In this Mississippi city, public art points a way forward
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Loading... - Helmi Salonen
- 13 Apr 2022
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Madison Rux lives just outside Hattiesburg, Mississippi, but she finds herself in the city often. Sometimes it’s for work, sometimes for her social life. Sometimes it’s to get a moment to herself to think clearly, alone, while she strolls the city until she runs into one of her favorite works of public art.
It’s of a large, technicolored hummingbird, a painting by Texas artist Avery Orendorf titled “Spread Your Wings.” It reminds Ms. Rux of herself, and of the trials she faced as a teenager. She relocated from Central Texas to Mississippi six years ago, after her adopted parents kicked her out of their home at age 17. She had to reinvent herself and navigate the world on her own.
“Growing up, I was always the person my parents wanted me to be,” Ms. Rux says. “I had to figure out who I was again. It was a journey. I had to spread my wings and fly on my own.”
For a small city with a population hovering near 50,000, Hattiesburg is teeming with life, and purposefully, through color. On some corners, bright paintings like the hummingbird spring from sunbeams as if they’re coming to life. On others, the paintings are nods to the city’s culture, such as a mural by Mississippi artist Amy Giust – an abstract rendition of a weekend out on the town. It’s in part an ode to the state’s place in American music history.
Block after block, artwork after artwork, Hattiesburg has declared public art as its theme. There are as many as 46 public art installations like these citywide – including at least 35 murals plus sculptures and other mediums. The public art presence is a defining element for a city that’s better known for its student population divided between the University of Southern Mississippi and William Carey College. With impetus from the Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art, the city aims to decorate its rustic streets so they inspire those who grace them.
The city’s effort to immerse itself in art earned national recognition earlier this year when Travel & Leisure magazine noted Hattiesburg as one of the world’s top public art destinations, alongside creative capitals like Berlin, Paris, and London. In the U.S., Miami and New York City were the only cities ranked ahead of humble Hattiesburg; Philadelphia was listed one spot below.
But the goal isn’t necessarily about garnering more tourist dollars, says Shawn Harris, a Downtown Hattiesburg Association board member who’s volunteered throughout the city’s beautification project. Rather, it’s about creating a better space for the community.
“That’s the model we follow in Hattiesburg. If you make your residents happy, tourists will come and appreciate those things, but you’re not ostracizing your residents at that cost,” Mr. Harris says. “It’s really about community development and not economic development.” Read More...
