march 2013 mac board of commissioners Myrna ColleyLee Chair Nan Sanders 1 st ViceChair Sam Haskell 2 nd ViceChair Donna Barksdale Shawn Brevard Lawrence Farrington Kris Gianakos Mary Peavey Rachel Schwartz Peggy Sprabery Robert St. John Nancy Yates
Dear Friends, As an unknown author so eloquently said, "If nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies." Change is the most natural thing in the world, and as we all begin the anticipation of that colorful entry into spring, we also embrace some intriguing changes at MAC. As the Interim Executive Director, the staff and I say a bittersweet goodbye to Malcolm White, as he continues to celebrate and support Mississippi's arts and culture in his new role as Director of the Tourism Division at Mississippi Development Authority. Malcolm instilled in us a tireless passion for serving the citizens of our state in and through the arts, and the values we all created together during his 7year tenure will continue as MAC unceasingly advocates and advances its mission to be a catalyst for the arts and creativity in Mississippi. So, as we acknowledge our own change and emotion, we also celebrate positive action and a future consistently filled with the mission of supporting our state's creative and innovative spirit. As go the blooms and butterflies of springtime each year, the state Legislature is in session pondering our FY14 budget, and we are evergrateful for the friends we have guiding policy and funding there. MAC is seeking increased funding for the arts, the championing of more arts in education, and is advocating for further, if not continued, support of Mississippi's creative spirit. In return, we promise transparent and accountable management of those valued funds, along with our usual good stewardship of coveted public dollars. We encourage you to call or write your legislators, say hello when they come home with an encouraging word of thanks, and be sure they are aware and mindful of the strength and leverage of arts monies in your community. Please join us for Day at the Capitol on March 26th at 11:00, as we raise the roof to advocate for the arts in Mississippi. MAC has recently completed its 20142018 Strategic Plan, and we are pleased to have this attractive, innovative, and informative piece to tell our story and help our constituents and lawmakers see further into MAC's mission, vision, programming, and philosophy. While sleek documents and bright websites are part of our present and future, MAC still embraces the ageold "human factor" and understands the significance of facetoface fellowship in communities, as well as in our offices in downtown Jackson. Please visit our website to view the MAC Strategic Plan, but don't hesitate to invite us to your town, your school, or your festival; also know that you have an open invitation to visit us across the street from the Capitol. These are MAC principles that never waiver, even when the seasons and staff are filled with change. So, as we look forward to the exciting welcome of the wonderful rites of spring, we also welcome you to another innovative change at MAC, the first gleaming edition of ARTicles, our new bimonthly newsletter. We just honored our 2013 Governor's Awards recipients during the 25th Anniversary celebration with a change in format and concept, we are piloting a proud new partnership with the Kennedy Center VSA in our Arts Education programming, a Stennis Institute Arts Integration Study is in the wings, the Creative Economy continues to gather energy and presence, and we're on our way to a smooth transition for permanent leadership when the time is right. Change can be a frightful occurrence, but we at MAC look at change as a bright and bold opportunity for more and better things in the arts and culture of Mississippi. Come along and enjoy the season of change with us, then go out and watch for butterflies. Take care, Sallye