Mississippi
$4M grant boosts arts facilities in Mississippi communities
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) awarded $4 million to 17 organizations across the state through the Building Fund for the Arts (BFA) grant.
The funding will help support the repair, renovation, expansion, or construction of Mississippi facilities that serve as sites for year-round arts programming in their communities.
“MAC and our grantees are grateful to the Mississippi Legislature for prioritizing funding for the Building Fund for the Arts grant each year,” said David Lewis, executive director of the mac. “Mississippi communities continue to demonstrate a strong need for this type of support, while maintaining the ability to execute projects at a high level and with high impact. We are excited to see these grant dollars put to good use through the investment in Mississippi’s creative communities.”
MAC has awarded the following arts organizations funding through the BFA grant:
- University of Mississippi Research Foundation (Lafayette) – awarded $500,000 to construct a writer’s studio at Greenfield Farm Writers Residency.
- Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, Inc. (Lafayette) – awarded $500,000 to construct the Humanities Hub.
- Foundation for Mississippi History (Hinds) – awarded $500,000 to support phase one construction of Crigler Park.
- Arts Foundation of Kosciusko (Attala) – awarded $415,530 to complete the final phase of renovations to the L.V. Hull Legacy Center.
- Hattiesburg Tourism Commission dba Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art (Forrest) – awarded $400,000 to make ADA upgrades and renovate a flexible arts program space in the Hattiesburg Welcome Center.
- Kosciusko Foundation for Excellence in Education (Attala) – awarded $324,000 to rebuild accessible restrooms in the Skipworth Performing Arts Center.
- Walter Anderson Museum of Art (Jackson) – awarded $300,000 to support the Walter Anderson Mural Preservation Project.
- Byhalia Area Arts Council (Marshall) – awarded $270,000 to install a sound system, renovate restrooms, and restore classrooms in the Byhalia Old School Commons.
- Harrisburg Cultural and Social Services Center Inc., dba Link Centre (Lee) – awarded $225,000 to repair and preserve the Concert Hall.
- Cleveland Music Foundation dba GRAMMY Museum Mississippi (Bolivar) –awarded $172,313 to upgrade interactive technology and replace tiles on the front porch.
- Northwest Mississippi Community College Foundation (Tate) – awarded $150,000 to update sound and lighting systems for the Fine Arts Auditorium and the Black Box Theatre.
- Center Stage, Inc. (Harrison) – awarded $82,327 to replace the roof and correct the tech booth stairs.
- Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain (Harrison) – awarded $60,000 to replace electrical systems, make sustainability improvements, and improve accessibility at the Twelve Oaks Property.
- Brookhaven Little Theatre (Lincoln) – awarded $48,000 to continue renovations to the auditorium, sound system, and roof.
- Friends of Lexington Preservation, Inc. (Holmes) – awarded $48,000 to continue the restoration of the historic Lundy House.
- ArtPlace Mississippi (Leflore) – awarded $25,650 to repair bathrooms in the ArtPlace facility and the Elforts Building.
- The Arts Hancock County (Hancock) was awarded $25,080 to improve the functionality of the facility.
Those awarded the grant this year will have two years to complete their projects.
KEY WEST, Fla. (WLBT) – A Mississippi woman is dead after a snorkeling accident Tuesday, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office in the Florida Keys.
At approximately 1:30 p.m. May 26, 63-year-old Lecia Elizabeth Spriggs of Madison, Mississippi, was snorkeling near Mule Key off Key West with a commercial company when she was found unresponsive in the water.
CPR began immediately and the U.S. Coast Guard brought Spriggs ashore, officials said.
Spriggs was taken to the Lower Keys Medical Center on Stock Island, where she was pronounced deceased.
Officials said autopsy results are pending but foul play is not suspected to be a factor in this incident.
No further information has been released at this time.
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Jim Stewart Allen, also known as Broccoli Guy, is still trying to wrap his head around the last two weeks.
What started as a short trip from his home state of Washington to support Oregon in the Eugene Regional of the NCAA softball Tournament has turned into a trip to the Women’s College World Series as Mississippi State softball’s unofficial mascot.
“I’ve dreamed about going to a softball World Series,” Allen told the Clarion Ledger. “I didn’t know when it was going to happen. And so, to be able to finally go is one thing, but to be able to go with such a meaningful connection with one of the teams, with Mississippi State, it just means the world to me.”
Allen plans to be in Oklahoma City for every step of the Bulldogs’ WCWS journey, beginning with their opening game against No. 11 seed Texas Tech (57-7) on May 28 (11 a.m. CT, ESPN) at Devon Park. It will be the first WCWS game in MSU (43-19) program history.
Broccoli Guy surprised Mississippi State at super regionals
Allen has brought broccoli to games for nearly every Seattle professional sports team. It’s about more than just being a fun way to support the teams. It’s also about maintaining a fun environment and encouraging unity.
After watching Mississippi State use broccoli as a rally prop in its regional final win, Allen knew he had to travel to Oklahoma for super regionals. He surprised the Bulldogs in Norman and saw them hand Oklahoma its first super regional loss since 2015.
“It was very exciting,” Allen said of watching Game 1, which Mississippi State won 11-9. “It was just very clear during that whole game that Mississippi State came to play. They had the energy and they had the hunger.”
All weekend, Allen got to see firsthand how much his presence was appreciated by supporting and opposing fans alike.
“The environment was incredible,” Allen said. “I was nervous about how I would be received by Oklahoma fans. … I didn’t really know what to expect, but I got so much love from Oklahoma fans.”
Anytime they needed a boost, the Bulldogs held broccoli in the dugout for good luck. After losing Game 2, MSU leaned on broccoli to power past the Sooners in Game 3, posting pregame pictures and videos highlighting the vegetable.
Allen didn’t need to see the overflow of broccoli content to know that MSU had what it took.
“I woke up that morning on Sunday thinking, ‘I’m going to have to stay here probably because they’re going to win this game,’” Allen said. “… And then I saw pictures on Instagram of … someone holding a bag of broccoli on the bus and I went, ‘Yeah, I’m staying in Oklahoma.’”
What Mississippi State softball means to Broccoli Guy
As the Bulldogs secured the final out in Game 3, the ESPN broadcast showed Allen in the stands with tears in his eyes.
He joked that this was a result of the exhaustion of dancing in the hot sun and his tired acceptance of a trip to the WCWS. In reality, it was an outpouring of joy for the team he’d come to love.
“That’s just been two weeks of following this team at a pretty intense level, game by game, seeing them work” Allen said. “… I think right after that, the team ran over to me, and we had our own moment, which is so, so humbling.”
For as much as Allen enjoys watching the Bulldogs play, the players enjoy having him in the stands. Infielder Nadia Barbary said seeing him dancing during the games helps them remember to have fun and stay loose in tough moments.
This relaxed style of play is what helped them get past Oklahoma. The Bulldogs even thanked Allen for his contributions by letting him hold their super regional trophy.
“It’s just been great,” pitcher Alyssa Faircloth said. “He’s such a sweet guy, so just the fact that we can bring him along and celebrate him with our broccoli in our dugout and just make him feel a little bit special has been great.”
The wider MSU community has also embraced Allen. Leila Ammon’s dad, Charles, started a GoFundMe to help cover Allen’s WCWS travel expenses. It had received $4,165 in donations as of May 26.
Unsurprisingly, Allen believes the Bulldogs have a good shot to win the title, noting it would be a fantastic finish to his and their journey.
“For them to even get this far is just incredible,” Allen said. “… Mississippi State is representing what it means to be a hungry, energetic softball underdog and they’re doing it so well. … Anything they do, I’m going to be super proud of, and I’m not surprised if they win it all.”
Tia Reid covers Jackson State sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email her at treid@usatodayco.com and follow her on X @tiareid65.
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