The Starkville Area Arts Council (SAAC) recently brought a long-held idea to reality on the city’s very own Lampkin Street: a public mural.
Community interest in such a project has grown steadily over the years, and the approach of three sponsors was the final push needed to start the mural.
SAAC’s plans included public art since around last summer. The Lampkin Street mural could contribute to more tourism and traffic in the area due to the strong dynamics and sense of place it gives the area, according to some urban studies.
Despite all its benefits, public art is still a challenge to bring to fruition. The SAAC saw a mixture of great timing and public and private funding, but this first mural took much more than a casual coincidence. Other elements such as community involvement, funding sources, government permission and artists also had to intertwine.
SAAC Director John Bateman offered a fitting analogy for the more complicated portions of public art.
“It’s a lot like a Venn diagram with overlapping circles,” Bateman said. “Public art only happens in the area where every circle meets.”
During the search for the perfect spot, project coordinators were also hunting for an artist. Bateman proposed the idea to a group of local young artists, while the City of Starkville allowed the use of easement space it owned for drafting.
A select few of the drafts were shared with the mayor, the Downtown Association and some of the sponsors. With the design number narrowed to two, the location at Lampkin Street was also decided. Like another Venn diagram, Lampkin Street was chosen because of its availability, public visibility and accessibility.
Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill played a major role in the selection of the mural’s location and artists.
“It is a public area along a retaining wall on Lampkin Street,” Spruill said. “It has been funded by private donations with paint donations and cash donations organized by the Starkville Area Arts Council.”
The painter of Starkville’s first public mural was announced not long after: former Mississippi State University student Joseph MacGown. MacGown said he took the opportunity because of his interest in murals and community-oriented art projects. A long-time resident of Starkville, MacGown said he “finds it encouraging to be apart of any progress here.”
MacGown considers himself both a self-taught and studying artist. While the majority of his style is self-taught, he also learned from his year at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and a few semesters in MSU’s art department.
MacGown plans to return to MSU in the fall as a student in interdisciplinary studies, concentrating on art and creative writing. Overall, however, MacGown said his greatest art teacher was undoubtedly his father, Joe MacGown.
MacGown pushes other young artists to create obsessively, experiment constantly and to never pass up an opportunity to showcase their art. He tells artists to encourage each other as well.
MacGown said he is excited about the next step Starkville’s art community is taking.
“It’s a great step in the right direction for my hometown and me,” MacGown said. “I’m happy to test the waters for an artistic interest of mine, and be a part of a new artistic direction for Starkville.”
MacGown also wanted to thank the SAAC, Bell Building Supply, Chalet Arts and Framing, Del Rendon Foundation, Joe MacGown and Spruill for supporting and donating to the mural project, as well as other arts in the community.
The mural is anticipated to be completed before the Cotton District Arts Festival, one of the SAAC’s biggest projects. Its other large programs include art education, grants and scholarships. Each fall, the SAAC presents “Art in the Park,” a two-day festival for children and their families.
Another art education program is Art Partners, a partnership with Sudduth Extended Day, which gives free extracurricular art classes after school. The SAAC hopes to extend Art Partners to other Oktibbeha County schools in the future.
Starkville artists and art organizations are offered a number of grants for art-related projects. Public projects, such as the Lampkin Street mural, could also potentially receive community grants.
MSU students can get involved with the SAAC by volunteering at programs like Art in the Park, CDAF and other activities.
Another public mural, created by artist Deborah Mansfield and located on a wall of the Gondolier Italian Restaurant, depicts a StarkVegas theme to represent Mississippi’s College Town.
In addition, another public mural could be in the works, said Bateman, as he has received contact from a potential funder. A call for submissions could be going out as early as this summer. Interested artists should sign up for the SAAC’s newsletters to keep an eye out for the announcement.

Gallery • 4 Photos

Alayna Stevens

Former student, city bring vibrant mural to Starkville