Southbound Story & Conversation Hour Presented by IACP

Because the best thing served at a food festival isn't always on the plate. Sometimes it's the story behind it. Southbound Story & Conversation Hour Presented by IACP Because the best thing served at a food festival isn't always on the plate. Sometimes it's the story behind it. Between Southbound's two festival weekends, IACP presents Southbound Story & Conversation Hour—five evenings of cocktails, conversation, and unforgettable stories from some of the South's most compelling food voices. Join us Monday–Friday in special Birmingham settings for one remarkable storyteller each evening. They'll share a story, then open the conversation. No panels. No PowerPoints. Just a drink, a great story, and a chance to hear—and talk with—people who have something wonderful to share. Featuring: Katelyn D. Crawford In conversation with Catherine Sloss Jones, President and CEO of Sloss Real Estate Company. 5:00 p.m. Gathering + Story + Conversation 6:00 p.m. Goodbyes One more reason to linger in Birmingham between Southbound's big festival weekends. Come for the food. Stay for the stories. About Katelyn D. Crawford Katelyn D. Crawford is Associate Director of Collections & Exhibitions and The William Cary Hulsey Curator of American Art at the Birmingham Museum of Art, where she has worked since 2017. Her work foregrounds diverse, expansive histories of American art as well as local and regional experiences. At the BMA, Kate manages all aspects of the care and presentation of the museum's American art collection. There she has grown the permanent collection, reinstalled collection galleries, and curated many major exhibitions, including Determined to Be: The Sculpture of John Rhoden (2024, originating from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts) and Hayward Oubre: Structural Integrity (2024), which traveled to the Stanley Museum of Art at the University of Iowa and the New Orleans Museum of Art. Her next project, From Scratch: Art and Food in the South, will open in July 2027. Before coming to Birmingham, she was the Assistant Curator of American Art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri. She earned her PhD from the University of Virginia and her BA from Columbia University.