CREATIVE ECONOMY

According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the arts industry contributes more than $763.6 billion to the American economy each year, that's more than agriculture, transportation, or warehousing. How? Consider the ripple effect of even a simple trip to the movies, hear a band, or head to the theatre: do you hire a babysitter? grab a bite to eat? gas up on the way? Give people something to do, and they will stay, live, work, retire here. Not convinced? Just ask a real estate agent the questions they field from clients looking to move to our community.
  • Art in Public Places (exhibit series)
  • Business Skills Workshops (teaching artists to treat their art like a business)
  • Cotton District Arts Festival 
​SAAC budgets for these individually and relies heavily on sponsorships in order to host and produce these events. 

​ART IN PUBLIC PLACES
is our Exhibit Series. Artists are provided public space to sell their work. SAAC hosts a reception and publicity for each event, handles the collecting and reporting of sales taxes, and takes a substantially reduced commission of 20%. These 6-7 shows each year exhibit a wide-range of talent and media, including a number of award-winning Southern artists. ​

Our Submittable Page includes open calls for group shows as well as opportunities to submit your work for a potential solo show. Take a look! ​

General Rules

Unless otherwise posted in the call, these guidelines apply to all open submissions. Requirements for solo shows may vary.

Artists in the Golden Triangle Region may submit up to 3 pieces for consideration. Each submission must include JPG files of each work and labeled with Artist Name, Title, Medium, Dimensions, Price. If accepted, works must be gallery ready at the time of drop-off. This means 2D works must be framed or otherwise professionally displayed with a wire hanging system on the back. No sawtooth hangers may be used. Given that space is limited, extremely large works are discouraged. With rare exception, works are listed for sale.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

On Display Now

Winter Showcase 2020 (December 1, 2020)
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Free Bird of Fall, Hope Clark
SAAC is excited to announce our next AiPP exhibit, our annual Winter Showcase.  ​This show will be a HYBRID show: works will be on display in the lobby of the Greater Starkville Development Partnership as well as online on our website. This show will be on display in the Partnership until February 1, 2021.

Please remember when visiting the Partnership: masks are required and social distancing must be practiced.

Up Next

Betty Jane Chatham Retrospective Show (February 1, 2021)
The next AiPP exhibit features works from Betty Jane Chatham. This Retrospective Show will run from February 1, 2021, until April 5, 2021. Stay tuned for more information!
AiPP Schedule 2021-2022
​
April 5 - May 3: Group Show (TBD)
May 3 - July 5: Gary Walters Solo Show
July 5 - Sept 13: Group Show (TBD)
Sept 13 - Nov 1: Solo Show (TBD)
Nov 1- Jan 10, 2022: Winter Showcase 2021
Jan 10, 2022 - March 7, 2022: ​Solo Show (TBD)

Past Exhibitions

BUSINESS SKILLS WORKSHOPS

offers real-world, practical advice on treating art like a business. The goal? Show artists how to think like a business so they can sell their work. 

In Summer 2020, this workshop series was revamped in collaboration with Yoknapatawpha Arts Council (Oxford) to form the $kills for the Creative Economy Partnership. Under this partnership, SAAC and YAC host monthly workshop series that are open to any Mississippi creatives. Workshops cover various topics including sales taxes, the festival circuit, social media, licensing, and more. As of September 2020, the Series is currently scheduled for the second Tuesday of each month, other than December and July.

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The Next Workshop...

Facebook Marketing Basics for Creatives with Kathy Jacobs

Join us via Zoom for a 1 hr FREE VIRTUAL workshop with Kathy Jacobs of Kathy Jacobs Design & Marketing. This workshop titled "Facebook Marketing Basics for Creatives" will teach you what you need to know to use social media to promote your arts business, and more! Reserve your ticket now, (only 25 available)! 

Upcoming Workshops

March 2021: Licenses (Mini-Conference) (YAC)
April 2021: Creative Economy: First Steps in Starting a Business (YAC)
May 2021: Taxes (SAAC)
June 2021: Lessons Learned in Publishing: A Panel (SAAC)

Past Workshops

COTTON DISTRICT ARTS FESTIVAL

The Cotton District Arts Festival showcases the best talent in arts, music, food, and more, from across the Southeast. Featuring a variety of artists, musicians and otherwise, CDAF has been consistently named Best Fair/Festival by Mississippi Magazine. Vendors and patrons alike flood the streets of Starkville in events such as the Pet Parade, the Juried Art Competition, Student Art Competition, and many more.

Although disrupted by COVID-19, this year’s festival created a new partnership with MSU and Humphrey Coliseum for a condensed, inclement-weather alternative. The fact that CDAF uncoupled from Super Bulldog Weekend in April 2020 (due to the Easter Weekend scheduling) created a rare opportunity to use an unoccupied Hump. This would have required eliminating pieces of the festival, but reflected a testament to the community-oriented nature and support of CDAF. We are truly grateful for the relationship with The Hump.
Are you excited for #CDAF2021?
​
Head over to the festival website for the latest updates!
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#CDAF2020 Poster Design

PUBLIC ART

creates a sense of place and brings together a community in ways other programs can’t, from neighborhood improvement to a clear, identifiable draw in tourism. SAAC continues to collaborate with the MSU Department of Art and other partners to help emphasize the arts here in Starkville.

SUNDAY FUNDAY

This grassroots community event, created by artists, is a former SAAC grantee. SAAC now serves as *“fiscal sponsor”: Sunday Funday controls its program and SAAC provides financial oversight, which, in turn, gives donors a potential charitable deduction.  

If you're interested in donating to support Sunday Funday! then click on the button below.:
*What is a "fiscal sponsor"? Quite simply, it's a legal relationship between an established charity and a project (or an individual) where the charity provides financial or legal oversight in exchange for a fee. That's it! The sponsored project remains fairly autonomous, and most donors benefit from the tax-exempt status of the charity.  At a minimum, both the sponsor and the project must have similar missions (as written and documented, not over beers at happy hour). If you are interested in learning more about SAAC's fiscal sponsorship of Sunday Funday!, then please contact the SAAC offices at 662.324.3080. Be sure to ask your financial advisor about whether your donation is tax deductible - we can't give you that advice!
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Our newsletter
Keep up with area arts news and events with our semi-monthly newsletter.
We need you - whether or not you're an artist! Our biggest 2 events (Art in the Park and Cotton District Arts Festival) require dozens of helping hands, so jump right in!
101 South Lafayette Street, Suite 18
Starkville, Mississippi 39759
arts@starkvillearts.org
director@starkvillearts.org
662.324.3080
©2020 Starkville Area Arts Council. All Rights Reserved.
​#starkvillearts #starkvilleartscouncil #starkvilleareaartscouncil
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: SAAC is an equal opportunity organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, operation of programs, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for the public, all members of our staff, volunteers, vendors, and artist communities.