Chickasaw Bluffs Artist's Adventure
Pop-Up Artist’s Adventure. Osceola to Memphis. 46 Wild Miles. Next Week.
River Time, LMRD #862, Wednesday, Feb 16, 2022 Quapaw Canoe Company ~ Memphis ~ Clarksdale ~ Vicksburg
Pop-Up Artist’s Adventure! Open seats in big canoe for next week! Sorry for the short notice: we are pushing off for a 5-day artist’s adventure down the length of the Chickasaw Bluffs, the most spectacular geologic phenomena on the Lower Mississippi River. If you can’t do, see below calendar for several more opportunities for artists, naturalists, and adventurers. This is the first of four such adventures we’ll be running this spring/summer (on the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast Barrier Islands).
Feb 21-25
Chickasaw Bluffs Artist's & Naturalist's Retreat
5 Days with “Mississippi” Matthew Burdine, Mark "River" Peoples, and Driftwood Johnnie, paddling down along the length of the Chickasaw Bluffs, the most spectacular geologic phenomena on the Lower Mississippi River, with multi-day camps on or near the bluffs for best exploration and artistic inspiration. Osceola, AR, to Memphis, TN. 63 Miles downstream on the biggest and most beautiful river in North America with three of its most legendary artist-guides!
Artist’s Description: our attentions will focus on the 1st & 2nd Bluffs, the richest and rawest of the four Chickasaw Bluffs, in their wild pristine colorful condition, breaking off in mudslides, cliff falls, and giant slabs of oranges, reds and greens, also greys, and blues, and mauves and sepia tones — falling off and getting swallowed by the insatiable appetite of the muddy waters of the Mississippi River…. a truly alive, wild, spectacular and dynamic place…. covered in kudzu in places, and topped with the graceful mature hardwood forests, which seem to grow to perfection in along the bluffs and bottomlands of western Tennessee.
Got to the Rivergator: Chickasaw Bluffs for detailed description of Chickasaw Bluffs, from the paddler’s perspective!
My personal goal is an immersion visualization of the Chickasaw Bluffs as they looked 8,000 years ago, before the arrival of Homo sapiens in this part of the world. I have been commissioned by some Memphis people to create a giant triptych depicting this scene.
Also -- shhhhh! -- We are celebrating a "soft opening" of Quapaw Memphis! “Mississippi” Matthew Burdine has made landing out of the muddy heart of the Mississippi Delta, and set up his lodge below the 4th Chickasaw Bluff on Mud Island, where he is opening a Quapaw Canoe Company Outpost for guided canoe adventures and expeditions from the Bluff City! Stay tuned for grand opening details.... sometime soon... Spring 2022....
Narrative: Fabulous views of the Chickasaw Bluffs along the western edge of the state of Tennessee and adjacent bottomland hardwood forests, including the bluffs at Fort Pillow (1st Chickasaw Bluff), Richardson’s Landing (2nd Chickasaw Bluff), Meeman-Shelby State Forest (3rd Chickasaw Bluff) and finally the sweeping view of the Memphis skyline, including the Memphis Bridge and the Pyramid, and downtown Memphis (which straddles the 4th Chickasaw Bluff). The vista from the river is unparalleled! Points of interest include Anderson-Tully Wildlife Management Area, The mouth of the Hatchie River, Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park and the mouth of the Loosahatchie River. The vista from the river is unparalleled! You’ve never seen downtown Memphis if you haven’t viewed it from the river!
Itinerary: Day I: Meet on Mud Island Memphis and shuttle to Osceola. Put in at Sans Souci (Mile 783), artist's camp 2 nights near 1st Chickasaw Bluff, and 2 nights in vicinity of 2nd Chickasaw Bluff. Explore back channels wherever possible. Take out at the foot of Beale Street in the Memphis Harbor. Total mileage = 58 miles on the Mississippi River. 
Quapaw Canoe Company ~ Spring 2022 Jump on board any of these offerings, or contact us to arrange your own custom-guided adventure on the biggest river in North America! Feb 21-25 Chickasaw Bluffs Artist's & Naturalist's Retreat 5 Days with “Mississippi” Matthew Burdine, Mark "River" Peoples, and Driftwood Johnnie, paddling down along the most spectacular geologic phenomena on the Lower Mississippi River, with multi-day camps on or near the bluffs for best exploration and artistic inspiration. Osceola, AR, to bluff city, Memphis, TN. 63 Miles downstream on the biggest and most beautiful river in North America with three of its most legendary artist-guides! Mar 5 Community Canoe - Mississippi River Our way of giving back to the communities along the Lower Mississippi River, and help nurture the future stewards of mother earth, our children! Made possible by the Lower Mississippi River Foundation. $50 each. Free for kids under 18, and half price for educators. Mar 18 Full Worm Moon Meet: 3pm Quapaw Clarksdale Back: 10pm Mar 21-25 Gulf Coast Barrier Islands Artist's & Naturalist's Retreat 5-day paddle along the Gulf Islands National Seashore, route to be decided, but will include Cat Island, Ship Island, and Horn Island. April 9 Community Canoe - Mississippi River Our way of giving back to the communities along the Lower Mississippi River, and help nurture the future stewards of mother earth, our children! Made possible by the Lower Mississippi River Foundation. $50 each. Free for kids under 18, and half price for educators. April 11-15 Mississippi River Artist's Spiritual Retreat 5 Day fast and creative exploration on remote river island — for personal healing, and reconnection to nature and our deepest artistic selves. May 7 Community Canoe - Mississippi River Our way of giving back to the communities along the Lower Mississippi River, and help nurture the future stewards of mother earth, our children! Made possible by the Lower Mississippi River Foundation. $50 each. Free for kids under 18, and half price for educators. May 9-13 Mississippi River Artist's & Naturalist's Retreat 5-day camp paradise of wildlife and beauty, on remote river island, for artists and naturalists. Bring your personals, we'll do all the cooking, and take care of camp! June 6-9 Mississippi River Summer Camp — Girls 4-day summer for the youth of the Lower Mississippi River. Leadership and survival skills through traditional camp, including canoeing, swimming, cooking, shelter-making, water gathering, star-gazing and navigation skills. Made possible by the Lower Mississippi River Foundation. June 13-16 Mississippi River Summer Camp -- Boys 4-day summer for the youth of the Lower Mississippi River. Leadership and survival skills through traditional camp, including canoeing, swimming, cooking, shelter-making, water gathering, star-gazing and navigation skills. Made possible by the Lower Mississippi River Foundation.
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