JACKSON, MISS. – April 29, 2022– Lauren Rhoades, of Jackson, Miss., has been named grants director of the Mississippi Arts Commission.

Lauren Rhoades previously served as director of the Eudora Welty House & Garden, a National Historic Landmark and literary house museum in Jackson. She is also a creative writer whose essays, book reviews, and editorials have been published in the Southwest Review, phoebe, StorySouth, the Mississippi Books Page, Jackson Free Press, and elsewhere.

In her role at MAC, Rhoades will oversee MAC’s grants and programs including working with program staff to promote the agency’s grant opportunities and recruit potential grantees. MAC currently distributes more than $1 million annually in grants to 200 – 300 individual artists and organizations in the state.

“We are very happy to welcome Lauren to the Mississippi Arts Commission,” said Sarah Story, executive director of MAC. “Her wealth of experience in public and private funding, promoting the arts and working in a cultural institution positions her well as Grants Director. Our arts partners in the state will undoubtedly benefit from her expertise and energy.”

Rhoades has bachelor’s degrees in English, Spanish, and political science from the University of Colorado and an MFA in creative writing from the Mississippi University for Women.  She begins her new role with MAC on May 2, 2022.