Celebrating Culinary + Visual Arts
Join us on June 1, 2024 for an evening celebrating the culinary and visual arts of the Gulf South
Meet the Chefs
Firefly Supper brings together a select group of stellar southern chefs who have curated a four-course menu to celebrate the culinary and visual arts of the Gulf South.
Alex Perry + Kumi Omori
Alex Perry and Kumi Omori are behind Vestige in Ocean Springs, MS. They embrace seasonality, creativity, locality, and sustainability - combining local ingredients with Japanese flavors and techniques in an ever-changing menu. Their attention to detail and commitment to storytelling through food have earned Perry and Vestige national acclaim, including multiple invitations to the Atlanta Food and Wine Festival and two nominations for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: South.
Michael + Stephanie Paoletti
Michael and Stephanie Paoletti showcase the best of the Gulf Coast’s ingredients and creativity in their ventures Food, Booze & Hiccups and Sweet Enchantments. They combine an adventurous culinary philosophy with premium local components and commitment to their environment; they are recognised by the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Outpost Program for their commitment to sustainability.
Vishwesh Bhatt
Vishwesh Bhatt is the executive chef of Snackbar in Oxford, MS., and the author of the critically acclaimed cookbook “I Am From Here”. He intertwines Southern and subcontinental Foodways in innovative and original food. He has shaped Snackbar into one of the finest restaurants in the South, and in 2019 won Southern Living’s Southerner of the Year and James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: South.
Nick Wallace
Nick Wallace has been voted the Best Chef in Jackson, MS., for the last four years. He credits his grandmothers for his love of food and he has since served as an Executive Chef for some of the country’s most prestigious museums and hotels. Combining his family farm origins with learned French techniques, he is recognised as a leader and innovator in the culinary arts and his community. He partners with local farmers in Creativity Kitchen, a non-profit organization bringing fresh food to Jackson Public Schools.
Support the Arts and Education
This event is held to support the Museum's mission to empower lifelong curiosity and connection to the natural world through the art of Walter Anderson and kindred artists. Funds from this event will be used to support the Museum's educational programming, preserve its collections, and put on world-class exhibitions celebrating the art and identity of the region.
If you would like to become a sponsor, please see our sponsorship levels below.
