The Bologna Performing Arts Center (BPAC) at Delta State University has been awarded a $4,300 project grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC). This grant is a portion of the $1.3 million in grants that MAC will award in 2020-21 and will be used to contract teaching artists at the Janice Wyatt Mississippi Summer Arts Institute (MSAI) next summer. The grants are made possible by continued funding from the Mississippi State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.
“At a time when the arts community is still very much reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are truly delighted to be able to provide grant funding to worthy organizations across the state,” said Malcolm White, executive director of MAC. “We applaud and are proud to support the efforts these organizations have made to keep the arts alive in their communities.”
The BPAC’s arts education office hosts a series of MSAI camps each summer on the campus of DSU, serving upwards of 200 students from the Mississippi Delta and multiple other southeastern states. Scholarships are provided to approximately 30% of older students for residential programs, which offer immersive fine and performing arts courses led by professional artists from across the nation.
After suspending operations for two summer programs and moving PLUS camp online to a virtual platform for summer 2020, BPAC arts education director Cade Holder is excited about upcoming opportunities to get young artists back in the classroom: “The MAC project grants are an amazing financial boost for our CORE Arts Camp at MSAI. Even though we weren’t able to meet this summer with all of our campers, plans are in place for 2021 that will make our time back on the stage and in the studio even more special.”
Ethan Morales works on his PLUS Camp project at home.
The Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, serves the residents of the state by providing grants that support programs to enhance communities; assist artists and arts organizations; promote the arts in education; and celebrate Mississippi’s cultural heritage.
Established in 1968, the Mississippi Arts Commission is funded by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mississippi Endowment for the Arts at the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson, and other private sources. The agency serves as an active supporter and promoter of arts in community life and in arts education.
