The MAX: Our Next Chapter
2026-2036
The Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience (The MAX) is a thriving arts and cultural center with a vision to build stronger communities and a better Mississippi through the arts.
Opened in 2018, The MAX serves Mississippians of all ages through more than 50,000 square feet of facilities, including an interactive museum celebrating Mississippi’s creative legacy, a two-story hall of fame showcasing the state’s ground breaking artists, and dynamic studio and performance spaces where people of all ages explore their creative passions.
There’s no place like The MAX, because there’s no place like Mississippi. Here, the magic and mojo of Mississippi’s cultural legacy come to life. Past, present, and future come together at The MAX, where we honor Mississippi’s creative icons, showcase working artists, and nurture the next generation.
A Living & Breathing Legacy
2018
Opening of The MAX
2024
New Vision + Leadership
2026
Strategic Framework for Statewide Impact
2028
10-Year Anniversary
Two-track Sustainability: Annual Fund + Endowment
- Continued public partnership
- Expanded private support
2026-2036 Strategic Initiatives
Education + Arts Integration
- Create customized field trip experiences
- Build lesson plan library
- Lead teaching artist professional training
- Support in-school artist residencies
- Develop curriculum for Mississippi Studies
Youth Engagement
- Add youth-led programming + exhibitions
- Assemble youth council + host “takeovers”
- Add after-school + summer youth camps + workshops
- Expand internship program
- Activate recording studio year-round
Workforce Development
- Expand audio engineer camps + workshops
- Leverage recording studio with high-profile artists
- Launch media arts internships
- Serve as a creative laboratory for educational partners
- Increase hospitality training and job placement
Healthier Communities
- Initiate art therapy and social prescribing pilots with partners
- Present cultural programs that foster open dialogue, greater empathy, and reduced divisiveness
- Explore wellness series as part of programming that incorporates movement, nutrition, and mental health
Artist Services
- Establish a teach-create studio model for artists
- Conduct artist exchanges about shared facilities use
- Showcase Mississippi art & craft at The MAX Store
- Make gallery spaces accessible to Mississippi artists
- Provide artist commissions and work for hire opportunities across all MAX initiatives
Foundational Infastructure
- Create new visitor guide and tour experience
- Remove accessibility barriers for students and families
- Launch Friends of The MAX program
- Update and enhance exhibits, lobby, and store
- Implement adaptive reuse of historic bus station property
Be Part of What Comes Next
Join us in carrying Mississippi’s creative legacy forward. Become a member or make a gift today—and help ensure that the stories, talents, and possibilities of Mississippi continue to inspire generations to come.
