“I had no idea.”
That’s one of the most common reactions from first-time visitors to the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience in Meridian, according to Penny Kemp, the facility’s president and CEO.
“The two most common refrains we hear from visitors are ‘I am blown away’ and ‘I had no idea,’ which often means I had no idea just how many significant artists Mississippi has produced, coupled with I had no idea what all was here,” Kemp said.
There’s just something about Mississippi. The number of writers, musicians, actors, chefs, and artists from the state is staggering.
Elvis Presley, William Faulkner, Morgan Freeman, Jimmie Rodgers, Tammy Wynette, Jim Henson, Oprah Winfrey, B.B. King, Robert Johnson, and William Eggleston are just a tiny fraction of legends from the state, and the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience — also known as The MAX for short — is dedicated to the stories of them all.
An arts and cultural center in the heart of downtown Meridian, The MAX opened its doors in April 2018 and celebrates Mississippi’s arts and entertainment legacy while nurturing future creatives through innovative interactive exhibits, workshops, and live performances.
The two most common refrains we hear from visitors are ‘I am blown away’ and ‘I had no idea,’ which often means I had no idea just how many significant artists Mississippi has produced, coupled with I had no idea what all was here.
“It’s the best kept secret in Mississippi, and I aim to destroy that idea,” Kemp, who took over the facility a year ago, said laughing.
The MAX dates back to 1999 and originated with the state commissioner of Agriculture. What started as an idea to create a country music museum expanded to develop a center devoted to southern arts and culture with legislation dating back to 2001. The stated mission was to entertain and educate through exhibits, interactive learning experiences, concerts, readings, demonstrations, classes, and other activities.
The MAX was built and is funded via a local food and beverage tax, state and local government contributions, foundation grants, private giving, and earned revenue from admissions, store sales, memberships, and event rentals.
The physical centerpiece of The MAX is the two-story Hall of Fame rotunda featuring Mississippi arts and entertainment legends. The Hall of Fame counts 38 members so far, five of whom were just inducted this past January, including author and photographer William “Bill” Ferris, Civil War historian and novelist Shelby Foote, singer Bobbie Gentry, guitarist and songwriter Mac McAnally, and poet Natasha Trethewey.
“Lining the rotunda are huge, oversized images of America’s creative giants of music, literature, theater, and visual arts — all with deep roots in Mississippi. B.B. King, Elvis Presley, William Faulkner, Oprah Winfrey, Eudora Welty, Walter Anderson, Jim Henson, Leontyn Price, and Morgan Freeman are just a few examples. Interactive kiosks display information about each of the artists’ connections to Mississippi, their achievements, and what shaped their craft,” Kemp said.
Upstairs, there’s 20,000-square-feet of interactive exhibits. In a roughly seven-minute introductory video, Marty Stuart, Mac McAnally, Dorothy Moore, Maude Schuyler Clay, and William Dunlap attempt to explain why Mississippi produces such a disproportionate amount of creative talent.
Visitors have an opportunity to explore different galleries and artifacts, including one of B.B. King’s original “Lucille” guitars, chef and restauranteur Robert St. John’s childhood Easy Bake Oven, and the jacket actress Sela Ward wore on her hit TV program, “Sisters,” right next to the Emmy award she won for her performance on the show.
“From the juke joint where you can assemble your own virtual band of Mississippi artists, to the church featuring an exquisite stained glass window by Pearl River Glass Studio and the sounds of the Mississippi Mass Choir, each gallery tells a little more about Mississippi’s creative legacy and the inspiration behind some 200 artists featured within The MAX. Each gallery points to why and how so many famous Mississippians were drawn to create, the roles of home, land, church, and community in their craft, and the global influence Mississippi has had on arts and culture,” Kemp said.
The sheer size and scale of The MAX is unique, but so is the interactive experiences offered.
“The MAX is a place to experience and participate in arts and culture. Pottery demos, art classes, culinary tastings, live music performances, songwriting workshops, documentary screenings, book readings, audio-engineering courses in a live recording studio, and make-and-take workshops occur at various times throughout the year,” Kemp said.
Although tourists are drawn to The MAX, Kemp said, the main goal of the facility is to engage young people in lifelong learning and creativity.
“Over 80 school field trips came through this past year, reaching some 4,000 students, and we’re working with the Mississippi Arts Commission on future endeavors to train more teaching artists to use arts in the classroom for curriculum-based learning,” she said.
“And something wonderful happens when young people visit. They actually put their cell phones down to participate. It’s something to see,” Kemp said.
Kemp said a crowd favorite is the “boat room.” Sitting in a small boat skiff positioned in front of a floor-to-ceiling curved video wall projecting images of Mississippi landscapes, it feels as if you’re literally floating down the Mississippi or across the Gulf to Horn Island, much like Walter Anderson did. Visitors are mesmerized as realistic landscape photography morphs into paintings by Walter Anderson, William Hollingsworth, and Marie Hull, while a voiceover explains the role of the land in shaping the artist’s craft.
It’s funny to hear people’s reactions. Residents leave with a renewed sense of pride in our state; while visitors from outside Mississippi are taken aback by the sheer volume of notable artists and the global impact Mississippi has had on arts and culture, changing their impressions of Mississippi.
From Feb. 22 to May 24, The MAX will host “Thank You Please Come Again: How Gas Stations Feed and Fuel the American South,” a photography exhibition by Jackson native Kate Medley. The exhibition offers audiences an opportunity to experience photographs from Medley’s award-winning book by the same title. Featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN, among others, “Thank You Please Come Again” was named a Best Book of 2024 by National Public Radio, won the 2024 Mississippi Institute of Arts & Letters prize in photography, and was a finalist for a James Beard Award. The MAX will host an artist-in-residence, bringing Medley in for a week of workshops. Medley will be able to create new work and guide and mentor area students, exposing them to career opportunities in photo journalism and the study of cultures and folklore.
On April 12, The MAX will host the fifth annual Sipp & Savor, a food and drink festival celebrating the best of Mississippi and the south’s cuisine. Close to 50 chefs, master mixologists, and distillers will present samples and tastings for visitors. Chef Vishwesh Bhatt of John Currence’s city Grocery Restaurant Group will headline the festival. Visit sippandsavor.com for more details.
Kemp said Mississippians can’t visit The MAX without learning something new about their state’s history.
“It’s funny to hear people’s reactions. Residents leave with a renewed sense of pride in our state; while visitors from outside Mississippi are taken aback by the sheer volume of notable artists and the global impact Mississippi has had on arts and culture, changing their impressions of Mississippi.”
For more information about The MAX, visit msarts.org or call 601-581-1550.
