1 2026 SPRING/SUMMER
2 PLACE IMAGINING THE FUTURE OF THE MAX This past year has been one of thoughtful planning and big-picture imagining as we shape The MAX of the future. Our focus has centered on education and arts integration, youth engagement, workforce development, artist services, and the creation of healthier communities. Along the way, we’ve also taken a close look at how we talk about The MAX—guided by feedback from you and other visitors. What’s become clear: The MAX is utterly unique. There’s no place like it, because there’s no place like Mississippi. Here, the magic and mojo of our state’s cultural legacy come to life. You can feel it in our interactive exhibits, see and hear it in our state-of-the-art creative studios, and witness it in the wide-eyed kids, discovering their roots, their heroes, and their own creative potential. Past, present, and future converge at The MAX, where we honor Mississippi’s creative icons, showcase today’s working artists, and nurture the next generation. The MAX has also evolved to be more than a traditional museum. Today, it’s a vibrant arts and cultural center that inspires Mississippi pride and transforms lives through authentic cultural experiences. More than 30,000 people participated in over 400 events here this past year, and we’re building on that momentum. In the months ahead, you’ll see exciting new programming, including America 250—a series of events that spotlight Mississippi’s outsized influence on American culture. From a conversation with the co-director of the school of the nation’s largest modern dance company to a reading from the imagined memoir of Jimmie Rodgers, a celebration of Jim Henson, and a new exhibition by a New York Times bestselling, nationally acclaimed graphic novelist with Marvel credentials, these programs underscore a simple truth: Mississippi’s story is America’s story. The Governor’s Recording Studio is also buzzing, with the March debut of Juke Joint Blues by Terrence Davis, recorded at The MAX, and spring break programs for students led by industry professionals, including hip-hop producer Twysted Genius. There’s much more to come. Explore what’s ahead, bring a friend, and be part of what’s happening. As remarkable as this building is, it’s the creativity inside that truly defines The MAX. See you soon, Penny Kemp President + CEO The MAX P.S. Not a member of The MAX, but like what you see and want to accelerate our efforts? Scan to become a member, upgrade your membership, or contribute today. You may also contact us at members@msarts.org or call 601.512.0193.
3 2026 SPRING/SUMMER BRING YOUR GROUP TO THE MAX Our team works with you to create the perfect group experience: EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES Interested in educational workshops, training, or arts showcases? The MAX provides the perfect backdrop to showcase your students, faculty, and staff talents and engage in hands-on educational workshops. Contact Education Director Heather LaCoste: heather@msarts.org | 601.581.1550 ext. 35. GROUP TOURS + FIELD TRIPS Bring your school, garden club, church or other group to tour The MAX and let us customize your experience. Only $5 per student with travel reimbursement outside Lauderdale County and group discounts for 10 or more adults. Contact Group Tour Manager Stanley Wright for more information: stanley@msarts.org | 601.581.1550 ext. 14. EVENT RENTALS Whether it’s your company event, small meeting, reunion, wedding reception, or other party, The MAX is the place to gather. Event Rental Manager Brittany Davis can be reached at brittany@msarts.org | 601.581.1550 ext. 26. Just tell your friends to #MeetMeAtTheMAX
4 PLACE THE MAX STAFF Penny Kemp, President + CEO Hannah Behan, Exhibit Maintenance Coordinator Rose Cole, Housekeeping Supervisor Billy Davis, Chief of Security Brittany Davis, Event Rental + Experience Manager Benjamen Douglas, Director of Programs + Strategic Initiatives Austin Hudnall, Security + Event Support Courtney Keith, Retail + Visitor Services Assistant Manager Heather LaCoste, Education Director Linda Lauderdale, Office Manager + Member Services Christina McField, Curator of Changing Exhibits + Programs John Quigley, Chief Administrative Officer Ted Reynolds, Facilities Manager Reggie Smith, Security + Event Support Jeremy Sollie, Marketing Manager Elizabeth Williams, MAX Events + Art Studio Manager Aaron Windham, Director of Operations Stanley Wright, Group Tours + Volunteer Services Manager 2155 Front Street Meridian, MS 39301 601.581.1550 msarts.org CONTRIBUTORS Writers Benjamen Douglas Penny Kemp Steve Millburg Jeremy Sollie Photographers J’Marcus Alfred Benjamen Douglas Heather LaCoste Margaret Remy Jeremy Sollie PLACE is published biannually by the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience. Every effort is made to avoid errors and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our apologies and notify us at info@msarts.org. This email also can be used to request address changes or additional copies. Board of Directors Dianne Walton, Chair, Meridian Larry Primeaux, Vice Chair, Meridian Annie McMillan, Secretary, Hattiesburg Michael Truelove, Treasurer, Meridian Eddie Kelly, Past Chair, Bay St. Louis Landry Adkins, Meridian Kim Caron, Tupelo Sheryl Davidson, Meridian Wayne Drinkwater, Oxford Veldore Young Graham, Meridian Checky Herrington, Starkville Dustin Markham, Meridian Sammy Moon, Jackson Patti Permenter, Biloxi Kerry Scott, Meridian Don Shaffer, Starkville Laurie Williams, Jackson Laura Carmichael (Ex Officio), Meridian Terrell Thompson (Ex Officio), Meridian On the Cover: A Mississippi Gospel Celebration
5 2026 SPRING/SUMMER of contents table SIPP & SAVOR Experience the South’s Culinary Legacy 8 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT + CEO Penny Kemp 2 EVENTS 21 ART, CONVERSATION + CELEBRATION: 2025 YEAR IN REVIEW 10 THE CRADLE OF AMERICAN CULTURE Honoring Mississippi’s Contributions to American Life 6 DONOR RECOGNITION 23 17 JOHN JENNINGS: BUILD YOUR WORLD Award-Winning Artist John Jennings Transforms Mississippi Memory Into Liberated Futures Silver Surfer: Ghost Light (detail); see story, page 17
6 PLACE As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, The MAX is proud to present a season of programming that honors the profound contributions Mississippi has made to the fabric of American life. Consider the music that pulses through every corner of our country. The blues was born in the Mississippi Delta, where artists like Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, and B.B. King created the sounds that would develop into rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and hip-hop. Gospel music found its voice in Mississippi’s churches, and Jimmie Rodgers drew on blues, folk, and jazz influences to become a national superstar and the Father of Country Music. Meanwhile, William Grant Still was breaking barriers as the first African American to have a symphony performed by a major orchestra, to conduct a major orchestra, to conduct an orchestra in the Deep South, to have an opera produced by a major company, and to have an opera broadcast on national television. Later, Elvis Presley became the King of Rock and Roll, forever changing popular music worldwide. No wonder Mississippi proudly considers itself the Birthplace of America’s Music. The state’s worldwide influence extends into every cultural arena. William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Richard Wright, and Tennessee Williams revolutionized American literature. Such Mississippi actors as Morgan Freeman, James Earl Jones, and Sela Ward have brought unforgettable characters to movie and television screens. Other Mississippians who have entertained and inspired millions include thriller writer John Grisham, TV chef Cat Cora, food writer Craig Claiborne, media entrepreneurs Robert L. Johnson (Black Entertainment Television) and Robert Pittman (MTV), audio equipment pioneer Hartley Peavey, fashion designer Patrick Kelly, Muppets creator Jim Henson, tropical troubadour Jimmy Buffett, and lifestyle entrepreneur Oprah Winfrey. Even our everyday comforts bear Mississippi’s fingerprints. A hunting trip President Theodore Roosevelt took to Rolling Fork inspired the teddy bear. Barq’s Root Beer was created in Biloxi. Coca-Cola was first bottled in Gulfport. And the shoebox—that ubiquitous object of utilitarianism—came to being in Vicksburg. HONORING MISSISSIPPI’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO AMERICAN LIFE
7 2026 SPRING/SUMMER Mississippi continues to inspire new generations of creatives. Every day at The MAX, we celebrate the roots of the place we call home—and the fruits that its legends have produced. The rhythms, voices, innovations, and courage that emerged from this land have shaped how America sounds, looks, tastes, and entertains itself. In 2026, we invite you to join us in exploring these connections, discovering stories you may not have known, and celebrating the enduring impact of Mississippi on our national identity. Some key programs include: Feb. 26: Meridian Rising: A Conversation with Paul Burch + Scott Barretta Enjoy a live performance and book reading by musician, author, and scholar Paul Burch. His debut novel, Meridian Rising, is an imagined memoir of Jimmie Rodgers, the Father of Country Music, blending history and fiction. Scott Barretta, host of MPB Think Radio’s Highway 61 blues program, is an authority on the roots of Mississippi music. Feb. 28: A Conversation with Melanie Person Melanie Person began her dance training in Jackson, Mississippi, at age 6. She joined the first-ever Black classical ballet company, Dance Theatre of Harlem, at 14. She is now co-Director of The Ailey School, founded by legendary dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey in 1969. The school trains over 3,500 student dancers each year. Mar. 20: Terrence Davis: Juke Joint Blues Album Release Celebrate the album release of Juke Joint Blues by Terrence Davis, former hype man for one of the biggest rap artists in the music industry, MC Hammer, with song production credits including for Deion Sanders’s “Papa San,” Oaktown’s 357’s “Smoother Than Silk,” and more. Mar. 21: Celebrate Jim Henson Dive into the mind of a visionary with a special screening of the acclaimed documentary Jim Henson: Idea Man, in the Alexander Family Church Gallery. Try your hand at a two-hour interactive workshop with Mississippi artist Jordan West where you’ll design and build a puppet straight from your imagination, concluding with a live performance in our new puppet theater. Limited spots available for workshop. Registration required ($25 per puppet). May 2: Felder Rushing LIVE at Earth’s Bounty Join Felder Rushing for a conversation about how plants can build community and improve diets. Rushing is an 11th-generation Southern gardener, horticulturist, columnist, radio and television personality, author, and photographer who promotes simple and unconventional gardening through his weekly MPB Think Radio program, The Gestalt Gardener. July 4: Rhythms of Freedom Celebrate America 250 at The MAX with Rising Stars Fife and Drum Band echoing the sounds of independence with a uniquely Mississippi experience, including Earth’s Bounty. Free admission. Special hours: 8 am - 3 pm. We’re constantly adding new events. For the latest info and to register, visit msarts.org/events.
8 PLACE Experience the South’s Culinary Legacy Sipp & Savor, returning to The MAX for its sixth year on April 11, has grown into one of Mississippi’s most anticipated culinary and cultural events. Dozens of celebrated chefs, restaurateurs, brewers, and distillers will offer tastes of delicious food and beverages. In 2025, both the Mississippi Tourism Association and the Mississippi Main Street Association recognized Sipp & Savor as the year’s outstanding event in its category. Chef Alon Shaya, the headliner for this year’s festival, has also collected awards. For the third year in a row, the prestigious MICHELIN Guide included Safta, his Denver restaurant. His New Orleans restaurant, Saba, received a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand award. Named one of the “50 People Who Are Changing the South” by Southern Living magazine, the two-time James Beard Foundation Award winner is the author of the acclaimed part-cookbook, part-memoir Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel. “We’re so excited to participate in this year’s Sipp & Savor alongside such an incredible lineup of chefs, brewers, and mixologists from all across the South,” says Shaya. “It’s truly a privilege to headline an event that supports and uplifts the South’s artistic and culinary legacy.” That legacy includes Elvie’s and Pulito Osteria, both in Jackson, City Grocery in Oxford, and Vestige in Ocean Springs—MICHELIN-recognized restaurants that will be represented this year. Among the dozens of chefs will be familiar Alon Shaya James Beard Award-winning chef and former judge on Top Chef
9 2026 SPRING/SUMMER faces like Geno Lee (Big Apple Inn, Jackson), Chris Ippolito (Cayo Coco, Birmingham), and Sophina Uong (the MICHELIN-listed Mister Mao, New Orleans), as well as first-timers Josh Quick (Odette, Florence, Alabama) and Cameron Smith (the MICHELIN Bib Gourmand-winning Hog & Hominy, Memphis). Sipp & Savor draws lovers of food and drink from Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, and beyond. “It’s always lovely and a breath of fresh air,” says chef Enrika Williams, owner of Fauna Foodworks in Jackson and a returning festival favorite. “The city and downtown are just beautiful. Any time I have an excuse to come to Meridian, I take full advantage of it.” The festival supports The MAX’s educational programs and mission. Last year, 78 culinary students from nine Mississippi community colleges and the University of Mississippi worked alongside award-winning chefs to gain high-caliber handson experience and mentorship opportunities. Sipp & Savor is the primary annual fundraiser for The MAX. Many supporters make it possible, including volunteers, sponsors, and of course ticket holders. The MAX especially thanks and recognizes the Sipp & Savor Committee as well as the Signature Sponsor, Mitchell Distributing, and the Ruby Sponsor, Meridian Coca-Cola Bottling Company. To become an event sponsor and support The MAX’s educational efforts, visit www.sippandsavor.com/sponsorship. For more information and tickets
10 PLACE ART, CONVERSATION + CELEBRATION 2025 YEAR IN REVIEW 125+ Rentals | 100+ Group Tours | 80+ Public Events 100+ Classes + Recording Sessions
11 2026 SPRING/SUMMER Outreach by the Numbers • Gallery talk attended by ~200 people • Welding demo for ~60 people • Seven school visits reaching 550+ students • Artist-led workshops for 30 students • Keynote address at Illuminations Dyslexia Conference • Featured guest on Lighthouse Academy for Dyslexia podcast • 3,670+ student and group tour participants (and counting) Extended Through March 19
12 PLACE MISSISSIPPI SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL + MUSIC WORKSHOP Featuring everyone from award-winning hitmakers to up-and-comers visiting their first recording studio, the Mississippi Songwriters Festival—Pines Region brought artists from across the state to The MAX for two days of performances, workshops, and recording sessions in July. SCULPTING CERAMICS WITH SAM CLARK In August and September, sculptor and ceramic artist Sam Clark held demos and led a sold-out workshop where he shared his creative process, sculpting techniques, and inspiration for his work.
13 2026 SPRING/SUMMER LET’S TALK ABOUT SINNERS TWO-NIGHT EVENT IN OCTOBER Film enthusiasts and the public at large were treated to a free screening of the award-winning box-office sensation Sinners, followed by a panel discussion with Film Mississippi Director Nina Parikh, Director of the Department of Chahta Immi Jay Wesley, Executive Director of the Crossroads Cultural Arts Center Chandra Williams, and Project Manager for Partnership for a Healthier America Tyler Yarbrough, moderated by author and scholar Ralph Eubanks with live blues by Rev. Slim.
14 PLACE A CONVERSATION WITH BILL FERRIS On October 25, the Alexander Family Church Gallery was packed to hear Hall of Fame inductee Bill Ferris discuss his pioneering work as a folklorist. Ferris was joined in conversation by Thabi Moyo, Festival Manager for the National Folk Festival in Jackson. MISSISSIPPI PUBLIC ART CONVENING In partnership with the Mississippi Arts Commission, creatives from across the state heard a keynote address from Mississippi native Sandra Bloodworth, former director of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Arts & Design program, in November. A panel conversation featured artists Lawson King, Reshonda Perryman, and Carlton Turner and moderator Melody Moody Thortis.
15 2026 SPRING/SUMMER YOUTH SYMPHONY DAY The sound of Mississippi’s next generation of musicians filled the Structural Steel Services, Inc., Hall of Fame on November 15 as the Mississippi Youth Symphony Orchestra performed an hour-long program, made use of the Governor’s Recording Studio, and announced a new strings program for Meridian-area students ages 4-18.
16 PLACE A MISSISSIPPI GOSPEL CELEBRATION After a tribute to gospel legends in the Alexander Family Church Gallery, including “Mama” Mosie Burks of the Mississippi Mass Choir, live gospel music filled the Structural Steel Services, Inc., Hall of Fame on December 6 as part of A Mississippi Gospel Celebration.
17 2026 SPRING/SUMMER This summer, The MAX will transport visitors into the visionary worlds of John Jennings—one of the most innovative storytellers working at the intersection of comics, speculative fiction, and Afrofuturism. Opening June 20, 2026, John Jennings: Build Your World celebrates a Hugo and Eisner Award-winning artist, scholar, and cultural theorist who transforms Black Southern memory into platforms for liberated futures. For Jennings, world-building isn’t just an artistic practice—it’s deeply personal and goes back to his childhood in Flora, Mississippi. On a recent visit to The MAX, he reflected on how Mississippi’s landscapes, folktales, and complex history are embedded throughout his work and what it is about Mississippi that shapes his work. “We were so poor, all I had to play with was my imagination,” Jennings shared about how Mississippi’s haunted past shapes the new worlds he creates. “You can’t separate my work from Mississippi,” he added. “It’s in every ghost, and every future I imagine.” Imagining futures is the central theme of this experience. Build Your World introduces guests at The MAX to three projects that highlight Jennings’s unique ability to blend speculative fiction with Southern Gothic sensibilities. Award-Winning Artist John Jennings Transforms Mississippi Memory Into Liberated Futures
18 PLACE Blue Hand Mojo is a gritty, hoodoo noir comic inspired by the Robert Johnson tale. Here, visitors experience what it’s like to collaborate with a small team and an independent publisher. Vividly colored, hand-drawn original pages show Mississippi in Jennings’s work, and how that culture transferred to Chicago. One of Jennings’s most significant recent projects is Silver Surfer: Ghost Light for Marvel Comics. Here, Jennings resurrects Al B. Harper, a forgotten Black Marvel character, transforming him into a cosmic entity. Through Ghost Light, guests learn more about the process of collaborating with a large team and a multibillion-dollar company. Using stunning visual artwork and narrative innovation, Jennings proves that superhero comics can be vehicles for exploring memory and culture. For Jennings, an authority on Afrofuturism whose work is currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the practice isn’t just about imagining distant galaxies. He uses the language of comics and speculative fiction to build layered worlds that challenge historical erasure, reframe trauma, and imagine radical futures. He said, “It’s about recognizing that Black Southern communities have always been building worlds, creating futures, and telling stories that transcend limitations.” In Kenny Dreadful and the Hainted Hoodie, visitors experience a new work in progress. This coming-of-age story follows a boy whose magical hoodie is powered by ancestral spirits, blending horror, folklore, and the everyday challenges of growing up Black in the South. In this solo project, Jennings has complete control over every aspect of this story, masterfully manipulating the medium. Build Your World introduces audiences to the process of world-building as a form of liberation. Throughout the exhibition, visitors will see Jennings’s creative process unfold: Preliminary sketches, character designs, and finished artwork all combine to demonstrate his skill in multiple mediums. Silver Surfer: Ghost Light copyright Marvel Comics Kenny Dreadful and the Hainted Hoodie sketch Blue Hand Mojo copyright Rosarium Publishing
19 2026 SPRING/SUMMER Guests are prompted to consider, what worlds are we building? Whose stories are we carrying forward? How might we imagine liberated futures as bold and beautiful as the ones Jennings creates on the page? An Artist Returns Home Last fall, Jennings made a site visit to plan the exhibition. During his time home, he met with fans and potential partners to discuss his work and opportunities to connect with Build Your World. His first stop, near Glendora, was Graball Landing, believed to be where Emmett Till’s body was brought from the Little Tallahatchie River. Jennings is collaborating with writer Christopher Benson and illustrator Eric Battle to publish a graphic novel about Till, whose lynching in 1955 at age 14 became a Civil Rights Movement milestone. After a stop at Dockery Plantation— home to Charley Patton, Robert Johnson, Howlin’ Wolf, “Pops” Staples, and David “Honeyboy” Edwards—Jennings went to the infamous crossroads. The blues infuses Jennings’s work; he talked about how spending time at a juke joint on family land “too young” taught him a lot about the world. These narratives could only come from someone who knows the weight and wonder of Southern storytelling traditions—and isn’t afraid to push them into new, speculative territory. More than a comic book artist, Jennings is a true multi-hyphenate. He is a professor, author, graphic novelist, curator, editor, and publisher who specializes in the visual culture of science fiction, hip-hop, Afrofuturism, and horror. While in the Delta, Jennings offered workshops for more than 60 students, artists, and community members at Griot Arts, Clarksdale Collegiate, and Coahoma Community College that provided a connection between him, his work, them, and the place we call home. After graduating from Jackson State University, Jennings completed an MA in Art Education and an MFA in Graphic Design at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign before returning to Mississippi to teach at “You can’t separate my work from Mississippi. It’s in every ghost and every future I imagine.” —John Jennings The Crossroads Clarksdale, MS
20 PLACE Jackson State. There, he built the graphic design program, which is still thriving today, while curating shows such as Super South: The Visual Frequencies of John Jennings, which Jackson State recently remounted. Jennings is currently Professor of Media and Cultural Studies at the University of California at Riverside. He is the co-founder and organizer of the Schomburg Center’s Black Comic Book Festival in Harlem, the NorcalMLK Foundation’s Black & Brown Comix Arts Festival in San Francisco, and SÕL-CON: The Brown and Black Comix Expo at The Ohio State University. As the Director of Megascope, an imprint of Abrams ComicArts, he publishes graphic novels focused on the experiences of people of color. Following the success of the graphic novel co-adaptation of Octavia E. Butler’s novel Kindred, which reached number one on the New York Times bestseller list, Jennings has collaboratively adapted Butler’s Parable of the Talents and Parable of the Sower—which won the Hugo Award. In 2015, he co-edited the Eisner Award-winning collection The Blacker the Ink: Constructions of Black Identity in Comics and Sequential Art. Later this year, Simon & Schuster and Marvel will release his latest book, My Super Hero Is Black, a compendium of Black creators and characters in Marvel Comics history. Exhibition Opens June 20, 2026 Preview: Friday, June 19, 6 pm-9 pm at Juneteenth Heritage Festival’s Black Business Expo John Jennings: Build Your World introduces viewers to an award-winning graphic novelist, inviting them to step inside his universes and examine the contexts, storytelling tools, and cultural references of his “worlds beyond the veil.” • For sponsorship opportunities and marketing, contact jeremy@msarts.org • To join “the Builders” and help us plan community-driven programs and marketing, please contact christina@msarts.org • To volunteer or plan a group trip during Build Your World, reach out to stanley@msarts.org Marvel’s Behind the Mask, 2021
21 2026 SPRING/SUMMER EVENTS FEB. 26 Meridian Rising with Paul Burch 6 pm-7:30 pm Join us for a book reading and live performance by Paul Burch, in conversation with the host of MPB’s Highway 61, Scott Barretta, exploring Burch’s imagined memoir of Jimmie Rodgers. FEB. 28 A Conversation with Melanie Person 10 am-11 am Co-Director of The Ailey School Melanie Person talks with David Keary (Ballet Mississippi) and Rebekah Pleasant-Patterson (Griot Arts Inc.) about turning Mississippi roots into a career, resilience, and mentorship. See website for info on master classes and auditions. MAR. 7 First Saturday at The MAX 9 am-5 pm, free admission 11 am-1 pm, art activities upstairs MAR. 17 MCC Takes Over The MAX 5 pm-8 pm Experience the best of MCC’s art and music programs with student and faculty performances and demonstrations throughout our space. Don’t forget to wear your green! MAR. 19 Closing Day of Cecelia Moseley: Remnants of Language 9 am-5 pm Last chance to experience the exhibition. MAR. 20 Terrence Davis: Juke Joint Blues Album Launch 6 pm-7 pm Be among the first to hear Terrence Davis, recording artist and former hype man for MC Hammer, perform live music from his new album, recorded in the Governor’s Recording Studio at The MAX. MAR. 21 Now Showing: Jim Henson: Idea Man 10 am-noon Dive into the mind of a visionary with a special screening of this acclaimed documentary. Puppet Making Workshop with Jordan West 1 pm-4 pm Design and build your own puppet with Mississippi artist Jordan West in this workshop, then try your hand at a performance in our puppet theater. Limited spots available. Registration required. APR. 4 Earth’s Bounty 8 am-noon, farmers market 9 am-5 pm, free admission 11 am-1 pm, art activities upstairs
22 PLACE APR. 11 Sipp & Savor 6 pm-9 pm Got your tickets? MICHELIN-recognized Chef Alon Shaya will headline our annual food and drink experience. APR. 23 MPSD Festival of the Arts 5 pm-8 pm Celebrate the talents and creativity of Meridian Public School District students at their Festival of the Arts, featuring performances and art displays throughout our space. MAY 2 Earth’s Bounty 8 am-noon, farmers market 9 am-5 pm, free admission 11 am-1 pm, art activities upstairs Hear MPB’s The Gestalt Gardener, Felder Rushing, talk plants and community. MAY 7 Jimmie Rodgers Music Festival Bluegrass Night America’s longest-running music festival kicks off with a free performance featuring bluegrass legends The Grascals, Southern Legacy, and Becky Buller & Ned Luberecki. MAY 9 + JUNE 13 Comic Commons 10 am-1 pm Join our monthly open-door gathering for anyone who loves comics—from casual readers to seasoned artists and writers. Bring your ideas or projects to this supportive studio space to find inspiration, connect, and create. MAY 21 Downtown Art Crawl 5 pm-8 pm Don’t forget to stop by The MAX while you explore downtown Meridian’s art scene for fun experiences in our studios and a store discount. JUNE 6 Earth’s Bounty 8 am-noon, farmers market 9 am-5 pm, free admission 11 am-1 pm, art activities upstairs JUNE 19 John Jennings: Build Your World Preview 6 pm-9 pm Be the first to view our new exhibition at the Juneteenth Heritage Festival’s Black Business Expo, presented by the City of Meridian. JUNE 20 Opening Day of John Jennings: Build Your World 9 am-5 pm Meet the artist and engage in handson activities on opening day. JULY 4 America 250 Celebration Special hours: 8 am – 3 pm Live music by Rising Stars Fife and Drum Band, plus Earth’s Bounty at The MAX. We’re constantly adding new events. For the latest info and to register, visit msarts.org/events. FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS
23 2026 SPRING/SUMMER DONOR RECOGNITION Sandra + William Arlinghaus Marian + Claiborne Barksdale Lallie + Wesley Bennett Marsha + Eldean Boyken Rainey + John Breaux Jr. Shawn + David Brevard Dollie Carter Lou + Clayton Cobler Susan + Robert Coffin III Kerry + Jeffrey Cook Crow’s Nest Properties Holley + Michael Davis Mary Clare + Daniel Evans Donna + Anthony Fouts Shannon Crowe + Courtland Gray Sally + Lloyd Gray Judy + Bill Hammack Chellie + Checky Herrington Alice James Dianne + Larry Johnson Lucy + Maurice Kahlmus Robert Kennedy Dixie + Ken LaBruyere Lou Ann + Alan Lamar Leading Edges of Mississippi Lee + Robert Loeb Frances + Sam Long Angela + David Majure Shelley + Evan McDonald Karen + Lee Meyer Margaret + Stacy Nicholson Rhonda + Edward Poole B.J. + David Ray Elizabeth Rice Nancy + Harry Robinson Mary + Don Rogers Patricia Sandusky Carolyn Smith Kathy + Kyle Temple Elizabeth Frohse + Thomas Tischer Peg Wahrendorff Cindy + Coleman Warner Sue + George Warner Alatha + Duffee Williams Stu Yarbrough Corliss Atterberry Katie + Douglas Coleman Monica + Hardy Graham Julie + Bruce Martin Lawrence Primeaux Waters International Trucks, Inc. 1st Mississippi Federal Credit Union Atlas Roofing Corporation Beth Clay Sheryl + Jay Davidson Duff Capital Investors Magnolia Beverage Company Mississippi Power Melanie + Manny Mitchell Gina + Randy Sharman Southern Pipe & Supply Anna + Daniel Wile Helen Abraham Ann Alexander Melanie + Ric Alexander Linda + Tim Allred Christine + Bill Barham Sharon + Bob Barham Brenda Blalock Susie Valentour Broadhead Castle Jamie + Bob Cater Anne + Duncan Chalk Donna + Greg Creel Linda + Marty Davidson Lindy Deen Thomas Dobbins Ouida + Wayne Drinkwater Rebecca Combs-Dulaney + Tommy Dulaney EMBDC Freddie’s Fine Spirits Cathy + Maurice Hall Rose + Scott Hudson Judy + Condon Hughes Insurance Advisory Group Kemp Associates, LLC Gina + Buddy Laughlin Lisa + Larry Love Bob Luke Jean + David Makey Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music Vicky McDonnell Dana + Phillip McLain Kelly + Scott McQuaig Meridian Airport Authority Helen + Wade Sims Thomas Singley Elyse + Jim Thompson Helen + Lee Valentine Visit Meridian Sissie + Fred Wile Terry Winstead Karie + Brad Woodall CORPORATE CIRCLE BENEFACTOR CIRCLE GRAND PATRON PERFORMER CIRCLE as of Feburary 3, 2025
2155 Front Street Meridian, MS 39301 Saturday, April 11 5 pm Premium Passholders 6 pm General Admission Experience the culinary tradition of the South at the annual fundraiser for The MAX. Sip on cold beers, fine wines, and craft cocktails while you savor irresistible bites by the South’s top chefs, featuring MICHELIN-recognized Chef Alon Shaya. For more information and tickets: sippandsavor.com
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