Eleven photographs from New Albany, Mississippi, fine art photographer T. Lowry Wilson have been chosen to be a part of the décor of 10 South, a new rooftop restaurant in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
For the past several years, Wilson has traversed the Mississippi Delta and captured it in photographs. These images attracted the attention of Nicole Gilmer of Newbreak Management, the design consultant for 10 South. Gilmer said, “Inspired by the David Cohn quote, ‘The Mississippi Delta begins in the lobby of the Peabody Hotel and ends on Catfish Row in Vicksburg,’ the design team fell in love with T. Lowry Wilson's award winning photos of the Delta and contacted the artist about featuring many of his Delta pieces in the restaurant. With a few pieces from other Mississippi photographers thrown in, the east wall of the restaurant will be as rich with the history and character of the delta as the rest of 10 South is rich with the breathtaking views of the Mississippi.”
Wilson’s multi-award winning photographs have been included in juried exhibitions and in several solo gallery shows. His work has been featured in Mississippi Magazine and Alabama Magazine and selected as cover art for a regional phone directory. His photographs hang in personal and corporate collections in Canada and the United States, including that of a Fortune 500 company.
Wilson has taught classes in studio lighting, Photoshop, and business practices for photographers, and in the past few years has led photographic tours on Route 66 in Kansas and Oklahoma as well as in the Mississippi Delta. For more information or to contact Wilson directly, visit his website at http://www.oldsouthimages.com.
The restaurant sits atop the 10 story First National Bank Building, which was constructed in 1903 as the tallest building in the South. This cornerstone of downtown Vicksburg was purchased and renovated by Tim Cantwell with interior finishes by Stephani Hardy Designs. Trustmark Bank’s regional headquarters occupies the ground floor, and loft-style apartments (http://www.loftsatFNV.com) are located above. The previously unused rooftop has now been converted into an outdoor rooftop bar and grill with sweeping views of the Mississippi River and the city of Vicksburg. The co-owner of "10 South Rooftop Bar and Grill" is award winning chef Jay Parmegiani who also owns and operates ROCA in Vicksburg. 10 South features southern cuisine "with a twist” and is scheduled to open the end of May 2015. More information is available at the restaurant website, http://www.10southrooftop.com.
Here are a few of the photographs chosen for the restaurant.
Delta BlueA couple of years ago I was in the Delta with my good friend Dave Wolanski. Dave is from Delaware but comes down this way in the fall and we go shooting... somewhere... usually in the Delta. This particular year we stayed at the Shack Up Inn in Clarksdale, MS. This old truck sits in the yard at the Inn and I got up early in the morning to photograph it. The light wasn't right so I just put the camera back in my bag and we went exploring. The next morning I got up early again to see if I could get a good image of the old truck. Never would I have expected to have the light just perfect... the sunrise and clouds in perfect position. Almost as if I had ordered it the day before.
Po' Monkey's Lounge - Merigold, MississippiOne of the oldest remaining juke joints in the Mississippi Delta is Po Monkey's Lounge near Merigold, Mississippi. It is an iconic stop on the Mississippi Blues Trail.
Po Monkey's has been owned and operated by Willie "Po Monkey" Seaberry for over 55 years and is only open on Thursday night. Mr. Seaberry says that Thursday night is "family night" and he wants to keep it safe for everyone. Beer is served to those of legal age and you can bring in your own liquor. A DJ spins the music each night it is open and on special occasions live blues music can be heard booming from within.
The old converted sharecropper shack with its American flag proudly waving under a beautiful blue sky with a wisp of clouds sits at the edge of a expansive cotton field. There are tons of stuffed monkeys hanging from the ceiling, a testament from those that have visited over the years. Even the signs hanging on the front tell a unique story.
Cathead at the Blue FrontCathead juke box at the Blue Front Cafe in Bentonia, Mississippi. Jimmy "Duck" Holmes has owned the place for the last several decades and hosts some of the best blues music in the area.
Midnight Gin CompanyCotton gins can be found all across the Mississippi Delta but most of them are no longer active since cotton doesn't hold the place of prominence it once did. This gin at Midnight, Mississippi is one of the few active ones remaining and has been around for decades.
