The Mississippi School of the Arts Foundation (MSAF) and the Brookhaven Trust are sponsoring a guest artist residency at the Mississippi School of the Arts (MSA) with internationally commissioned visual artist and muralist, Michael Roy. On October 14-25 November 7-16, the MSA campus will begin to look very different as a mural is installed on the wall near the Student Life Center.

MSA Guest Artist Residency Program is part of the long-range goals of the school to bring artists in from Mississippi and around the world to work with students and make work. Each year, MSA will host guest artists in various disciplines to enhance the arts instruction that is offered each day by its faculty.

Michael Roy is a first year graduate from the MSA visual art program. Since his graduation, he has traveled around the world creating and teaching art. His work has been commissioned in Tel Aviv, London, Memphis, Chicago, Seoul, and many more. To see more of his work, go to www.birdcap.net. When asked about coming back to MSA, Michael said, “My tenure at MSA was the most transformative two years of my life. I’m excited to come back to talk to students who are in the same position I was in years ago. I never thought I’d get to paint on campus. It’s absolutely surreal.” Michael will offer students the opportunity to study the art of murals and see how a fellow alumnus has made a living as a working artist.

Julia Pendley, President of the Brookhaven Trust said, “The Brookhaven Trust is excited to partner with MSA on both of these projects (John Maxwell and Michael Roy residencies). It’s been 26 years since the Trust was founded to help save Mary Jane Lampton Auditorium. The auditorium not only was the first building renovated on the Whitworth College campus, but it helped prompt a movement to restore the whole downtown area. By promoting both artistic endeavors and historic preservation, our goal is to improve the quality of Brookhaven’s cultural and economic environment.”

For more information, contact Jennifer Jackson at 601-823-1300 or Jennifer.jackson@msabrookhaven.org.

Mississippi State University’s College of Art, Architecture and Design wrote a story about Michael in 2014 (Mural Collective helps make Michael Roy mural a reality).

Article by HAPS Magazine Korea in 2014 (Artist Profile: The Mythical Murals of Michael Roy).

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