As Mississippi kicks off Arts Week, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council brought together artists, arts organizations and local legislators for a listening session to discuss the impact of arts funding in Oxford, Lafayette County, and the state.

The event provided an opportunity for grant recipients of the Mississippi Arts Commission to share firsthand how MAC funding supports creative initiatives and strengthens communities.

State Rep. Clay Deweese and Sen. Nicole Boyd attended the session, engaging with artists and arts leaders to hear how public investment in the arts fosters economic development, tourism, and education. The discussion included key figures in Lafayette County’s vibrant arts scene, such as Kesha Howell Atkinson, an alderman and committee member of the Oxford Juneteenth Festival; Lucy Gaines and Mary Margaret Andrews of Thacker Mountain Radio Hour; Mike Mitchell of the Oxford Film Festival; and Rene Pulliam and Christopher Schager of Theatre Oxford.

Local artists and members of the Oxford Artist Guild, including Mississippi Plein Air painter Pam Locke, Debbie Myer, Linda Peters and Carol Roark, were also in attendance. Acclaimed sculptor Earl Dismuke joined the conversation, along with Wayne Andrews, Executive Director of YAC, who emphasized the role of the arts in driving economic and cultural vitality in Lafayette County.

The event comes as Arts Week celebrations unfold across Mississippi, featuring arts advocacy events at the Capitol, community programs, and culminating in the Governor’s Awards for the Arts. With Oxford’s thriving creative community, the listening session underscored how continued investment in the arts benefits both artists and the broader economy.

For more information about upcoming arts events in Oxford, visit Yoknapatawpha Arts Council’s website at oxfordarts.com.