Mississippi Public Broadcasting and the Mississippi Arts Commission establish radio reporter team
(Jackson, Miss.) - Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) and the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) joined forces to establish a unique team of reporters traversing our state to bring radio listeners samples of Mississippi’s varied cultural opportunities.
The arts reporters’ trio – Lida Gibson of Jackson, Ellen Ann Fentress of Jackson and Diane Heim of Starkville – will highlight arts and cultural information, stories, and events from around Mississippi, encompassing everything from the symphony, opera and ballet to the blues, gospel, and homespun crafts.
Funding for these positions is secured by the Mississippi Arts Commission through a grant received from the Wallace Foundation.
According to MAC Executive Director Malcolm White, “The partnership that has made it possible for Mississippi Public Broadcasting to have full-time, statewide arts reporters is testament to the possibilities of governmental collaboration, in this case between the Mississippi Arts Commission and MPB. The message is multifaceted and clear: arts and culture define who we are, and Mississippi is graced with an abundance of blessings.”
MPB Radio Producer Kevin Farrell added, “By teaming with the Mississippi Arts Commission, the state’s foremost arts organization, I believe we’ll provide MPB listeners with a broad spectrum of the flavor of Mississippi’s rich, artistic tradition. This is a tremendous opportunity to share stories of both the ‘known’ artists and the ‘unknown’ – like the neighbor down the street who creates art simply for the joy of creating it.”
For more information regarding MPB, visit www.mpbonline.org.