The Mississippi Arts Commission is pleased to announce Walter Anderson Museum of Art, in partnership with Moss Point Main Street, and Heritage Guild of Vicksburg Warren County, in partnership with Vicksburg Main Street, as the two recipients of the new Mississippi Public Art in Community Grant.
MAC partnered with the Levitt Foundation, The Maddox Foundation, Visit Mississippi, Mississippi Main Street Association, Fred Carl Jr. Small Town Center, and the Mississippi Humanities Council to create the new Mississippi Public Art in Community Grant, which supports community engagement in the design, installation, and activation of accessible public art.
“Placemaking and public art bring life back to places that often need a creative spark to propel them forward,” said David Lewis, Executive Director of the Mississippi Arts Commission. “The goal of this grant is to catalyze resources to create public art that visibly and vibrantly represents our communities. MAC was uniquely poised to collaborate with multiple industries such as tourism, main street, arts, and culture. We saw an opportunity with the leadership of these statewide institutions to work on something to truly transform our beloved Mississippi communities in a way only Mississippi can do best.”
The Walter Anderson Museum of Art, in partnership with Moss Point Main Street, will install a fifteen-foot-tall sculpture in Riverfront Park in Moss Point. The installation will serve as a visible anchor for the riverfront, framing the natural backdrop while symbolizing the city’s commitment to quality of life. The sculpture will serve as a gathering point for a three-year Levitt Music Series. In addition, the community will use the space as a backdrop for civic and cultural events for years to come.
The Heritage Guild of Vicksburg Warren County, in partnership with Vicksburg Main Street’s sound sculpture installation, “In the Key of Freedom,” will be installed at Washington Street Park in downtown Vicksburg. The sculpture will engage the senses with its oversized key design serving as a striking visual landmark, while its gentle chimes create a living soundtrack tied to the Mississippi Blues Tradition. In addition, the Guild will activate the site for the Beyond the Levitt Music series, featuring programming that highlights “storytelling in the key,” in which local musicians and historians connect the sculpture’s symbolism to Vicksburg’s past, present, and future.
“The Levitt Foundation is thrilled to be partnering with the Mississippi Arts Commission, combining our support to create vibrant public spaces through public art installations activated by the joy of free, live music,” said Sharon Yazowski, President & CEO, Levitt Foundation. “For the past two decades, Levitt concert series have been catalytic in revitalization efforts in towns and cities across the country, creating thriving communities and pride of place. We’re excited to see these community-driven projects come to life in Mississippi, a state rich with music culture, and for Mississippians of all ages and backgrounds to experience the dynamic impact of layering the power of art with the power of music.”
The grant was formed by combining a public art grant with the multi-year Levitt AMP (Amplify. Music. Place.) Music Series Grant to create vibrant community destinations.
Beginning this year for FY26, these two nonprofits in Mississippi will receive a multi-year grant award. The first phase of this grant focuses on the creation of a public art installation with a combined grant award of $27,500 from MAC, Visit Mississippi, and Mississippi Main Street Association — with additional in-kind support from partner organizations like the Mississippi Humanities Council and Fred Carl Jr. Small Town Center — to create a public art installation. In the next phases of the grant, each grantee will receive a combined grant award of $40,000/year for three years ($120,000 total) from MAC, the Maddox Foundation, and the Levitt Foundation to support the grantee in activating their public art site through hosting an annual series of 10 free outdoor concerts in 2026, 2027, and 2028.
“We are excited about the wonderful and exciting opportunities this revolutionary public art grant provides to small communities in Mississippi,” said Robin Hurdle, the President of The Maddox Foundation. “The Maddox Foundation is thrilled to partner with the Mississippi Arts Commission to support live music and local artists. We see these as strategic cultural investments that will have a lasting impact for our state.”
For more information about the Public Art in Community Grant and other grant opportunities, visit arts.ms.gov.