The Mississippi Museum of Art is preparing to host its 2021 virtual Art Party fundraiser on Saturday, April 17, beginning at 7 p.m. The virtual program will include jazz in the museum's galleries, a silent auction for artwork and rare wine, a raffle, interviews and more.

Items up for bid in the silent auction include pieces by Dusti Bongé, Jason Bouldin, George "Sky" Miles and more, as well as a seven-course tasting menu with wine pairings for six at Elvie's restaurant and a weekend at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino with a round of golf. Auction items will be on view at MMA until Monday, April 19. To see all the items up for bid, click here.

Participants can also purchase a raffle ticket for a chance to win a piece by Dan Piersol. MMA will announce the raffle winner on social media at noon on Friday, April 16. For information, click here.

Fine & Dandy restaurant has prepared a charcuterie board, wine and dinner for the event that participants can pick up from 5 p.m to 6:30 p.m. on April 17. To place an order, click here. Orders must be placed by Monday, April 12 by the end of day. To see the full menu, click here.

For more information, call 601-960-1515 or visit msmuseumart.org.

Mississippi Coding Academies Partners with DSC Training Academy on New Facility

Mississippi Coding Academies and DSC Training Academy recently partnered to launch a new coding campus in South Jackson at 3906 I-55 South Frontage Road, which opened on Thursday, April 8. MCA's downtown and South Jackson sites will be linked virtually, with senior and junior instructors moving between them, a release from the academy says.

MCA offers an 11-month program that emulates a working environment with instruction and coding five days per week. Coders become full-stack coders while learning skills for the corporate workforce. Mississippi Coding Academies is nonprofit and the program is tuition-free for students.

The new South Jackson campus is part of DSC Training Academy’s 4,300-square-foot complex and includes two kitchens, a lounge and meeting spaces. The facility is also WiFi-enabled and handicapped-accessible.

"We're partnering with DSC Training Academy to train computer software coders onsite the plan being to train 80 coders split between our downtown and South Jackson sites over the summer," Richard Sun, director of the Jackson Mississippi Coding Academies facility says. "The new site is going to be a workforce training facility specialized in coding to train large numbers of people in South Jackson to have productive jobs. Willie Jones, the owner of DSC Training Academy, has done great work in getting women into driving jobs, and now we'll be able to provide instructors and a curriculum to add onto the services she can offer in order to go beyond the usual work they do there."

For more information, call 601-351-5858 or visit mscoding.org

Jackson Drive-In Movies in the Park Series

The Department of Parks and Recreation recently announced its 4th annual Drive-In Movies in the Park Series, which will begin on Friday, April 16. DPR will show movies on a digital Jumbo-Tron outdoor movie screen. Friday nights will include family-themed movies, while Saturday nights will feature adult-themed movies. Admission is $5 per vehicle in cash only. No grills or glass containers are permitted on the premises.

All visitors must practice social distancing, and parking will be limited. Visitors must remain in or near their vehicles and wear a face covering at all times.

Dates and locations include the Smith Wills Stadium parking lot (1200 Lakeland Drive) on Friday, April 16, Saturday, April 17, Friday, July 23, and Saturday, July 24, at 7:30 p.m.; and the VA Legion Softball Complex parking lot (4500 Officer Thomas Catchings, Sr. Drive) on Friday, May 14, Saturday, May 15, Friday, June 11, and Saturday, June 12, at 7:30 p.m.

For more information on movie listings, call 601-960-0655.