Sarahfest Celebrates a Decade of Art, Music and Community

Since 2015, Sarahfest has grown into a signature program of the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies, bringing together artists, scholars, students and the community through residencies, concerts and cross-disciplinary collaborations.

"Ten years later, we're proud to see how it has flourished into a festival that brings together internationally renowned artists and our own university talent," said Theresa Starkey, instructional professor of gender studies and the center's associate director.

This year's festival welcomes back Jon Langford, the inaugural Sarahfest artist. A Welsh-born, Chicago-based musician, writer and visual artist, Langford is best known as a founding member of the influential punk band The Mekons. He is also known for his work with The Waco Brothers, Pine Valley Cosmonauts and John Hiatt.

Langford is the fifth Sarahfest artist-in-residence, a research collaboration between Starkey and Nancy Maria Balach, chair of the Department of Music. Through research, listening, conversations and hands-on experience, the selected artist-in-residence cohort will explore ways to connect visual art and music through printmaking during the weeklong program.

The goal of the artist-in-residence program is to provide a unique opportunity to learn from working professional artists, Balach said.

"Sarahfest was built on the idea of cross-discipline pollination, connecting the classroom to the world through music, visual art, literature and creative activity," she said. "This year will be an epic celebration of this mission.

"We look forward to celebrating what has been, where we are, and where we are headed at the University of Mississippi."

In collaboration with the community, The End of All Music will host a film screening of "Revenge of the Mekons" at 7 p.m. Oct. 22 at The Lyric. Free tickets for Ole Miss students are available through the Institute for the Arts on a first-come, first-served basis. To claim a ticket, email the music department at music@olemiss.edu.

The festival will conclude with a celebration concert. The performance will feature Langford and friends at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25. Tickets are $10 and available at the UM Box Office

Kelly Hogan, who served as the first Sarahfest artist-in-residence five years ago, returns to perform alongside Langford. Known for her solo career as well as her longtime collaborations with Neko Case, Hogan has a soulful voice and genre-crossing style that make her a vital part of this year's celebration.

"Music is great when it can be enjoyed with other people," Starkey said. "That's what makes having Langford and Hogan coming back so special. We want the anniversary concert at the Ford Center to be just as joyous an experience as that celebratory moment at Rowan Oak a decade ago."

For more information or a schedule, click here.

Top: Musicians perform during a Safafest concert at Rowan Oak in Oxford. This year's Sarafest celebrates the event's 10th year and features residencies, concerts and exhibits that celebrate creativity and community. Submitted photo