CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION What a remarkable 2024 and start to 2025! The MAX presented events featuring more than 40 artists and partnered with a dozen arts and cultural institutions from around the state last year. We realized a 50% increase in attendance and a 30% increase in memberships and welcomed double the number of students for school field trips in 2024 vs. 2023. I’m incredibly grateful to the dedicated volunteers and staff who made this all possible and to you, our patrons, who spread the word and brought your friends and family to The MAX. But the celebration doesn’t stop there. The January induction of our new Hall of Fame members—Bill Ferris, Shelby Foote, Bobbie Gentry, Mac McAnally, and Natasha Trethewey—was one for the record books. Frigid temps did nothing to chill the spirits of the 700+ in attendance to celebrate Mississippi’s creative legacy. Now we turn our focus to a new traveling exhibit by Mississippi native and nationally acclaimed photojournalist Kate Medley. Based on her awardwinning book by the same title, Thank You Please Come Again: How Gas Stations Feed & Fuel the American South features 25 photographs from Kate’s 10-year journey across the South. Highlighting gas station restaurants that serve up far more than food, Kate points to this uniquely Southern phenomenon as a source of sustenance for the human spirit, demonstrating how these filling stations act as vital community hubs. In that spirit, I invite you to come experience Kate’s work and contemplate the role of The MAX as a community hub. More than a tourist destination, what role can and should The MAX play in our community at large? Join me as we envision the future together. Be on the lookout for Meet Me at The MAX conversational events designed to explore how Mississippi arts and culture intersects with education, mental health, workforce development, and other areas of opportunities to build a stronger community. See you soon, Penny Kemp President + CEO The MAX P.S. If you are not already a member of The MAX, we invite you to join. And, if you’re a member but want to do more to support Mississippi arts and culture, consider upgrading your membership.
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