On Contentious Ground is a series of medium and large format photographs focused on visitors to American Civil War sites and landscapes. By documenting how people move through and reflect within these spaces, Powell captures the reverberations of the Civil War as they echo into the present.

The work explores themes of identity, memory, division, and historical reckoning. By photographing both people and place, the exhibition asks how Americans continue to relate to a past that remains deeply formative and unresolved.

Learn more: https://vannthomaspowell.com/On-Contentious-Ground

On Contentious Ground is a series of medium and large format photographs focused on visitors to American Civil War sites and landscapes. By documenting how people move through and reflect within these spaces, Powell captures the reverberations of the Civil War as they echo into the present.

The work explores themes of identity, memory, division, and historical reckoning. By photographing both people and place, the exhibition asks how Americans continue to relate to a past that remains deeply formative and unresolved.

Learn more: https://vannthomaspowell.com/On-Contentious-Ground

The Carnegie Center for Arts and History presents Pictures & Poems, a collaborative exhibition bringing together contemporary photography and poetry in partnership with Little Oak Press, the Charlottesville, Virginia based publisher known for championing intimate, place-driven books and magazines.

Pictures & Poems explores the resonant dialogue between image and text, highlighting how photographs and poems can operate as parallel forms of storytelling. Each art form is shaped by memory, place, and emotional experience in distinct yet complementary ways.

The exhibition features photographs by Matt Eich, Al J. Thompson, Ash Adams, and Ocean Vuong, alongside poems by Doug Van Gundy, Tanio M. McCallum, Ash Adams, and Ocean Vuong. Together, these artists blur the boundaries between visual and literary practices, inviting viewers to slow down and consider how meaning emerges through careful looking and attentive reading.

Many of the works in Pictures & Poems reflect shared concerns with landscape, identity, and personal history. By presenting photography and poetry side by side, the exhibition creates space for reflection and emphasizes the ways both mediums can offer profound insight through restraint, lyricism, and emotional precision.

This exhibition underscores The Carnegie Center’s ongoing commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and to presenting work that deepens conversations around contemporary art and literature.

Pictures & Poems will be on view at The Carnegie Center for Arts and History from March 11 through May 30, 2026.

Adam Exelbierd is a third-generation Holocaust speaker from Memphis. As the grandson of Holocaust survivors, Joseph and Rachel Exelbierd, Adam carries forward their story of perseverance, courage, and rebuilding in the face of unimaginable loss. By sharing his family’s history and honoring his grandparents’ legacy, he works to keep their experiences alive for future generations. 

This lecture is in collaboration with the Tennessee Holocaust Commission.

Six wildly different middle schoolers take the stage for the most intense, awkward, and unexpectedly heartfelt competition of their lives: the spelling bee.

As they battle their way through increasingly ridiculous (and possibly made-up) words, each speller reveals a glimpse into their world outside the competition. From overachieving perfectionists to painfully shy underdogs, every contestant brings their own quirks, pressures, and dreams to the mic.

Packed with quick wit, audience interaction, and songs that are just as funny as they are honest, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a charming, chaotic celebration of growing up, fitting in, and embracing what makes you different.

Six spellers enter. One leaves a champion. The rest… at least get a juice box.

Buy tickets here: https://www.hubcitytheatreco.com/tickets

Six wildly different middle schoolers take the stage for the most intense, awkward, and unexpectedly heartfelt competition of their lives: the spelling bee.

As they battle their way through increasingly ridiculous (and possibly made-up) words, each speller reveals a glimpse into their world outside the competition. From overachieving perfectionists to painfully shy underdogs, every contestant brings their own quirks, pressures, and dreams to the mic.

Packed with quick wit, audience interaction, and songs that are just as funny as they are honest, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a charming, chaotic celebration of growing up, fitting in, and embracing what makes you different.

Six spellers enter. One leaves a champion. The rest… at least get a juice box.

Buy tickets here: https://www.hubcitytheatreco.com/tickets

Six wildly different middle schoolers take the stage for the most intense, awkward, and unexpectedly heartfelt competition of their lives: the spelling bee.

As they battle their way through increasingly ridiculous (and possibly made-up) words, each speller reveals a glimpse into their world outside the competition. From overachieving perfectionists to painfully shy underdogs, every contestant brings their own quirks, pressures, and dreams to the mic.

Packed with quick wit, audience interaction, and songs that are just as funny as they are honest, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a charming, chaotic celebration of growing up, fitting in, and embracing what makes you different.

Six spellers enter. One leaves a champion. The rest… at least get a juice box.

Buy tickets here: https://www.hubcitytheatreco.com/tickets

Six wildly different middle schoolers take the stage for the most intense, awkward, and unexpectedly heartfelt competition of their lives: the spelling bee.

As they battle their way through increasingly ridiculous (and possibly made-up) words, each speller reveals a glimpse into their world outside the competition. From overachieving perfectionists to painfully shy underdogs, every contestant brings their own quirks, pressures, and dreams to the mic.

Packed with quick wit, audience interaction, and songs that are just as funny as they are honest, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a charming, chaotic celebration of growing up, fitting in, and embracing what makes you different.

Six spellers enter. One leaves a champion. The rest… at least get a juice box.

Buy tickets here: https://www.hubcitytheatreco.com/tickets

Six wildly different middle schoolers take the stage for the most intense, awkward, and unexpectedly heartfelt competition of their lives: the spelling bee.

As they battle their way through increasingly ridiculous (and possibly made-up) words, each speller reveals a glimpse into their world outside the competition. From overachieving perfectionists to painfully shy underdogs, every contestant brings their own quirks, pressures, and dreams to the mic.

Packed with quick wit, audience interaction, and songs that are just as funny as they are honest, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a charming, chaotic celebration of growing up, fitting in, and embracing what makes you different.

Six spellers enter. One leaves a champion. The rest… at least get a juice box.

Buy tickets here: https://www.hubcitytheatreco.com/tickets

Six wildly different middle schoolers take the stage for the most intense, awkward, and unexpectedly heartfelt competition of their lives: the spelling bee.

As they battle their way through increasingly ridiculous (and possibly made-up) words, each speller reveals a glimpse into their world outside the competition. From overachieving perfectionists to painfully shy underdogs, every contestant brings their own quirks, pressures, and dreams to the mic.

Packed with quick wit, audience interaction, and songs that are just as funny as they are honest, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a charming, chaotic celebration of growing up, fitting in, and embracing what makes you different.

Six spellers enter. One leaves a champion. The rest… at least get a juice box.

Buy tickets here: https://www.hubcitytheatreco.com/tickets

Be the first to experience The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee before opening night.

This special preview party is your chance to attend our final rehearsal, giving you an early look at the show right before it officially opens. Enjoy a full run of the production in an intimate, relaxed setting as the cast finishes their last rehearsal.

Food will be provided, so come hungry, settle in, and be part of the final step before we open to the public.

It’s the same hilarious, heartfelt spelling bee… just a little more exclusive.

Buy Tickets Here: https://www.hubcitytheatreco.com/tickets

Scott A. Carter’s Effectors is a solo exhibition exploring materiality, process, and function. Carter’s practice exists in the space between art, architecture, design, and sound. His sculptures and installations often invite interaction, blurring the line between object, instrument, and environment.

Through tactile materials and sensory engagement, Carter’s work reflects on motivation, nostalgia, failure, and the personal drive to create. Viewers are encouraged not just to look, but to experience the work physically and emotionally.

More from the artist: https://www.scottacarter.com

Scott A. Carter’s Effectors is a solo exhibition exploring materiality, process, and function. Carter’s practice exists in the space between art, architecture, design, and sound. His sculptures and installations often invite interaction, blurring the line between object, instrument, and environment.

Through tactile materials and sensory engagement, Carter’s work reflects on motivation, nostalgia, failure, and the personal drive to create. Viewers are encouraged not just to look, but to experience the work physically and emotionally.

More from the artist: https://www.scottacarter.com

Jackson’s very own Who’s Line is it Anyway! An improv show featuring both short and long form, this is the classic show format audiences in Jackson, TN have come to know and love! Each night is a new experience, and you as the audience get to participate with suggestions. This show is provided by Hub City Theatre Company.

70th Anniversary of Blue Suede Shoes

Step into rhythm, color, and creative rebellion with Suede & Blue, a dynamic community art exhibition inspired by the iconic Carl Perkins song, “Blue Suede Shoes.” In celebration of the song’s 70th anniversary, the show reimagines the rockabilly anthem through the lens of contemporary artists who explore themes of style, self-expression, movement, and the power of standing your ground.

Exhibiting Artists:

Odalys Aguilar, Raine Fluet, Lisa Garner, Rodger Jowers, Amelia Moore, Reid Pike, Joanna Lassiter Pitts, Tammy Prater, Miley Reagan, Roxane Rhoads, LC Sherrod, Wanda Stanfill, Amy Stricklin, Trey Thompson, Jennifer Trently, and Samantha Wood

Jackson’s very own Who’s Line is it Anyway! An improv show featuring both short and long form, this is the classic show format audiences in Jackson, TN have come to know and love! Each night is a new experience, and you as the audience get to participate with suggestions. This show is provided by Hub City Theatre Company.

Looking for something fun (and screen-time worthy!) to do while school’s out? Join us at the Carnegie Center for Arts and History for a special spring break matinee of Gulliver's Travels (1939)!

Step into a world of adventure with this colorful animated classic, filled with shipwrecks, tiny kingdoms, music, and big imagination. It’s a perfect outing for kids, parents, and grandparents alike. Make it a full afternoon downtown — explore the museum, then enjoy this charming big-screen adventure together.

Bring the kids, bring a friend, and make it a spring break memory!

The Carnegie Center for Arts and History presents Pictures & Poems, a collaborative exhibition bringing together contemporary photography and poetry in partnership with Little Oak Press, the Charlottesville, Virginia based publisher known for championing intimate, place-driven books and magazines.

Pictures & Poems explores the resonant dialogue between image and text, highlighting how photographs and poems can operate as parallel forms of storytelling. Each art form is shaped by memory, place, and emotional experience in distinct yet complementary ways.

The exhibition features photographs by Matt Eich, Al J. Thompson, Ash Adams, and Ocean Vuong, alongside poems by Doug Van Gundy, Tanio M. McCallum, Ash Adams, and Ocean Vuong. Together, these artists blur the boundaries between visual and literary practices, inviting viewers to slow down and consider how meaning emerges through careful looking and attentive reading.

Many of the works in Pictures & Poems reflect shared concerns with landscape, identity, and personal history. By presenting photography and poetry side by side, the exhibition creates space for reflection and emphasizes the ways both mediums can offer profound insight through restraint, lyricism, and emotional precision.

This exhibition underscores The Carnegie Center’s ongoing commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and to presenting work that deepens conversations around contemporary art and literature.

Pictures & Poems will be on view at The Carnegie Center for Arts and History from March 11 through May 30, 2026, with an opening reception on March 12, 2026 from 5pm-7pm.

Brad and Kristi Montague present: We Hope You Fail Better. From two best-selling picture book creators comes a colorful look at the journey of bringing an idea to life. Featuring an array of works that blend sketches, paint, and paper collage—this is a wild, but warm invitation to embrace the messy process of creation.

You’ll experience the joy of having an idea as well as the struggle and disappointment of what happens when expectations and reality collide. It’s an emotional ride, playfully navigated with animated shorts, paper mache surprises, behind-the-scenes scribbles, and interactive displays. With humor and heart, it all culminates in a celebration — or a ‘Fail-a-bration’, sending everyone out into a community of creative, compassionate collaboration.

Music with Alice classes are small group (up to 15 children) live folk music experiences designed specifically for children aged 0-5 and their caregivers. (Yes, this includes newborns and babies! Siblings under 1 are free too!)

Classes create an intimate, safe and joyful atmosphere where bonding, learning and fun come together naturally and seamlessly.

Sign up for a class here!

The Carnegie Center for Arts and History presents Suede & Blue Christmas!

Join us for our annual Christmas Party and Opening Reception featuring festive cheer, hot chocolate, light hors d'oeuvres, and community.

Celebrate the season with us on December 18th from 6–8 PM.

We can’t wait to see you there!

Make plans to laugh with the Hub City Improv Team! Grab your tickets at hubcitytheatreco.com/tickets and come see them November 28th and 29th at 7pm!

Make plans to laugh with the Hub City Improv Team! Grab your tickets at hubcitytheatreco.com/tickets and come see them November 28th and 29th at 7pm!

Thursday, November 20, 2025 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Join us for the opening celebration of We Hope You Fail Better by Brad and Kristi Montague.

Led by Abby Wolfzorn, this workshop invites creatives of all kinds to step into a space of play, exploration, and learning. There is no need for prior experience. Activities will encourage freedom, fun, and experimentation, with no pressure to share your work. The class fee is $30, covering all materials and the instructor’s time. Payment can be made directly to Abby Wolfzorn at the event. Bring a notebook or sketchbook if you wish, and reserve your spot today.

Brad and Kristi Montague present: We hope you fail better. From two best-selling picture book creators comes a colorful look at the journey of bringing an idea to life. Featuring an array of works that blend sketches, paint, and paper collage—this is a wild, but warm invitation to embrace the messy process of creation.

You’ll experience the joy of having an idea as well as the struggle and disappointment of what happens when expectations and reality collide. It’s an emotional ride, playfully navigated with animated shorts, paper mache surprises, behind-the-scenes scribbles, and interactive displays. With humor and heart, it all culminates in a celebration — or a ‘Fail-a-bration’, sending everyone out into a community of creative, compassionate collaboration.

Step into the enchanted forest with the Jackson Teen Theatre’s delightful production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream! This beloved Shakespearean comedy—adapted by Carrie Smith Lewis—sparkles with love, laughter, and a touch of magic as fairies, lovers, and mischievous sprites collide in one unforgettable adventure.

Join us for an afternoon of imagination and talent as Jackson’s young performers bring new life to one of theatre’s most timeless stories—all set within the Basement Theatre at the Carnegie Center for Arts and History.

Admission is free and open to the public. Come celebrate creativity, community, and the joy of live theatre!

Step into the enchanted forest with the Jackson Teen Theatre’s delightful production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream! This beloved Shakespearean comedy—adapted by Carrie Smith Lewis—sparkles with love, laughter, and a touch of magic as fairies, lovers, and mischievous sprites collide in one unforgettable adventure.

Join us for an afternoon of imagination and talent as Jackson’s young performers bring new life to one of theatre’s most timeless stories—all set within the Basement Theatre at the Carnegie Center for Arts and History.

Admission is free and open to the public. Come celebrate creativity, community, and the joy of live theatre!