Diversity Rules Magazine

Joey Amato is the founder and pub- lisher of Pride Jour- neys, an LGBTQ travel website and syndicated column. For more LGBTQ travel ideas, please visit www.pride- journeys.com. Every now and then I visit a des na on I know absolutely noth- ing about. That hap- pened a few years ago when I visited Oklahoma City and I fell in love with OKC. This me around, that des na on was Coastal Mississippi, more specifically Biloxi, Gulfport, and Ocean Springs. In fact, the only thing I knew about the Biloxi was the hotel I stayed at, Beau Rivage. I knew it was owned by MGM Re- sorts, but that was about it. The rest of the trip was going to be a surprise. For this par cular trip, I wanted to fo- cus on health and wellness and luckily, Beau Rivage's most recent renova on included two floors full of Stay Well rooms as well as an updated spa. My gulf view room came complete with an aromatherapy machine, ultra high-end linens, a memory foam ma ress, and pillows as well as a vitamin C dispenser hooked up to my shower. I had never seen one of those before, so I had to ask what it was. A er an early check in, I departed for Ocean Springs, a quaint town just east of Beau Rivage. My first stop was a place called Shearwater Po ery. Apparently, it is very well known to every- one but me. A er pos ng pictures on social media, I received numerous comments from friends want- ing to visit. Shearwater Po ery was founded in 1928 by Peter Anderson and from the 1920s through the present day, Shearwater Po ery has produced art po ery, u litarian ware, figurines, decora ve les, and other po ery pieces. I had the opportunity to meet with Margie Ashley, the daughter of Peter Anderson who told me about her family's legacy in Ocean Springs. At that me, Coastal Mississippi was known for fishing and not so much for the arts, so her family was viewed as outcasts but the community. Margie told me people used to called them the "crazy Andersons." But they eventually had the last laugh as the family name has become as much of Coastal Mississippi culture as seafood gumbo. A few minutes up the road from Shearwater Po ery is the Walter Anderson Museum of Art. Walter was the brother of Peter Anderson and equally as tal- ented, crea ng thousands of works throughout his life me. Many of Walter Anderson's pain ngs, draw- ings, murals, block prints, sculpture, carvings, and wri ngs are on display at the museum. The pièce de résistance is the Community Center, which is the site of Walter Ander- son's monumental 3,000 square foot mural, which depicts the historic dis- covery of the Mississippi Coast and its diverse climates. The city commis- sioned Walter Anderson in 1950 for a fee of $1.00 and the project took 16 months to complete. For dinner, head to Ves ge, a farm- to-table restaurant in Ocean Springs helmed by head chefs Alex Perry and his wife, Kumi Omori who were re- cently nominated for a James Beard Award. Ves ge offers a pre-fixed menu which changes on a regular ba- sis and contains only the freshest local ingredients. And if it's not local, they fly it in from its land of origin to insure its freshness. We began our meal with sashimi of Hamachi complete with a foie gras emulsion, rose, purple sweet potato and mag- nolia flower kombucha veil. Yes, that was one dish and just an appe zer, but probably my favorite item on the menu. 8 | Diversity Rules Magazine | Apr 2023 Pride Journeys: Coastal Mississpppi By Joey Amato

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