back To The Future is on stage March 3-8 and Six playing April 21-26–where Broadway meets Beale in the heart of Downtown Memphis. orpheum-memphis.com
With over 20 years of tradition, taste, and Southern charm, Felicia Suzanne’s has been a constant in the Memphis restaurant scene. In 2025, they reopened in the historic South Main neighborhood, and the new location is housed in a 1926 building that was originally home to the Fred P. Gattas store. The restored and reimagined space has the timeless charm of a French bistro with a relaxed neighborhood vibe. feliciasuzanne.com
On Mud Island, something long imagined is finally taking form. Opening this Spring, Baron Von Opperbean and the River of Time marks the first chapter of a long-term vision unfolding inside the former Mississippi River Museum. Through immersive art, technology, and storytelling, BVO transforms the space into a living world built for exploration, connection, and play. This is the beginning of an adventure shaped by those who enter it. No two journeys through the River of Time are ever the same.
Madonna Circle celebrates 90 years serving Memphis on April 18 at the Peabody Hotel! Some Enchanted Evening Charitable Gala is an immersive dining experience with local entertainment and dancing benefitting the Blessings Fund. Madonna Circle, a Catholic women's organization, serves the community through fundraising and volunteerism. The Blessings Fund was created to meet urgent and unexpected needs, partnering with nonprofit charities directly serving our neighbors in need. The Fund provides financial assistance focusing on education, hunger, health/wellness, and disaster relief. madonnacircle.org
For advertising information, contact Cathy Farrell, cathyfarrell1026@gmail.com
By Jonathan Caples, Director of Horticulture and Facilities, Memphis Botanic Garden
Asanew Memphis transplant, I may be the most excited to see what the garden has to offer coming this spring, and that is what our upcoming exhibit is all about. BLOOM: A Million Shades of Spring will be showcasing our entire 96 acres and its flowering trees, shrubs, and perennial flowers that will all be individually showboating their fresh leaves, flora, and aromas over the spring and early summer. We have a wonderful mix of natives and nonnative flowering plants that will be anchored by our tulip displays across the garden, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. With nearly 30 varieties of tulips planted across the grounds, you won’t want to miss it this spring.
Throughout the three-month celebration, visitors will enjoy:
• Over one million blooms spread across the season
• A seasonal experience that evolves weekly
• One of the most spectacular spring destinations in the South
• Weekly Bloom Saturdays featuring cultural partners
• Petals & Parasols, an afternoon of cocktails & floral displays
• Tulips at Twilight, an elevated evening among the blooms
• Guided walks, garden workshops & family activities
• Botanical installations and dedicated photo moments
Some wonderful native flowering specimens I am looking forward to seeing this year are our redbud trees, flowering dogwoods, and of course our southern magnolias. Later in the spring, there will be a plethora of native flowering perennials across our arboretum and garden, attracting and supporting native pollinators and other small native species. Some notable species include
butterfly weed, echinacea, and foxglove penstemon.
While it is important to continue to support the planting of our wonderfully diverse native plant palette, there are many well-adapted non-native plants that are not only culturally significant but also add additional flowering and pollinator support across the South. One that may be most recognizable is the azalea. Azaleas have more than a few native species in the southeastern United States; the most popular are arguably their Asian relatives. Azaleas have been a southern staple for decades and are a must for most southern gardeners. Camelias are another great well-adapted non-native that can add a range of colors and shrub size to all gardens. Of course, we couldn’t forget our beloved cherry trees. A crowd favorite, attracting not only pollinators but hundreds of visitors for their crowd-pleasing Instagrammable moments.
There will be many more blooms throughout the ever-changing season. Some other notable flowers to look forward to are our irises, hydrangeas, roses, and daylilies. Our rose garden is a favorite spot for visitors to see and smell our wonderful collection of rose specimens. Our daylily collection, which you can find in the iris garden, is beaming with wonderfully whimsical names and stunning flowers that come later in the season.
BLOOM: A Million Shades of Spring
March–May 2026
Memphis Botanic Garden; 750 Cherry Road, Memphis, TN 38117
Details: membg.org/bloom
Spring is always an exciting time in the garden, but this year will be like no other. Bring your family, friends, and neighbors and share the joys of spring, our BLOOM exhibit, and everything else MBG has to offer. We can’t wait to see you!
A teacup garden is just that: a garden in a teacup. Albeit a tiny garden, it is a touch of growing green in a cup made for Earl Grey. Create one for your windowsill, as a charming addition to your Easter tablescape, or favors for a garden party.
• A teacup and saucer–something vintage and mismatched adds whimsy
• Small scale, compact plants
• Potting mix
• Succulent/cactus soil if using succulents
• Regular indoor potting soil for leafy plants
• Drainage material–tiny pebbles or gravel
• Optional decorations such as shells, mini figurines, trinkets, or polished stones
• Mini fern–lemon button fern or rabbit’s foot fern
• Moss–sheet moss or cushion moss works well
• Baby fittonia–“nerve plant” with great color and loves shade
• Succulents are another good choice for brighter light. They are naturally tough, and cope with root-limited gardening. Small leafed and small-growing succulents such as:
• Mini Jade Plant–classic succulent with thick leaves that needs bright light and only occasional water.
• Sedum–“stonecrop” with tiny, sun-loving clusters that handle heat and dry soil
• Sempervivum–“Hens & Chicks” rosettes stay small and do well in a sunny spot
• Mini Aloe–compact varieties of aloe can thrive in sun and need very little water
• Light: Bright, indirect light is ideal
• Water: Less is more–water only when soil feels dry
• Rotation: Turn the cup every week so plants grow evenly
• Longevity: If plants outgrow the cup, transplant them and refresh with new minis.
The Memphis Botanic Garden Annual Plant Sale is April 15-18, and they will have houseplants for sale along with plenty of annuals and perennials for the outdoor garden. Check it out-plant your teacup and support the Garden!
Photography by McKendree Walker
Memphis Botanic Garden welcomed plant lovers to Botanica, a refined, two-day plant shopping and hands-on experience. Designed for both seasoned collectors and curious beginners, Botanica blended hands-on learning and horticultural excellence for a lush, boutique-style plant market. membg.org
Photography by SnapPix Photography/Byron Fitchpatric
Two hundred dazzling guests gathered for an unforgettable New Year’s Eve Venetian Masquerade Ball hosted by Bill Townsend, who graciously opened his home, the historic Annesdale Mansion, as a breathtaking backdrop for the black-tie affair. The evening sparkled from the start, with cocktails and champagne flowing freely and an abundant, beautifully presented feast catered by Fascinating Foods. Guests arrived adorned in elaborate feathered masks and ornate headpieces, lending an air of delicious mystery where whispered secrets and stolen dances felt timeless. As the clock struck twelve, confetti rained like stardust and, beneath a chorus of cheers, revelers welcomed the New Year with an incredible fireworks display overhead.
Photography by Ben Brown Photography
At Wine for Wishes, glasses were raised to 40 incredible years of Make-A-Wish Mid-South granting life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. The Associate Board hosted the popular annual event at The Cadre Building. The evening included wine, craft cocktails, delicious bites, and great vibes! Make-A-Wish Mid-South will be hosting the 20th Annual Dishes for Wishes April 26 at The Kent. The much anticipated event continues the mission that started in the Mid-South 40 years ago: transforming lives, one wish at a time. wish.org
Photography by Frank Chin
The annual invitation-only Passport to Opportunity event supports the work of Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South, and this year was extra special. The theme was “Studio to Stadium,” celebrating the creative industry that drives our region and featured the recent GRAMMY® Award winner Eric Gales. Eric is a world-renowned blues-rock guitarist whose journey began right here in Memphis. A prodigy who learned guitar at age four, he most recently won a GRAMMY® Award for his contributions to the soundtrack of the acclaimed film Sinners alongside fellow Memphian Boo Mitchell. Eric’s appearance at Passport to Opportunity was especially meaningful because JA president and CEO Leigh Mansberg was Eric’s teacher at Overton High School. Junior Achievement work-readiness programs help area students explore careers and prepare for their bright futures ahead. jamemphis.org
Photography by Craig Thompson, DisciplePhoto
Adults took over the Children’s Museum of Memphis on February 7 at Cirque du CMOM: Absurdly Campy. Memphians dressed in their most flamboyant, exaggerated garb to support the museum’s outreach initiatives, ensuring all children have access to playful learning. Guests enjoyed elevated bites and imaginative cocktails, along with a performance by Almost Elton John and dancing at a silent disco. cmom.com
By Sandi Butler Hughes
In commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, communities nationwide are participating in the Keep America Beautiful 2026 Greatest American Cleanup. As a leading national nonprofit organization, Keep America Beautiful is powered by millions of volunteers, and along with affiliate organizations Keep Tennessee Beautiful and Memphis City Beautiful Commission, they are inspiring us to come together to create cleaner, greener, and more vibrant neighborhoods.
The annual Great American Cleanup (held every March-April) is a nationwide movement. In celebration of America’s 250th birthday, the 2026 Cleanup is being called the Greatest American Cleanup with a goal of removing 250 billion (yes, billion!) pieces of litter by July 4, 2026.
4Memphis talked with Missy Marshall, Executive Director of Keep Tennessee Beautiful (KTnB), and Charity Cole, Manager of Memphis City Beautiful (MCB) about what makes the 2026 Cleanup especially impactful, and how you can join in the movement.
4M: Founded in 1930, Memphis City Beautiful is the nation’s first and oldest beautification organization and has long been a steward of neighborhood pride. How does your organization plan to engage Memphians during the 2026 Greatest American Cleanup?
CHARITY/MCB: Memphis City Beautiful’s cleanup effort for the 2026 Greatest American Cleanup will focus on bringing volunteers together to clean several streets in downtown Memphis near the FedExForum on March 13. This effort brings residents, businesses, and community partners together to take an active role in caring for one of the most visible areas of our city. By working side-by-side, participants are able to see the direct impact of their efforts and develop a stronger sense of pride and personal investment in Memphis.
4M: Community engagement is central to the work of litter cleanups and beautification. How is Keep Tennessee Beautiful engaging communities across the state for the Greatest American Cleanup?
MISSY/KTnB: Our small, but mighty, staff at Keep Tennessee Beautiful works tirelessly to educate and inspire Tennesseans to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. We engage with community leaders, Chambers of Commerce, litter grant coordinators, solid waste representatives across all 95 counties of Tennessee, along with our state legislators, environmental stakeholders, and more than 34 KAB affiliates and 19 state-level affiliates, always focused on how we can make our state more beautiful by keeping it clean. Keep Tennessee Beautiful is sponsored by the Tennessee Department of Transportation. This year, especially, we encourage all our citizens to celebrate the power of partnership, community pride, and environmental stewardship leading up to America’s 250th by participating in the Greatest American Cleanup.
4M: From your perspective, what are Tennessee’s biggest environmental challenges, and how does the 2026 Greatest American Cleanup help address them?
MISSY/KTnB: The biggest challenge to keeping Tennessee beautiful is the persistent–intentional and unintentional–littering. It is an epidemic, with millions and millions of pieces of litter thrown on our roadways every year. Educating every citizen about the importance of litter prevention is essential in helping solve this environmental challenge. Unsecured loads and illegal dumping are also major issues on Tennessee’s highways. That problem is mitigated with education. All our efforts are made stronger through the power of community participation. We’re the Volunteer State, and as such, Keep Tennessee Beautiful educates and encourages our citizens to volunteer to lead and participate in litter cleanups. Check out some of Tennessee’s great programs including Nobody Trashes Tennessee, Trashercise, The Greatest
American Cleanup, The KTnB Three Grand Divisions Scholarship for Tennessee High School seniors and others. I urge all Tennesseans to volunteer!
4M: Beyond litter removal, what broader goals does Memphis City Beautiful have for this Cleanup in terms of beautification, sustainability, and community connection?
CHARITY/MCB: This cleanup is about reinforcing a culture of pride, responsibility, and stewardship. Beyond litter removal, our goal is to promote sustainability, encourage preventative behaviors, and strengthen the connection between residents and their environment. When people see the difference they can make, it fosters a sense of shared ownership and encourages continued care for our city.
4M: As partners in the 2026 Greatest American Cleanup, what does success look like to each of you, and what lasting change do you hope to see?
MISSY/KTnB: Keep Tennessee Beautiful joins in with Keep America Beautiful in the aim to remove 25 billion pieces of litter from parks, waterways and public spaces between now and July 4, America’s 250th! This can only be achieved with all of our affiliates and citizens joining in Tennessee’s Greatest American Cleanup.
CHARITY/MCB: Success means creating visible impact while also building lasting momentum. At Memphis City Beautiful, we hope to see increased community engagement, stronger partnerships, and a renewed sense of pride in Memphis. The lasting change we hope to achieve is a continued commitment from residents and stakeholders to work together in keeping our city clean, welcoming, and vibrant.
For Memphians who want to help but aren’t sure where to start, these are some easy ways to get involved—whether as individuals, families, or organizations:
Volunteer locally Join a neighborhood cleanup organized by Memphis City Beautiful or start one in your own community.
Organize a team Businesses, faith groups, schools, and civic organizations are encouraged to register group cleanups.
Become a partner Local companies can support the effort through sponsorships, supplies, or employee volunteer days.
Spread the word. Share Cleanup events on social media and invite friends and neighbors to participate.
Think beyond the Cleanup Adopt a block, park, or green space to help keep Memphis beautiful year-round.
Additionally, Missy Marshall is encouraging everyone to visit their website, sign the Greatest American Cleanup pledge, and then take ownership. “Neighborhoods can host a cleanup event, people can sign-up to AdoptA-Highway, youth can step-up and participate in cleanups, including the Nobody Trashes Tennessee Patch Program,” she said.
To launch Tennessee’s efforts in the Greatest American Cleanup, Keep Tennessee Beautiful is hosting a kick-off rally on March 12 in Memphis before the cleanup on March 13 near the FedEx Forum.
To learn more about the Patch Program, visit nobodytrashestennessee.com/ patch-program/. For more information about these initiatives and more, visit keeptnbeautiful.org and memphiscitybeautiful.org and follow social channels for upcoming event details.
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Photography by Lesley Harris Colvett
A beautiful ribbon-cutting celebration was held February 27 on a gorgeous day to mark the opening of The Only Facial flagship location in Memphis at 5040 Sanderlin Avenue. The Only Facial features a luxury, 11 step customizable facial, offered at one rate with tip included, that uniquely addresses an individual's skin concerns and leaves them glowing. “We want to create a wow factor,” said owners Jill and Marty Moore. The opening party did “wow” guests who enjoyed champagne, delicious bites from surrounding restaurants, festive flowers provided by their neighbor the Garden District, and goodie bags to take home! theonlyfacial.com
Photography by Frank Chin
This year’s celebration to ring in the Vietnamese Lunar New Year was held February 7. The Vietnamese American Community of West Tennessee hosted the annual family-friendly celebration and included an exciting Lion Dance, Dragon Dance, and beautiful Ao Dai Fashion Show. In the lunar calendar, 2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse—a year associated with confidence, energy, passion, and forward momentum. Happy Lunar New Year!
Photography by Emily Adams Keplinger
A little snow and ice couldn’t stop a celebration 50 years in the making–even though it did delay it by a week. The Dixon Gallery & Gardens hosted their 50th Anniversary Celebration on February 1, and a large crowd of supporters gathered to mark the golden anniversary. Guests enjoyed a birthday cake, gallery tours, and a special screening of the documentary “50 Years of The Dixon Gallery & Gardens” that can be seen on WKNO/channel 10. To continue the anniversary celebration, the annual spring bulb display will be the largest in their history with more than 500,000 bulbs planted throughout the grounds. Congratulations to the Dixon for being a Memphis treasure since 1976! dixon.org
Photography by Ken Hall
The 2026 Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition was an astounding array of talent, featuring over 200 works by students in grades 7-12 from West Tennessee, East Arkansas, and North Mississippi. This year’s juried competition received 3,737 submissions from 514 students, spanning a wide range of artistic disciplines, featuring drawing, painting, photography, film, fashion, ceramics, sculpture, printmaking, mixed media, and digital art. The awards included $656,600 in scholarships and $8,200 in cash prizes, supporting Memphis’ next generation of artists and creatives through continued education opportunities with national and regional organizations. Through its long-standing partnership with the National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the Memphis Brooks Museum offers a showcase for young artists to present their work at a professional museum standard. brooksmuseum.org
Photography by Ken Hall
The 5th annual Libration took place at Soul & Spirits Brewery on North Main. The event is a fundraiser for the Memphis Library Foundation, a nonprofit support arm of the City’s wonderful educational source. Library fans enjoyed libations and conversations. From the Libby app (free app for users to access digital books and more from the library!) to archival clippings, author talks to film screenings, the modern era of public libraries offers a broad array of resources for families, researchers, and inquiring minds of all kinds. memphislibraryfoundation.org
Photography by Amanda Swain
It was the Mardi Gras event of the season! Alpha Omega Veterans Services hosted their 10th annual Masquerade Ball at Southern Grace Weddings and Events in Arlington to raise funds for our military veterans. The elegant evening brought a little NOLA to Memphis with masks and beads, a second line, silent auction, and cajun-style cuisine from Chef Kelly English. Proceeds from this gala event benefit Alpha Omega’s mission to empower veterans who are displaced or experiencing homelessness across the Mid-South with tools, skills, and services they need for successful reintegration into life after their service. alphaomegaveterans.org
Photography by Jamie Harmon
On February 14, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra celebrated Valentine’s Day with a soulful evening featuring acclaimed vocalist Kortland Whalum at the Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center. The performance also welcomed guests attending the World Cataract Foundation’s annual Sight Night, see page 52, adding to the spirit of community and shared purpose. Guests enjoyed an atmosphere of warmth and connection throughout the evening, which concluded with a festive post-concert reception that carried the celebration beyond the stage. memphissymphony.org
Photography by Ken Hall
The World Cataract Foundation had a lovely night. Not only raising money for the vital, sight-restoring cause but also as a pre-party for the wonderful Memphis Symphony Orchestra Valentine’s Day concert featuring Kortland Whalum. Founded by the late Dr. Jerre Freeman, the World Cataract Foundation provides humanitarian services helping the world to see by eliminating cataract blindness through surgery, training and equipping. worldcataract.org
Photography by Lesley Harris Colvett
A Toast to Ave Maria Celebration Gala was held February 22 at Christian Brothers High School, and this signature gala-style evening benefitting Ave Maria Home was more than a celebration–it served as a tribute to Ave Maria’s 70-year legacy of care, compassion, and community while honoring the people and history that shaped Ave Maria. Guests enjoyed live and silent auctions, specialty cocktails, delicious food, and camaraderie while supporting the mission of Ave Maria Home–helping their dedicated staff provide high-quality, compassionate care for those who call Ave Maria “home” today and in the future. avemariahome.org
The core idea for Baron Von Opperbean and the River of Time is “where story, art, and adventure collide.” These are also the core choices we make in fashion every day when we get dressed. Create your own artistic story and let your adventure begin with these bold looks for Spring ‘26.
The former Mississippi River Museum is undergoing a transformation into Baron Von Opperbean and the River of Time, and this Spring Memphians can finally see this new, fantastical world of BVO as an immersive art, storytelling, and adventure experience.
What is BVO? Officially, it is “An immersive art, storytelling, and adventure experience reimagining the former Mississippi River Museum into a creative world blending art, technology, and play.” But it is more–it is a vision, a dream, a celebration. Founded by Christopher Reyes, with co-founders Kathryn Hicks, Marvin Stockwell, and Reuben Brunson, they are building a world of magic, science, and the multiverse–on Mud Island!
The team also includes Jee Vahn Knight as Chief Executive Officer. “The Memphis story is bigger than the headlines,” she said. “This city has never waited for permission to create—it just builds, plays, and reinvents. The riverfront has the bones of history and the soul of reinvention. Christopher’s vision and the team he’s built are a mirror of how much brilliance lives here. Memphis has circled the globe before. We’re just picking up the next verse."
A little bit Meow Wolf or Immersive Van Gogh, BVO is imaginative and playful, visionary and interactive, and an adventurous transformation. Kudos to this creative crew for answering the call of “Why don’t they do something with Mud Island?”
DRESS AND PURSE: OAK HALL
DRESS: OAK HALL
EARRINGS AND PURSE: KITTIE KYLE
DRESS, CLUTCH AND EARRINGS: MONKEE'S OF GERMANTOWN
DRESS: LANSKY 126
SHOES, PURSE AND EARRINGS: MONKEE'S OF GERMANTOWN
AaaaaSpring!!! It's here…I think? After a week of snow and ice, we are ready for Spring. Mrs. Tulip has even stuck her head out as if to ask, “is it time?” I think all of us really have no idea.
One thing I do know is this time of year always brings back so many past dramas like cheerleading tryouts, who to ask to the spring formal, and Easter! What to wear on Easter Sunday was always a big deal. Now that I’m a grownup it still is “what do I wear” plus “what do I cook for everybody on Easter Sunday.” In the South it's always about the food.
Growing up shopping with my mother for the perfect Easter dress was always an annual event. I would usually get a hat of some type, sometimes gloves and a beautiful springtime dress with a motif of rabbits or flowers. One Easter it snowed in Memphis. With what felt like sub-zero temps and snow on the ground we still wore our beautiful new Easter clothes to church. There we were…in church with barely any clothes on, Easter bonnets everywhere and snowing outside! We were determined for it to be spring!
Now with the seasons being so unpredictable, designers are finally getting it right. This year's collections are all about layering with suede, cashmere and leather with light weight spring fabrics. We can now go from winter to spring and back in a moment's notice. You can start the day out in winter clothes and by noon peel off clothes to look like spring.
Contrast is what fashion is today. Great designers like Chanel, Dior and Armani are mixing it up using elegant fabrics to make it comfortable for the modern girl. Fashion loves to recreate the classics.
Vogue stated that the Spring/Summer 2026 collections arrived with much excitement. Nearly 15 newly appointed creative directors debuted their new looks for many of the major fashion houses. Truly a total “reset for the industry.” Styles are soft, relaxed and rooted in “wearability” according to Vogue. Everything I’ve seen so far is elegant and sophisticated but not stiff. It’s like dressing for life but adding a bit of excitement.
Some key pieces to look for now are cropped and classic trench coats. Whowhatwear.com believes 90s style layering with t-shirts under camisoles and dresses makes things easier to wear. I also read that you should look for some fun denim pieces that have embellishments. Dark denim is a must-have. Shoes are all about lower heels and stylish loafers. Don't forget to grab a pair of great retro sneakers. Fashion seems to be moving away from neutrals and adding color.
Regarding accessories, start looking for big cuffs, bold belts and big black sunglasses and pull out those fabulous scarves, they are back!
Chanel showed on the runway a traditional version of their short tweed coat and skirt but making it drop waist…it's incredible and looks like something everybody can wear.
Spring 2026 designers are taking traditional clothing that we have worn and loved before and making it new. Isn't that what spring is all about. Out with the old and in with the new. A time for renewal and change. It's the same with fashion. Planting new seeds of good design with an updated twist. Happy Spring & Shopping Local! -T. Rendy
This chicken dish isn’t just a recipe–it’s an Easter centerpiece. Perfect for a spring lunch or dinner, this succulent, bright, flavorful chicken dish sits gorgeously in the center of a set table, and it’s so good, your guests will be asking for the recipe.
• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
• 1 ½ teaspoon minced thyme
• Zest of 1 large lemon
• Zest of 1 large orange
• ⅓ cup minced dill
• ¼ cup minced chives
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley
• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
Andrea LeTard is a cookbook author, personal chef, cooking instructor, Food Network winner, and recipe/travel content creator @andreas_cooktales.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the butter, garlic, and thyme together in a small bowl. Set aside. In a larger bowl, mix the lemon zest, orange zest, dill, chives, and parsley together. Set aside.
Pat the chicken breasts dry on all sides using paper towels. Without tearing the skin off of the chicken, using your fingers, lift the skin up from the chicken and rub 1 tbsp of the butter mixture under the skin of each breast and the tops of the skin.
Liberally salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts and place on a baking sheet, skin side up. Lightly brush the skin on each chicken breast with olive oil and sprinkle about ¼ of the citrus-herb mixture over the top. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until the thickest part of the breast reads 165 degrees. Turn your oven setting to broil, and broil the chicken for about 3-5 minutes until crispy. Plate and sprinkle with remaining citrus-herb mixture. Garnish with orange and lemon slices.
Photography by Emily Adams Keplinger
It was a night where art, heart, and celebration came together to benefit the Memphis Child Advocacy Center! The 34th annual Works of Heart Art Auction & Party was held on February 7, and guests donned their best Valentine attire to browse and bid on gallery-quality, heart-inspired artwork from some of the region’s most talented artists. This was a record-setting year for fundraising with over $127,000 raised to benefit victimized kids. So much heart for this special organization! memphiscac.org
by Susan Eva O'Donovan
$35
In Moving Toward Freedom, eminent historian Susan Eva O'Donovan radically widens the lens to reveal a new landscape of the slaveholding South: one in which enslaved workers were not pinned in place but mobile, deployed as laborersand even as captains-on steamboats and ferries, or as teamsters transporting staple crops across the expanding country, or as ladies' maids waiting on their mistresses on European vacations. While performing brutal and involuntary work, O'Donovan argues, enslaved Americans managed to accumulate the crucial experience and knowledge that they would use to bring about their own liberation.
Novel will host University of Memphis history professor Susan Eva O'Donovan in conversation with Rhodes College's Dr. Charles W. McKinney on Tuesday, March 24 at 6PM to celebrate the release of Moving Toward Freedom
by Reverend James Lawson, Jr. & Emily Yellin
$36
Nonviolent is the posthumous memoir of Rev. James Lawson Jr., described by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as “the leading strategist and theorist of nonviolence in the world.” Lawson was mentor to Congressman John Lewis and the Freedom Riders, an outspoken critic of police brutality and what he called plantation capitalism, and a principal architect of a nonviolent direct action movement-radical, disciplined, and far-reaching-that centered love and moral clarity.
Novel will host Emily Yellin in conversation with Reverend Earle J. Fisher on Thursday, March 26 at 6PM to celebrate the release of Nonviolent
by Mark Mayer
$22.95
About, Above, Around, 50 Prepositions reveals the subtle syntax of our inner lives, offering a new yet ancient vocabulary for charting how feeling moves within and between and around us. Kaveh Akbar (Martyr!), selecting the collection for the George Garrett Prize, says: “About, Above, Around is thrillingly ambitious and deliciously readable, a remarkable vortex of place and mind and spirit illuminating how our lives are shaped, and how we’re held within them. Mayer has given us one of the most dexterous, impressive books I’ve read in ages.”
Novel will host former University of Memphis MFA professor Mark Mayer on Monday, March 30 at 6PM to celebrate the release of About, Above, Around: 50 Prepositions
by Margaret Renkl; illustrated by Billy Renkl
$19.99
This debut picture book from acclaimed and New York Times bestselling author Margaret Renkl—with collage illustrations by her brother, fine artist Billy Renkl—invites readers to observe and wonder about the various inhabitants in the vibrant ecosystem of a wildlife-friendly backyard garden. With evergreen themes of patience and respect for the natural world, The Weedy Garden will appeal to readers of Plant the Tiny Seed, On Meadowview Street, and Peter Brown’s The Curious Garden. Signed copies of The Weedy Garden available at Novel.
Photography by Ken Hall & McKendree Walker
Bestselling novelist and Memphis native Lisa Patton hosted the launch of her latest book, Kissing The Sky. On Saturday, February 28, The Hutchison School Wiener Theater was filled with Lisa’s fans and friends as she released the historical fiction novel. A former music industry veteran, she captures the power of music to unify and inspire. It was an afternoon of nostalgia and fun as Lisa was in conversation with her longtime best friend Emily Freeburg Kay. Novel Memphis, where the book is available, was also a partner in this event. As an added treat for the listeners of the audiobook, Doobie Brother Michael McDonald, who, along with his wife, Amy, helped Lisa co-write and produce “If Not For You,” an original song for the novel. Kissing The Sky is a beautifully written story of the summer of ‘69, Woodstock, and a Southern girl’s quiet rebellion to find her own voice. novelmemphis.com & lisapatton.com
Photos courtesy of Les Passees
Les Passees hosted its annual black-tie gala at Ridgeway Country Club. Members enjoyed dinner, dancing, and bidding on items at a silent auction. The Living Ad Presentation, a cherished tradition since 1927, was emceed by Ron Childers and Joyce Peterson. It was a truly enchanting evening! Les Passees, founded in 1910, is a community service organization committed to improving the quality of life for children and their families throughout the Mid-South. lpmemphis.org
VIDEO PODCAST FROM LANSKY AT THE PEABODY NOW STREAMING
Photography by McKendree Walker
Owen Brennan’s is the spirit of New Orleans in the heart of East Memphis, and they hosted their annual Fat Tuesday celebration on February 17. The evening featured a curated, Cajun-style buffet, signature Hurricanes, live music from the Lannie McMillan Band, and plenty of beads tossed from the balcony. For the first-time ever, this year’s celebration included alligator smoked on the patio. Owen Brennan’s–serving a little “laissez les bons temps rouler” everyday!
