Happy Holidays from MAC! What a year it’s been! Through the highs and lows of 2021, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn all about the vast landscape of the arts in Mississippi this past year as the new executive director of MAC. Through traveling the state and meeting with many arts leaders, it’s evident there is no shortage of enthusiasm for the arts, and despite the challenges we’ve all faced, the arts in Mississippi remain strong.    

This year, thanks to funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, which MAC received through the National Endowment for the Arts, we were able to distribute a second round of COVID-19 economic relief funding to arts organizations throughout the state. This funding was especially important as the arts sector experienced a downturn this summer as a result of the Delta variant of COVID-19. We also recently awarded Mini-grant funding, which will help artists grow creatively and arts organizations build capacity for growth.

I’m proud of our agency’s many accomplishments of the past year and look forward to our offerings and projects in 2022. To help usher in the new year, we have a slate of events scheduled to educate the public about MAC grants, a webinar series geared toward arts advocacy, and of course, Governor’s Arts Awards.

This year, we are hosting a party the night before the Governor’s Arts Awards to celebrate the recipients, support the Mississippi Whole Schools program, and foster the next generation of arts support. Sponsors of the Governor’s Arts Awards at the “Friend” level and above will receive tickets to “Art Crush.”

Last, but not least, we have a new Chair for the NEA, Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson! We are eager to work with her in the new year to grow the state’s arts sector.

We look forward all the exciting moments to come in 2022.

My best,

Sarah Story