JACKSON, MISS. – May 7, 2019 –In partnership with the Mississippi Museum of Art, the Mississippi Arts Commission will present the pop-up exhibit “MAC’s Traditional Arts Showcase” in the Trustmark Grand Hall at the Mississippi Museum of Art on Thursday, May 16, 2019, as part of the Museum After Hours series.

The exhibit  features the work of seven traditional visual artists working in Mississippi,  including Johnnie Smith (painter), Robert Pickenpaugh (potter), Bessie Johnson (basket maker), Greg Harkins (chair maker), Lyle Wynn (blacksmith), Alan Kolodny (wire tatter) and Coulter Fussell (quilter). Collectively, they represent the state’s rich and diverse artistic heritage. Individually, these artists demonstrate a mastery of traditional arts mediums.

All artists included in the exhibit have previously participated in MAC’s Folk Arts Fellowship grants program, the Folk Arts Apprenticeship grants program or the Bicentennial Folk Arts programming. These programs help ensure the survival of community-based traditional art forms in the state by providing support to artists as they create new work or pass down their traditions to the next generation.

“The Mississippi Arts Commission is pleased to partner with the Mississippi Museum of Art to showcase the work of artists who are masters of traditional art forms,” said Malcolm White, executive director of MAC. “The artwork on display in this exhibit connects us to our history and our ancestors while also providing an interpretation of our modern world. An important part of our work at MAC is to make resources available to ensure the survival of folk and traditional art.”

The reception for the exhibit will take place Thursday, May 16, 2019, from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson, Miss. During the program, several of the exhibit’s featured artists will share stories and educate the public about their traditional practices in a discussion facilitated by MAC Folk and Traditional Arts Director Maria Zeringue.

This exhibit is sponsored by the Mississippi Arts Commission and funded through the support of the National Endowment for the Arts. This event is free and open to the public.

Contact:  Maria Zeringue | Folk and Traditional Arts Director | mzeringue@arts.ms.gov |

Artwork in photo (clockwise from top right): chair by Greg Harkins, ceramic flower by Robert Pickenpaugh, and Po Monkey’s painting by Johnnie Smith