Mississippi has consistently placed among the poorest states in the nation. This is compounded as homegrown talent leaves the state due to a perceived lack of economic opportunity. Arts and culture present an attainable chance to reverse this trend. According to the newest Americans for the Arts economic impact study, Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6), the nonprofit arts and culture sector represents a $151.7 billion industry that provides 2.6 million jobs nationwide.
When put in focus, we can understand the transformative power the arts have as a catalyst for strengthening our communities in Mississippi. For the Gulf Coast, the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Arts Center in Ocean Springs has fostered regional growth through an interdisciplinary set of programs and a space for the arts. The center includes a theater for live performances, meetings, and open public rooms for art galleries and workshops.
Ocean Springs has embraced the center by implementing a culture and arts sector as an official department. This integration allows the cultural center to work directly with the resources of the other departments, such as public works, city officials, and economic development. Under the leadership of the Arts and Culture Coordinator for the past three years, Sarah Qalqish has seen the center grow to have 50 partners and 30 local creatives that put on events and programs for the city.
“With every partnership, whether they’re teaching a class or doing something great like putting on a festival every year, there’s some sort of trade in it that is not always about, thankfully, the building profiting. It’s about the community profiting,” states Qalqish.
Community is the driving force of the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Arts Center. The arts center’s collaboration with the town’s leadership establishes a direct connection with the public.
“It’s this whole connect the dot thing. When you see an opportunity, and it’s the right time when there’s not a bigger issue in the way of it, you can find moments to guide that point. That is happening on so many levels on different topics,” added Qalqish.
To stimulate a similar impact for the north Mississippi region, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council received a leadership grant to create a community center, the Humanities Hub. This initiative aims to remove significant barriers of entry for artists, such as high rental rates for studios present in Oxford, limited access to equipment, and the need for high-speed internet. As a result, artists of all varieties can cultivate their ideas, make connections throughout the region, and build a network.
“We have explored other communities who have launched successful projects that reimagined spaces as both cultural centers and magnets for community development,” shared Wayne Andrews, Director of the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council in Oxford. “We have seen how creating a network of support draws creative-based businesses from artists to tech companies to communities. The Humanities Hub will provide that for North Mississippi.”
The Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6) study reveals the impact the arts and culture sector already has on the state, representing a $2.3 billion industry that yields 23,117 jobs. Specifically in Lafayette County, the arts generate $2.7 million in economic activity annually and $6.9 million in related spending, serving as a vital Chambers of Commerce for creatives.
This study serves as a reminder that the arts play a vital role in providing a better future for opportunity and creativity to thrive.
About Yoknapatawpha Arts Council
Since 1975, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council has been dedicated to providing a diverse offering of artistic and cultural opportunities for the Northeastern Mississippi region. Each year, staff and volunteers work earnestly to produce 300 days of activities including artist exhibits, live theater productions, films, and classes. The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council secured a leadership grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to develop the Humanities Hub.
The Humanities Hub will offer an accessible space for artists’ studios, community education, and classrooms. This provides an opportunity for artists of all types to create and connect with other creatives. It will also aid the Arts Incubator program which serves as an idea accelerator applying business start-up principles to provide support for creative-based projects. Learn more at https://oxfordarts.com/.
About Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Arts Center
Renovated in 1999, the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Arts Center serves as a creative hub for the public arts community in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. The center hosts events for the public as well as providing accessible areas for creatives. The building is fitted with workshop spaces, local art galleries, the Ocean Springs History Museum and the Trent Lott Performing Arts Theatre that accommodates live performances and town meetings. Learn more at https://www.themaryc.art/.
