The Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the diverse cultural heritage of Vicksburg, Mississippi, the Mississippi Delta, and the American South. The Foundation works to achieve its goals by creating and hosting cultural activities at the Southern Cultural Heritage Complex.

 Our upcoming activities suit many interests, and our past activities are a testimony of the rich cultural heritage of Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Our 20th Anniversary! In 1994, the Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation was formed to preserve these historic buildings and to direct their transformation into a cultural center. Twenty years of carrying on our mission: emphasizing the humanities and the arts, providing unique and quality programming for free or at low cost to the Vicksburg community.

• December 2019/January 2020 newsletter (1.2 MB Adobe Reader file)

• SCHF Event Calendar

• Facebook Events Page (must sign into Facebook to view)

• More! Activities Log of all current and past years' activities.

• SCHF is very proud to present the third annual “Landy Teller Champion for Culture and the Arts Award” to Janis Koestler for her contributions to culture and the arts in Vicksburg. Janis is the new Administrative Assistant at the SCHF and has been a long-term volunteer.

• Mississippi Paranormal Society Ghost Hunt, February 29, 2020 from 7 p.m. - 1 a.m. Tickets go on sale on Monday, January 6 at noon! Come investigate the Southern Cultural Heritage Center with MPS! This place has proven to be a very haunted location! This is a hands-on ghost hunt... meaning you will do everything that the team members of MPS does while using the equipment we use! There is a limit of 24 tickets for this event. Get them ASAP here: Eventbrite tickets! Each ticket is $50 per person (plus Eventbrite fees). ~Please, no one under the age of 13.~ Facebook event page. Eventbrite tickets.

• Lebanese Cooking with Lana, Tuesday, January 21, 2020 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. Join us for Lebanese Cooking with Lana, a hands-on cooking experience. This class will prepare Cabbage Rolls (Mishee Mulfoof), a MiddleEastern dish with cabbage leaves filled with meat and rice and seasoned with garlic and lemon. The class will also prepare Meat Pies. Meat Pies are a baked dough filled with a warm, rich flavored ground beef mixture of onions, pine nuts, lemon and other seasonings. Registration is $35/SCHF Members and $40/Non-Members and includes all supplies. Space is limited and reservations are required. For more information, please contact the SCHF office at 601.631.2997 or email info@southernculture.org. Press release. Facebook event page.

• William's Winter Soup Workshop, Monday, January 27, 2020 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Winter is here! What could be better that a hot bowl of soup on a chilly night? William Furlong will lead this workshop and focus on using seasonal ingredients and interesting flavor combinations to give you recipes that will become classics in your home. You will get to sample some soup, and William will end the night with something sweet! Yum! The workshop will be held in the SCHC academy building. Registration is $35/SCHF members and $40/non-members and includes all supplies. Space is limited and reservations are required. For more information, please contact the SCHF office at 601.631.2997 or email info@southernculture.org. Press release. Facebook event page.

• The River Kids Free After-School Art Program. Spring Semester will begin on January 30, 2020. Open to any child in 1st through 6th grade, the program will accept 60 students for the class on Thursdays from 3:45-5 p.m. for the thirteen week program. It will expose creativity through drawing, painting, crafts, collage, ceramics, sculpture and many more exciting techniques. Experienced and accredited educators Karen Biedenharn and Ashleigh Holliday plan and teach each class. The program is free, but will require a full semester commitment from the parents. It will be filled on a first come, first served basis. To register, call the SCHF business office at (601) 631-2997 or email info@southernculture.org. This free after-school program is supported in part by funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, and in part, from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, and the generous support of the Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation individual and corporate members, the City of Vicksburg, and various appropriations. Press Release. Facebook event page.

• Valentine’s Day Fun with Lana, Tuesday, February 4, 2020 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Lana Hand will present this class and activities will include a Fingerprint Heart Tree, a Conversation Heart Picture Frame, a Valentine’s Day Votive, Cards, and more Valentine’s fun! The class will enjoy a Valentine’s themed snack. The class is open to kids ages 4-9. The fee is $35/child. Space is limited and reservations are required. For more information or to register, please contact the SCHF office at 601.631.2997 or email info@southernculture.org. Press release. Facebook event page.

• The 9th Annual Carnaval de Mardi Gras & Gumbo Cook-Off, Saturday, February 22, 2020 from 5-8 p.m. Live Music, Dancing, Food, Drinks, Children's Activities and more! Admission: $10 per adult (includes gumbo bowl). $5 per child (includes all children's activities). Live music by Legal Tender with DeAnna Nicole. **Additional tickets can be purchased for drinks and concessions. All proceeds benefit Vicksburg Foundation for Historic Preservation. For more information, call 601-636-5010. Registration Form & Rules. Facebook event page.

• SCHF Receives Mississippi Arts Commission Grant. The Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation has been awarded a $11,400 grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC). This grant is a portion of the $1.4 million in grants the Commission will award in 2019-2020 and will be used to continue the mission of the SCHF and bring exceptional events and quality programming to the community through artistic excellence. The grants are made possible by continued funding from the Mississippi State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts. Among the numerous activities scheduled throughout the year, these funds are vital in supporting the River Kids free after school art program, a variety of concerts, workshops, lectures, exhibits and the many other events and programs that are instrumental in growing the awareness of the arts to the Vicksburg community and surrounding areas. Press release. For information from the Mississippi Arts Commission, contact Anna Ehrgott, Communications Director, 601.359.6546 or aehrgott@arts.ms.gov. More.

• More activities...

• WLBT article, Going back in time with the Sisters of Mercy, February 20, 2009.

• Guitar & Ukulele Lessons. Richard McComas, SCHF guitar instructor, is seeking students for guitar lessons. If you are interested or would like more information, please call 601-529-6505. (Inquire about special discounts for SCHF Members.)

• Violin Lessons. The SCHF is now offering violin lessons for all ages. Mrs. Ruthanne Schnell has taught for over 25 years. She has trained and studied under many master instructors. She is also able to teach the viola and cello. If you are interested or would like more information, please call 601-383-0796.

• A memorial fund in honor of Mother Clementine Phelan and the Sisters of Mercy has been established by Mrs. Edna Henry Hosemann, Mrs. Elizabeth Henry Nelson and Mr. George Nelson, and Pat and Lance Dichter in honor of their aunt. Press release.

• Looking for that unique gift for that special someone? Consider the special Cultural Center Crosses created by Misty Clendenin. All proceeds go to support the buildings and all programs at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center. The crosses are only $10 each, plus tax.

• The SCHF is an ideal place to hold weddings, receptions, performances, reunions, lectures, and business meetings. Space available for rent include the classrooms in the 1930s Academy Building and the 1880s Auditorium featuring a stage, 24-foot ceilings, and hardwood floors.

• Check out the musical montage of past programs and events held here at the Center, The Southern Cultural Experience at the bottom of this page.

Important Community links...
Vicksburg/Warren Chamber of Commerce
Vicksburg Convention & Visitors Bureau
Vicksburg Main Street
Vicksburg Theatre Guild and Gold in the Hills