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" New home has style "
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By Norm Shaw
With a dose of help from the good Dr. Bob, the Center for Southern Folklore's new digs have a decidedly hip look and feel. The Center, at 209 Beale St., will officially unveil its new location in mid-December. Kini Kedigh, publicist for the center, and center executive director Judy Peiser said a couple of private parties took place early, but the official unveiling will be Dec. 12-15, with a members- and supporters-only party on Friday, Dec. 12, and public events the rest of the weekend. "We're going to have music, story-tellers, book signings, all kinds of special events," says Peiser. Peiser says she is "delighted with the way the place turned out." Most of that credit belongs to Dr. Bob. Dr. Bob, a New Orleans folk artist, was commissioned to decorate the interior of the new location. His work includes his signature "be nice or leave" pieces, as well as re-creations of some Beale Street signs from the past. He also asked local artists Lamar Sorrento (aka guitarist James Eddie Campbell) and others to contribute to the decor. "I worked on it for about three weeks," Dr. Bob said while taking a break. "I asked James and some others to come in and give it that Memphis flair." And the place does have flair. The main entrance is on the Beale Street side, and you are greeted by a large gift counter when you enter. The center of the main room is devoted to display space. The center will continue to feature art, photographs and collections on a rotating basis. A stage takes up one corner of the room, giving performers more room to set up. A long bar, featuring Dr. Bob's trademark bottle caps, runs along the east side of the center. Somewhat cheap decorations line the top of the bar. "Bob and I went out and bought $500 of decorations that teachers use on bulletin boards, you know, borders and things like that," Peiser says. "I thought, what are we going to do with this? But the next day, Bob had it up and it was amazing." The bar will serve special coffees, imported beers and pizza and other food items. The back portion of the center, which features Sorrento's art on the walls, has the tables and chairs decorated by Dr. Bob. "Isn't it great," Peiser says as she scans the room. "Dr. Bob did a great job. It's just so cool." The center will keep the same hours as the previous location - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays. This is the third and best space (so far) on Beale Street for the Center for Southern Folklore. The center, founded in 1972 by Peiser and Bill Ferris, has moved several times. Perhaps this time it has a permanent home. "The lease we have with Performa (Entertainment Management) is a real good deal," Kedigh says. "It should allow us to be here a long time."
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