ArtPlace Mississippi continues to grow as the creative heartbeat of Leflore County, connecting
people of all ages through art, music, and hands-on learning. What began as a small local effort
has flourished into a network of programs that reach hundreds of children and adults each year,
nurturing creativity, confidence, and community pride.

Our Leflore Early Arts Project (LEAP) has expanded from two daycare partners to six, now
serving children ages one to four at God’s Helping Hands, Joy of Learning Academy, First
Presbyterian Kids, Nativity Day School (two age groups), and St. John’s Preschool (two classes
of fifteen). Each week, professional teaching artists bring enriching, developmentally appropriate
arts instruction directly into these classrooms at no cost to families or centers, helping children
build fine motor skills, imagination, and the early foundations of STEM learning.

Community programs continue to thrive as well. The Saturday Art Club, held the first Saturday
of every month from September through May, has become so popular that second Saturdays
have been added to meet demand. Summer camps have grown dramatically, reaching 229
students, while special initiatives like Art at the Farmers Market provided 17 weeks of artist-led
activities for small groups of five to fifteen students. Wacky Wednesdays at Nativity Summer
Camp offered seven sessions of creative projects for twenty-two children, and ArtPlace’s
patriotic Stars & Stripes activities brought three hands-on art experiences to local festivalgoers.

Music and visual arts programs also expanded this year to include piano and guitar instruction, as
well as individual art lessons offered on a scholarship basis for students preparing portfolios for
the Mississippi School of the Arts application cycle. Adults found their own creative outlet
through Adult Project Runway, where nine sewing students learned design and construction
under the guidance of instructor Jackquilin Buchanan.

ArtPlace also continues to invest in future leaders. This summer, fifteen interns worked across
twenty different camps and art activities around town, gaining valuable professional experience
while helping sustain ArtPlace’s growing programs.

Together, these initiatives illustrate the power of the arts to strengthen community and
opportunity in the Delta. From toddlers discovering color for the first time to adults sewing their
first garments, ArtPlace Mississippi is building a more vibrant, connected, and creative Leflore
County—one project at a time.

Friends of ArtPlace

Our mission is clear: to ensure that every person in Leflore County—regardless of age or background—has the opportunity to discover their creative identity.

Team Members