An important element of my job (and even part of our strategic plan) is to keep elected officials at the state and federal levels familiar with the work of the agency and of the arts in Mississippi. While the Mississippi Arts Commission represents only a part of the whole arts industry picture, we can easily share the data about the impact our grants have on the state alongside the powerful stories that we hear about the extraordinary work being done by artists and organizations all over Mississippi.

In early May, I was accompanied by three extraordinary arts leaders from across our state to Washington, D.C., to meet with Mississippi’s Congressional leaders. Heather LaCoste, with The MAX in Meridian and the Mississippi Alliance for Arts Education, brought her firsthand accounts of the power of exposing our youth to arts experiences. Stephen Brown, with the Briarwood Arts Center in Jackson, is new to this space but has built an emerging local arts organization that has grown roots locally and developed connections throughout the state to bring resources and opportunities directly into his neighborhood. Julian Rankin, with the Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs, leads with a dynamic vision that breaks boundaries and expands the museum’s footprint into exciting territory, driving economic development and tourism to new heights for the coastal community.

Together, we brought a clear message to our Mississippi representatives in Congress: the arts are a vital part of Mississippi’s economic and cultural fabric.

As a team, we visited each office to meet with Congressional members and their staffs to share with them about the impact of arts funding in Mississippi. Our meetings were very positive and included hearty discussions about the work happening in your communities. We attended a breakfast meet and greet with Senator Wicker. We sat down with Senator Hyde-Smith and Representative Ezell directly and shared areas of impact that aligned with the things we know they care deeply about. We spent dedicated time diving deep into the impact of the arts with the staffs of Representatives Guest, Kelly, and Thompson, as well as Senator Wicker.

While we were in D.C., we even had the opportunity to watch Mississippi’s Poetry Out Loud State Finalist Saabria Prater compete at the National Poetry Out Loud Contest. We even ran into them on the street outside the Capitol.

As we move forward together through an ever-shifting landscape, I am encouraged by the time I spend with our federal elected officials, who understand the impact of the arts. I am also encouraged by the appropriations from our state legislature, as recently as last week, to provide stable funding for the Mississippi Arts Commission for the next fiscal year, alongside the continuation of the Building Fund for the Arts program and some small increases in strategic areas for the agency.  

But one thing remains clear: we must continue to tell our story. Alongside our storytelling, we must share the data that paints a broad and holistic picture of the impact of our truly exceptional work. Thank you, letters matter. Infographics matter. Photos of summer art camps matter. Videos about groundbreaking work in your community matter. They reach new audiences and keep the conversation about the importance of the arts and arts funding at the forefront. I challenge each of us to dive in deep to find powerful and creative ways to share this information. Let us know how we can help you and connect you with others. And share all of this with us.

I want to thank Heather, Stephen, and Julian for joining me in D.C. I also want to thank our Mississippi Congressional delegation and their staffs for taking the time to meet with us, but also for continuing to work to represent the interests of Mississippi voters.