Director’s Message
March-April 2017
Look around the state, and you’ll find events and programs proudly supported by the Mississippi Arts Commission. Last month, the Whole Schools Institute in Tupelo trained educators on how to integrate arts into their classrooms. The Oxford Film Festival brought thousands of visitors to Oxford and saw a $6,000 increase in ticket sales over last year. MAC, in partnership with the governor’s office, honored six world-class contributors to the arts in Mississippi at the 2017 Governor’s Arts Awards. We also published the new edition of the MAC Artist Roster, a juried directory of performing and teaching artists who have shown mastery in their fields.
Last fall, we provided funding for eight counties that had not received MAC grants in ten years to host arts presentations and grant information sessions. The news story “Commission revives arts in 8 counties” shares the positive impact reported by community members, who may not have otherwise visited their local libraries, where the gatherings were held, nor engaged with the arts.
I also had the great privilege of speaking at a National Endowment for the Arts Creative Placemaking workshop and training in Clarksdale, and a Building Creative Economy Assets workshop at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in my hometown of Perkinston. MAC continues to help equip members of Mississippi’s creative economy with the tools and networks they need to thrive.
We encourage you join us at our annual Arts Day at the Capitol on March 29, an opportunity to share our stories with legislators and community members at the Mississippi State Capitol. This will be followed by an evening event at Cathead Distillery. We look forward to seeing you and celebrating the good health of the arts in Mississippi.
Best,
Malcolm White, MAC Executive Director