​Each year, the Mississippi Arts Commission and Mississippi Development Authority offer grants that strengthen our state's arts and culture economy. MAC provides critical general operating funds, while MDA provides Visit Mississippi grants to promote tourism-oriented events like Cotton District Arts Festival and Forks & Corks. Thank you for support of these two agencies. In addition, critical state and federal stimulus funds in 2020 helped keep the lights on. As a steward of charitable resources invested in our communities, I'm writing on behalf of SAAC to share highlights and input with hopes that it helps your work.

Here is a snapshot of how funds, given to SAAC, impacted Oktibbeha County. One-third of our community lives in poverty, which means access is vital. Although falling under various programs, collectively in 2020, we:

• Awarded more than $5,000 in microgrants to artists for free online content and street performances.
• Provided $10,000 in free supplies and books to youth and families.
• Provided a free CEU for teachers with Arts For All and Columbus Arts Council.
• Collaborated with Mississippi Presenter's Network and YAC (Oxford) to offer free virtual business workshops for creatives (statewide).
• Hosted three virtual art exhibits.
• Created public art, providing activities for volunteers and drawing attention to our creative assets.

Arts education is a core competency that builds creative, well-rounded problem solvers, regardless of future career. Art also means business: it generates economic growth and makes Mississippi a great place to visit.... and stay. The Mississippi economy suffers and we lose creative capital when folks spend their money elsewhere... or move.

Although financial support is tremendous, other issues must be addressed in order to sustain and secure the future of our state cultural assets. Three of these are briefly outlined below, which we hope helps you in your work.

1. We face a striking inconsistency in quality of services provided from professional vendors across the state. This includes accounting, banking, bookkeeping, insurance, legal, and more. As local arts organizations begin to work with each other, we find that this disparity exists even among our larger state-wide vendors. The lack of consistent quality professional services impedes our ability to be of service to the community. It does not serve our community well, when we are forced to consider vendors outside of Mississippi. Nonprofit does not and should not mean "any level of service is sufficient." Please help us demand better.
2. Although Mississippi is diverse and rich in culture, this is inadequately reflected in boards of cultural institutions. Diversity is, in itself, an asset: it holds organizations accountable to all of the wonderful communities across our state and best ensures that programming meets real needs of those different communities. We want MAC to set an example and lead Mississippi as a state cognizant of and responsive to her people.
   
3. We want outside funders to have a stronger relationship with Mississippi so that it understands and responds to our needs. This would avoid situations, for example, when SouthArts initially excluded Mississippi from its Emerging Leaders of Color program (a program intended to create access and build leaders). Fortunately, SouthArts changed course and Mississippi was represented, and we are grateful. This example, however, reflects a noticeable pattern where external funders miss opportunities to build meaningful relationships in our state. Mississippi often knows what it needs, and we want external funders to actively listen. Mississippi should never be anyone's token philanthropy or investment project.

Thank you for your service and support of the arts, the Mississippi Arts Commission, Mississippi Development Authority, and other cultural programs across the state.


#artsadvocacy #supportMSarts #artsfunding ​

Arts education has tremendous impact: as a core competency skill, it builds creative, well-rounded
problem solvers. The arts as an industry promotes economic growth by sustaining Mississippi’s
tremendous, diverse cultural heritage, while also making Mississippi a great place to live. Without a
vibrant arts and culture, Mississippi risks losing both people and economic impact when those folks
spend their money elsewhere.

This is why the Starkville Area Arts Council (SAAC) is extremely grateful for funding it receives from
taxpayer sources, including the Mississippi Arts Commission and the Mississippi Development
Authority. The support of these agencies through legislative and policy efforts does not go unnoticed.
Thank you.

The Mississippi Arts Commission provides critical operating funds that support our Art Education and
Outreach Initiatives. One-third of Oktibbeha County lives in poverty, which means access to
educational resources becomes vital. Here are a few selected initiatives supported by MAC funding:

1. Art Partners: SAAC places a Teaching Artist in 4 after-school programs to provide hands-one extracurricular art classes that foster creativity and confidence. Each location serves a different population in Oktibbeha County, many of whom are at-risk and/or living in severe poverty. Now serving 60+ youth each semester, this program creates educational access and is ready for expansion into literary arts (reading, writing and storytelling).
2. Summer Scholarships: SAAC offers merit and need-based scholarships for youth ages 11 to 18 for extracurricular summer art enrichment. Almost $6,000 was awarded in summer 2018 and almost $8,000 in summer 2019. Demand for these unique scholarships increases every year, indicating the profound impact that summer educational experiences have.
3. Art in the Park: SAAC offers a free annual event that provides hands-on learning experiences for children and families to a wide range of arts. The event provides creative exploration and new experiences to 150-400 youth every fall.
4. Other programs: SAAC endeavors to reach across a wide cross section of the community and will sometimes support other arts organizations or public works of art through grants. From 2018-2019, SAAC awarded almost $15,000 in Community and Art Education Grants that funded multiple art projects, teachers, and organizations, impacting the lives and education of hundreds of residents.

The Mississippi Development Authority supports tourism in several ways, including Visit Mississippi grants to promote arts-tourism events like Cotton District Arts Festival and Forks & Corks. CDAF is a free public event that offers music, local food, and booths for artists to sell their work. In April 2018, CDAF (on Super Bulldog Weekend) drew an estimated 50,000 people. The Festival generated gross sales of $197,207 and sales tax revenue of $14,178. The total estimated financial impact in GTR (hotels, restaurants, and other shopping) is $3 million. Funding that defrays advertising expenses is critical support that helps SAAC keep costs low while promoting Mississippi.

What would happen if the arts went dark? What would happen if our choirs stopped singing, our bands stopped playing, our painters stopped painting, dancers stopped dancing, craftsmen stopped making.... what would happen if our state, our cities, and our communities offered nothing for people to do after work? 

It's simple: they would leave. A steady drain of talent, energy, and human resources would eviscerate our economy. We saw this happen once, when Mississippi's $100 million film industry evaporated within three years after provisions of the film incentive changed. We can't afford those losses again: thank you for last year's efforts to reinstate those provisions, and thank you for working to keep talent here. As long as the arts remain alive and strong in Mississippi, so does Mississippi. 

​Thank you for your service and support of the arts, the Mississippi Arts Commission, Mississippi Development Authority, and other programs across the state.