OXFORD, Miss. – University of Mississippi assistant professor of journalism Vanessa Gregory has been awarded a $4,500 Literary Arts Fellowship from the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC). This grant is a portion of the $1.61 million in grants the Commission awarded in 2015-2016 and will be used to support Gregory’s creative work as a nonfiction writer. The grants are made possible by continued funding from the Mississippi State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.
“The arts in Mississippi are now being recognized as a key component to economic development and as a driver for creative strategies for the growth of our communities,” said Dr. Tom Pearson, Executive Director of MAC. “Individual artists play a vital role as really the backbone of this movement, and it is an honor for this agency to be a part of their professional growth.”
Gregory’s work has appeared in Harper’s, The American Prospect, and Garden & Gun, among other places. She studied journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, and specializes in narrative nonfiction. “MAC’s fellowship is essential for supporting the type of in-depth journalism that might not otherwise make it into mainstream media outlets,” Gregory said.
The Mississippi Arts Commission is a state agency serving residents of the state by providing grants that support programs to enhance communities; assist artists and arts organizations; promote the arts in education and celebrate Mississippi’s cultural heritage. Established in 1968, the Mississippi Arts Commission is the funded by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mississippi Endowment for the Arts at the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson and other private sources. The agency serves as an active supporter and promoter of arts in community life and in arts education.
For information from the Mississippi Arts Commission, please contact Susan Liles, 601/359-6031 or sliles@arts.ms.gov