SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Exclusively Scheduled Museum Activities (Others will be added as needed for community involvement)
Meridian Museum of Art – Activities held at MMA unless noted
Four Youth afterschool classes for Grades (K4-K5 , grades, 3-6 grades, 7-12 grades) – Twenty-Four Weeks, Spring and Fall Sessions on Thursdays
Artist Group – Monthly, Third Saturdays
Vino and Van Gogh Group – Weekly, Thursdays
Paint-A-Long – By Appointment
Children’s Museum – Meridian STEAM Week with A for ART – Spring Break @ MCM-M
Threefoot Festival Youth Art Competition and Exhibition – April
Fundraiser – ARTinis at the Museum (June)
Youth Summer Classes – June & July with a final exhibition of students’ works.
Rising to the Top Youth Exhibition – All Year at the sponsor’s location for more visibility outside the Museum
Permanent Collection Exhibitions – All Year in-house, local businesses, offices, medical clinics; I20 Welcome Center; others as needed to familiarize about the Museum’s offerings and programming
Rotating Exhibitions – Approximately every eight weeks in the Museum’s four galleries
Local School Exhibitions – April
Out-Service Activities – Programming and activities for the disadvantaged and underserved as needed for schools, other organizations, and throughout the community
Artist in Residence as planned and where needed in the service area
Meridian Museum Art Collective – Public art projects handled by contractual artists and volunteers at different locations throughout the city and surrounding areas
February – Black History Month Exhibit
February 2025
Showcasing works from our permanent collection, including Black Women: Achievement Against the Odds, The Swahili Alphabet, and pieces by Mississippi Delta artist Thomas Eloby. In addition, we are featuring digital and mixed media works by local artist Charles McCune.
March – April – June 2025
James Conner was born and raised in rural Mississippi. He believes he was born to be an artist, as his first memories are of drawing with pencil and paper before he was old enough to attend school. Later, while in high school, Mr. Connor received a degree in Advertising Art from art instruction schools in Minnesota. He then served in the U.S. Army as a graphic artist and illustrator, with two tours of duty in Vietnam and Europe.
Returning to the United States, Mr. Connor received his B.F.A. in Art from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Remaining in Detroit, James worked first in drafting, then as a sketch artist in the Graphics Division of the Detroit Police Department. While working in law enforcement, James realized that he wanted to fulfill his earlier desire to support himself with his art and, consequently, decided to return to the South.
Although he continued to paint during the years after finishing college, his decision to return to the South brought a new focus and intensity to his art. James received his master’s in fine arts from the University of Mississippi. He has been an instructor in art at Mississippi State University, Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, Mississippi, and Meridian Community College.
MS/Fine Arts, University of Mississippi. Oxford, MS
BFA/ Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
50th Annual BiState Competition and Exhibition, Best of Show Winner – Kathleen Varnell
Kathleen Varnell, a Jackson, MS-based ceramicist, is known for her expressive face vessels and deeply personal clay works. She earned her BA in Art from Jackson State University and an MFA in Ceramics from Howard University, studying under notable mentors like Marcus Douyon and Winnie Owens-Hart.
Her career spans roles as an Exhibits Specialist at the Smithsonian Institution and Curator of Exhibitions at the Mississippi Museum of Art. Varnell’s work has been featured in major exhibitions, including A Proud Continuum at Howard University and Reverence at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art.
Rooted in themes of self-expression and healing, her ceramic journey began at Jackson State, where she discovered the power of clay. Today, her work continues to celebrate cultural heritage and artistic storytelling.
ARTinis at the Museum – June 19, 2025
Meridian’s favorite fundraiser. June 19, 2025, from 6 to 8 p.m.
51st Annual Bi-State Competition and Exhibition
July 1 – August 9, 2025
The oldest juried art competition in the state returns for its 51st year. A closing reception and awards announcement will be help August 9, 2025.
Celebrating 50 years of the Bi-State Art Competition and Exhibition
September 9 – October 4, 2025
Selected pieces from the Permanent Collection and invited previous Bi-State Artists over its first fifty years.
October 7 – November 29
All Around Mississippi Oil Painters
Pat Abernathy, Tim Allred, & Mary Louise Porter
Holiday Gala / Membership Exhibit
December 13 –