About | MSC NMWA

About MSCNMWA

Our Background

The Mississippi State Committee was organized and incorporated in 1998, when Gladys Kemp Lisanby, of Pascagoula, was invited to do so by Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, Founder and Chair of NMWA. The first public event was held at the Walter Anderson Museum of Art, Ocean Springs. Mrs. Hollday was guest of honor, along with Mississippi First Lady Patricia Fordice. Directors of Mississippi museums also attended.

The Mississippi State Committee, with a statewide membership and nearly 30 year history of support for the arts, is a solid presence in the Mississippi arts community. MSC members participate in programs of interest throughout the year and througbout the state. Girl Scout Art Ventures have been beld at the Walter Anderson Museum, the Lauren Rogers Museum, the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, the Cultural Arts Center in Columbus, the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi, and the Gumtree Museum in Tupelo. A $500 scholarship is awarded to the Art Student of the year. On the national level members attend Leadership Conferences, contribute to Silent Auctions, Honor With Book, and other programs of NMWA. The work of 50 Mississippi women artists is archived at NMWA, and the number of those in NMWA's Permanent Collection include: Francine Alex, Rebecca Alston, Lea Barton, Dusti Bongé, Maude Schuyler Clay, Valerie Jaudon, Sherry Johnson, Betty Press and Eudora Welty.

When the Committee was first formed, the original members were, logically and logistically, for the most part from the Gulf Coast. Today, however, membership encompasses the entire state. Several of our artists have been recognized by NMWA, and our founder served as Chair of the Advisory Board for the Museum in Washington.

Photo: Gladys Kemp Lisanby, founder of MSC/NMWA

The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), located in Washington, D.C., is the first major museum in the world dedicated exclusively to recognizing the contributions of women artists.

NMWA is supported by a network of state and international committees, of which Mississippi is among the most active. Our members are known as Advisors, and all serve on the Advisory Board, along with Honorary Advisors from noted Mississippi museums and cultural venues. The governing body of the MSC is a Board of Directors with statewide representation, along with our Honorary Board members.

A tour and gallery walk was held of the work of the late Biloxi artist Dusti Bongé. A luncheon was held at the Governor's Mansion, and glass artist Susan Ford's work was honored. The first Girl Scout Art Venture was held in Ocean Springs, with I50 scouts participating. Ceramist Gail Pittman, watercolorist Sarah Frances Hardy, and Ria Martens, artistic coordinator of Cirque du Soleil's Alegria were recognized at a meeting at the Beau Rivage, Biloxi.

SHOWCASE 2002 was held at Rosalie Mansion in Natchez. The 4th Annual Honored Artists Luncheon in Jackson honored Thalia Mara as a Mississippi Treasure and Rebecca Alston, Maude Schuyler Clay, and Valerie Faudon as Honored Artists. An exhibit of artwork by all Honored Artists and Mississippi Treasures was beld at the Mississippi Museum of Art. The Annual Meeting was held in Hattiesburg with performing artists from the University of Southern Mississippi and William Carey University.

Claudia 'Ka' Cartee, Mary Ott Davidson, and Dr. Mary Evelyn Stringer were honorees at the 5th Annual Honored Artists Luncheon, and Amanda Francis, JD-MCCC, was recognized as College Art Student of the Year. SHOWCASE 2003 was held at Plymouth Bluff Center and MUW in Columbus. The Annual Meeting and Invitational Art Show of members work was hosted by the Jackson County Gulf Coast Community College in Gautier. The MSC proudly bosted Passionate Observer:

Photographs by Eudora Welty at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

SHOWCASE 2004 was beld at Delta State University. A Printmaking Program and Luncheon was presented in Pass Christian. The 6th Annual Honored Artists Luncheon recognized Patti Carr Black, Lester Senter; and Gertrude Smith. Elizabeth Ladner, MUW, was the Art Student of the Year. A Certificate of Appreciation was given to Rene' Paul Barilleaux, Deputy Director of the Mississippi Museum of Art. 500 Exploring Art books were presented to Laurel city and county schools at a luncheon hosted by the LRMA. Gladys Kemp Lisanby, Founder and President of the MSC received the NMWANational Advisory Board Award.

Mrs. Lisanby received the 2005 Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts as Outstanding Arts Patron. The Old Capitol Museum hosted SHOWCASE 2005 in Jackson. Heidi Dansby, C-MGCCC was recognized as the MSC/MWA Art Student. The 7th Honored Artists' Luncheon honored Mary Hardy and Mary Lovelace O'Neal. On August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina devastated the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Many members lost their homes and studios. The MSC/NMWAArtists Relief Fund was established to help our member artists impacted by Katrina.

2600 Exploring Art books were distributed to Gulf Coast School Districts. Gladys Remp Lisanby, Founder and President of the MSC, stepped down as President and was bonored for ber leadership. Betty Boyd Dettre of Columbia, was affirmed as MSC President for 2006. The 2006 Showcase was held at Rosalie Mansion, and an MSC Artists Exhibit was displayed at the Meridian Museum of Art. The 8th Honored Artists Luncheon recognized Gwendolyn Magee and Ellen Douglas, and Art Student Melissa Webster, from Delta State. George Bassi of the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art was given a Certificate of Appreciation. The Annual Meeting was held at the Jefferson Davis Campus of the MGCCC, and Ann Arledge was affirmed as president for 2007.

Through a grant awarded to NMWA, the school districts of Pascagoula, MS, and Albuquerque, NM, partnered for participation in Teacher's Connect: Distance Learning in the Arts. Eugenia Summer's dedication to the arts was acknowledged with a NMWA Honor With Book award. NMWAs Women to Watch program featuring photograpby was launched at a meeting at the Governor's Mansion. The work of Suzi Altman, Maude Schuyler Clay, Marita Gootee, Gretchen Haien and Robin Moore was recognized, and Ms. Gootee's work was chosen to be exhibited at NMWA in 2008. Lea Barton and Myrna Colley-Lee are the 2007 Honored Artists, and the Art Student of the Year is Lauren Luckett, from the Rankin Campus, Hinds Community College. Gladys Lisanby was honored as a Mississippi Treasure. A retrospective exhibit of the work of MSC/MWA Honored Artists was held at the Walter Anderson Museum of Art. Katrina: Mississippi Women Remember, authored by the Mississippi State Committee, was published by the University Press of Mississippi.

Timeline

Our Board & Leadership

Cheryl Thornhill

President

Sue Busby

Vice President

Laney Watkins

Secretary

Inglish Devoss

Treasurer

Nancy Branton

Immediate Past President

Michaela Baldwin

Communications Director