Photo courtesy Crosstown Arts
Mark your calendars for Crosstown Concourse’s second annual holiday lighting event, Delight at Concourse, accompanied by Crosstown Arts’ Open House, next Friday, November 30th, from 5 to 8 p.m.
This holiday kick-off event, held by Concourse in the Central Atrium, features holiday tunes by Audie Smith/Prime Cut Band, holiday singalongs led by Memphis Symphony Orchestra, a giant Lite-Brite, and more.
The main event, however, is the 5:45 p.m. lighting of the holiday “tree,” a 100-foot-tall lighting installation made of 76 lighting strands hanging on trusses and flaring down to form the shape of a Christmas tree. A disco ball at the top becomes the star, and anyone standing underneath this display represents the presents.
Also expect to see the Choose901 Holiday Pop Up Shop (peek at some of the items for sale here) and the Cheryl Pesce The Lifestyle Store Holiday Open House.
At the same time, Crosstown Arts will be showcasing its newly opened spaces. Guests will be able to explore these new spaces, as well as previously established spaces, several of which will house various live music performances, film, art exhibitions, and more.
Shared Art Making - Guests will be able to watch demos of screen-printing, laser cutting, woodworking, and more in Crosstown Arts’ brand new Shared Art Making facility. Shared Art Making is a membership-based program that provides artists, whether they are novices or professionals, a workspace wherein they can utilize its resources and equipment to craft their arts. Shared Art Making, also dubbed The Labs, consists of a digital lab, wood shop, silkscreen studio for screen-printing, sound lab for music recording, and editing bays for film and video work.
The Green Room - Attendees can watch performances by the Kevin Walter Band and Kelley Anderson. After the open house ends, guests can attend the after-party in this space. The Green Room, Crosstown’s new music lounge, offers an intimate acoustic space for high-quality music performances without any distracting outside noises.
Crosstown Arts Theater - Mama Africa and bilingual theater group Cazateatro perform in the new Crosstown Arts Theater. This theater space is a multi-functional space that serves as a theater and performance venue for performing arts/music/film groups and organizations, a meeting place for Crosstown Concourse tenants, and an assembly space and performing arts center for Crosstown High School.
East Atrium - Guests can enjoy a hip-hop dance performance by students from Crosstown Arts youth programs.
East Gallery - In the East Gallery, visitors can view John Pearson’s “Wish Book: Lay of the Land” exhibition while listening to a musical performance by members of Memphis Symphony Orchestra.
West Gallery - As part of the “Give a Damn! Music + Activism at Stax Records” exhibition, Stax Museum guests will lead a craftivism workshop.
Residency Studios - Guests can walk around and tour the (usually private) artist residency studios while meeting resident artists and viewing their works.
Today & Always Cafe - Guests can savor samples of Chef Raymond Jackson’s plant-based dishes.
Art Bar - Art Bar offers its menu of dishes and eclectic cocktails crafted from locally foraged ingredients. Check out our recent article on Art Bar.
