By Barbara Johnson Ross, Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art

Staff and visitors at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi, Mississippi were surprised by a Random Act of Culture on August 16, 2012.  A very talented musical chamber group called the Sixth Floor Trio received a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to perform Random Acts of Culture™ (RACs) across the United States.  The RAC project was started by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to create engaged and informed communities and to support innovative and artistically vital programs.  The Sixth Floor Trio performs short (three to five-minute) performances in unexpected public places, unannounced to the audience beforehand.  The trio has performed at various venues, including transportation depots, museums, airports, parks, universities, and farmers markets.  The trio’s musicians are talented on various instruments; however, at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum Harrison Hollingsworth played the violin, Teddy Abrams played the keyboard and Johnny Teyssier played the clarinet.

Harrison Hollingsworth (left), Teddy Abrams (center), and Johnny Teyssier (right) of the Sixth Floor Trio performed on the Mississippi Sound Welcome Plaza of the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi, Mississippi

The Sixth Floor Trio played in front of the John S. and James L. Knight Gallery of the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art (on the right in the photograph). Construction of the Gallery will be completed soon.

After playing, Harrison Hollingsworth held a sign announcing the Random Act of Culture