GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi has been awarded a $172,000 Building Funds for the Arts (BFA) grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission, which will be used to expand the Museum’s Mississippi Gallery that’s dedicated to highlighting the role Mississippi has played in the creation of popular music. BFA funds support the much-needed repair, renovation, expansion, or construction of Mississippi facilities that serve as sites for year-round arts programming in their communities. The Mississippi Legislature approved $3 million for the BFA program for 2023.
“We are honored and grateful to once again receive support from the Mississippi Arts Commission,” said Emily Havens, Executive Director of GRAMMY Museum Mississippi. “This grant allows us to enhance both the guest experience and the spaces that welcome visitors to our Museum. The new flooring on our front porch and updates to our Mississippi Music Table will help us continue celebrating the artists and sounds that make our state’s music legacy so special.”
“We received 66 letters of intent with a total amount of $16.2 million requested for this grant opportunity,” said Marie Sanderson, board chair of MAC. “Unfortunately, we could not award to everyone who applied. We are pleased that we can support these arts organizations in Mississippi for important projects that will impact their communities economically.”
MAC awarded $4 million to 17 organizations in 14 counties in Mississippi through the BFA grant
for FY2026. The funding opportunity provided through the BFA grant supports the much-needed repair, renovation, expansion, or construction of Mississippi facilities that serve as sites
for year-round arts programming in their communities. Projects range from adding gallery
space, to improving accessibility accommodations, to fixing vital components of arts facilities.
Unique to its location in Cleveland, Miss., GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi continues to serve as a cultural landmark dedicated to preserving and celebrating the state’s unmatched musical heritage. Through funding of more than $170,000 from the Mississippi Arts Commission’s Building Fund for the Arts, the Museum will complete essential facility enhancements, including the replacement of the front porch flooring and updates to the Mississippi Music Table exhibit. These improvements will not only enhance the visitor experience but also strengthen the Museum’s ability to share the story of Mississippi’s enduring influence on American music.
An original feature of the Museum’s Maddox Foundation Mississippi Gallery, the Mississippi Music Table is a touchscreen interactive experience that highlights the influence and impact Mississippi artists have had throughout the history of music. The planned updates will modernize the technology and design of this signature exhibit, ensuring visitors can continue to explore how Mississippi-born musicians have shaped—and continue to shape—the sound of music around the world.
MAC received 40 letters of intent, with $8.8 million requested to fund BFA projects in
Mississippi. A panel of arts, design and architectural, and nonprofit management experts
ranked the submissions based on artistic quality, project plan, project professionals,
organizational capacity, and project impact.
“MAC and our grantees are grateful to the Mississippi Legislature for prioritizing funding for the
Building Fund for the Arts grant each year,” said Lewis. “Mississippi communities continue to
demonstrate strong need for this type of support, while maintaining the ability to execute
projects at a high level and with high impact. We are excited to see these grant dollars put to
good use through the investment in Mississippi’s creative communities.”
