MC Band, Singers, Art welcome alumni to participate in Bicentennial Homecoming events

Alexander Perez of Houston, Texas, a graduate student in MC's Biology and Medical Sciences Program, peruses some of the pieces displayed in the “Art From Our MC Family” exhibit in the Samuel Marshall Gore Art Gallery.

As Mississippi Christian University continues to celebrate 200 years of excellence in education and commitment to the cause of Christ, the University is engaging its alumni to showcase their art and perform with the MC Band and MC Singers during MC’s Bicentennial Homecoming on Oct. 31.

The MC Department of Art will host an Alumni Juried Art Show, “Art From Our MC Family,” part of the Gore Galleries Open House, from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 31, in the Samuel Marshall Gore Art Gallery. The department’s Distinguished Alumni of the Year, Randy Jolly and Emily Fleming, will be honored during a reception at 9 a.m., and art submitted by MC alumni will be juried and showcased in the Gore Galleries.

During the Bicentennial Homecoming Parade, scheduled for 1 p.m. on College Street, MC Band alumni will join in playing the “MC Fight Song” and one other stand chart under the direction of Duval Salvant, MC director of bands and instructor of music.

And at 3 p.m., the nationally acclaimed MC Singers, the University’s premier choral ensemble, will present the annual Homecoming concert, “Longing for Home,” in Provine Chapel. Under the direction of Beth Everett, MC director of choral activities, they will be joined by MC Singers alumni in singing “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need” during the concert.

Anthony Thaxton, director of the Gore Galleries and co-founder of the Institute for Southern Storytelling at MC, said more than 50 pieces of alumni art will be on display for the alumni exhibition.

“A school is known by their alumni,” Thaxton said. “We have amazing artists in our MC family, and I’m happy that we are sharing it in this special Bicentennial exhibition. This juried show features artists from throughout numerous decades and across many mediums.

“Our artists have helped make the world a more beautiful place, and it’s exciting to share some of this art with everyone who is coming home during October.” The exhibit will run through Dec. 11 and will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays; tour appointments may be made by emailing athaxton@mc.edu.

Thaxton noted that MC’s artistic heritage is rich, starting with the “Founding Father of MC’s Art Department” and the Galleries’ namesake, Samuel Gore.

“Dr. Sam Gore’s legacy lives on. A special slideshow will also feature Bob Dunaway and Gary Walters, two MC legends we’ve lost this year. Also on display will be the work of Randy Jolly, our featured Art Alumnus of the Year, in our Dunaway Gallery area.”

Art Young Alumnus of the Year Emily Fleming’s work will be exhibited in the Dunaway Gallery. “Walter Anderson Adventures,” featuring more than 50 original pieces in an immersive exhibition with projections, lighting, sounds and a short film, will also be open for viewing. The Bicentennial 1826 exhibit will also be open in the 1826 building on campus.

Salvant said MC’s Band program has had many “faces” through the years – Pep Band, Marching Band, Athletic Band, Jazz Band, Symphonic Winds, and the 155th Infantry Band, to name a few – but alumni of any MC band are welcome to bring their instrument and join the parade.

“We invite any musician who would love to twirl a flag, blow a horn or hit a drum to come back and play in their old ensemble again, no matter how many years it has been since they have picked it up,” Salvant said.

The same is true of MC Singers alumni. Everett said the choral group was one of the things that attracted her to Mississippi Christian University.

“Our highly invested alumni contribute to the work I am doing here every day,” Everett said. “They are teachers that send their students to us. They are church music directors who invite us to sing in their churches. They are parents and grandparents who encourage their children and grandchildren to continue their education at MC.

“Nothing warms my heart more than to see a parent come to the stage at the Homecoming concert as a Singers alumnus and stand next to their child who is a current MC Singer. We will close the concert with ‘My Shepherd Will Supply My Need.’ The closing lines of the text of that song say it best: ‘No more a stranger, nor a guest; but like a child at home.’"

MC Band alumni interested in participating in the Homecoming parade performance can visit https://www.mc.edu/homecoming/band-signup to register. MC Singers alumni interested in participating in the Homecoming concert can visit https://www.mc.edu/homecoming/mc-singers-signup to register.