By Rubin E. GrantSavannah Gann has become a killing machine — on the volleyball court, that is.During the first two weeks of the 2022 season, Vestavia’s 6-foot senior outside hitter racked up 209 kills in 17 matches, an average of more than 12 per match.Gann is rapidly and well on her way to surpassing the 317 kills she had last year as a junior“Savannah is … [Read more...]
‘It Starts Here’: ASFA Music Department Head to Lead ASO Youth Orchestra
By Anne RuisiWhen last year in his native South Africa Alex Fokkens heard about an opportunity to head the music department at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, he didn’t hesitate to apply.“This job is exactly what I was looking for,” said the Hoover resident, who got the job and arrived in Birmingham a year ago this month. “I always enjoyed working with young … [Read more...]
Food of Their Ancestors: St. George Food Fest Offers Middle Eastern Fare, Culture
By Anne RuisiAnnette Ritchey remembers visiting her grandfather’s homeland of Greece at 13 and watching people stomp grapes on one of the islands.Years later, on a recent Saturday morning, she was in the parish hall of St. George Melkite-Greek Catholic Church on Birmingham’s Southside working with other church volunteers to use another part of the grapevine to make … [Read more...]
Critically Acclaimed: Samford Art Gallery Part of Multi-Gallery Thornton Dial Exhibit
By Ashley SmithSamford University has partnered with the Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Maus Contemporary art gallery and the Wiregrass Museum to present the first Alabama solo exhibition for the late Thornton Dial Sr.The overall multi-venue retrospective will include “Thornton Dial: I, Too, Am … [Read more...]
‘Larger-Than-Life’: Local Theater Legend Carl Stewart Lost This Year
By Alec HarveyBirmingham’s theater scene lost one of its greats this year as Carl Stewart, who for more than 40 years at Birmingham Festival Theatre and Terrific New Theatre helped mold what Birmingham theater is today, died at the age of 80.“Carl was a larger-than-life presence who took up a lot of space in the room,” an announcement of his death by TNT stated. “Some … [Read more...]