JACKSON, MISS. - The Montgomery County Arts Council of Winona, Mississippi has been awarded a $4,500.00 grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission. This grant is a portion of the more than $1.7 million in grants MAC awarded in Fiscal Year 2025 and will be used to fund the arts council’s 2024-25 production of Hill Fire, Mississippi’s Folk Life Play.
Hill Fire is a folk life play written by a local playwright and is based on the real stories of the people of Mississippi. A new play is written each year from collected stories and documented history that depict the lives and traditions of Southerners and their families. Its goal is to keep these stories and traditions of Southerners alive and to share them with a new generation. Hill Fire celebrated its 20th year in production in 2023.
"Mississippi is synonymous with the quality of art that emits from our state. The arts enhance the quality of life and local economies," said David Lewis, executive director for the Mississippi Arts Commission. "With the generous support from the Mississippi Legislature, we can activate our citizens' innate creativity and invest in our communities."
MAC's annual grant funds come from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Mississippi State Legislature. Awards were made in 92 Mississippi House of Representatives districts and 52 state Senate districts.
The Mississippi Arts Commission is a state agency serving more than two million people through grants and special initiatives that enhance communities, assist artists and arts organizations, promote arts education, and celebrate Mississippi's cultural heritage. MAC is funded by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mississippi Endowment for the Arts at the Community Foundation for Mississippi, and other private sources. For more information, visit www.arts.ms.gov.
For information about the Mississippi Arts Commission, please contact Ellie Banks, Communications Director, 601-359-6546 or ebanks@arts.ms.gov.
