Civil rights exhibit, photo class at SCHC

The Southern Cultural Heritage Center has announced two events. For information on either, call 631-2997 or e-mail info@southernculture.org.

In February, a traveling Civil Rights Era exhibit will be on display at the SCHC’s Academy Building. The Mountaintop Civil Rights Traveling Exhibit is a collection of more than 2,000 artifacts and memorabilia. The exhibit will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 18-20. Admission is $6 for adults and $5 for children 18 and younger. Student groups are encouraged to attend. Group viewings can be arranged by reservation.

On March 2, professional photographer Cami Calnan will teach a digital photography basics workshop at the center.

The class will run from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and costs $30 for SCHC members and $35 for nonmembers. All ages are welcome, and the session is limited to 10 participants. Registration is required, and each student is asked to bring a digital camera and batteries.

Politics the subject of book-signing

In February, authors Andy Taggart and Jere Nash will sign “Mississippi Fried Politics: Tall Tales from the Back Rooms” and “Mississippi Politics: The Struggle for Power, 1976-2006” at a downtown bookstore.

The signing, set for 5 p.m. Feb. 5 at Lorelei Books, 1103 Washington St., will also feature a reading and refreshments in the loft.

“Mississippi Fried Politics” features humorous stories, surprising speeches and editorials and photos, many of which  have never been published. “Mississippi Politics” tells the national story of a shift in political power and control in Mississippi. It includes a foreword by Mississippi native and novelist John Grisham.

For information, call Lorelei at 601-634-8624 or click here.

Oxford native’s photos subject of exhibition

A Birmingham-based professional photographer with Oxford roots is the focus of an exhibition at the University of Mississippi Museum.

Characters, Crossroads and Other Observations is a collection of 31 photographs Steve Gates took between 1966 and 1972. The display runs through March 8.

Gates’ show includes photos of old men sitting around the Square playing dominoes and one of the members of the Hungarian State Symphony playing chess backstage at Fulton Chapel on the Ole Miss campus.

With more than 20 years experience as a professional freelance photographer, Gates also worked as a photojournalist for the now-defunct Birmingham Post-Herald. He has also taken editorial pictures for several national magazines, including People and Time. For more on him, visit http://www.stevegatesphoto.com.

The museum, located at Fifth Street and University Avenue, is open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sundays. Admission is free. For information, call 662-915-7073 or click here.