Jackson, Mississippi — The Mississippi Museum of Art (MMA/the Museum) has been honored with two awards from the 2025 Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC), recognizing MMA’s excellence in media production and publication design.
The Museum received a Gold Award in the 2025 SEMC Technology Competition in the “Media Production: Project Budget Over $10,000” category for Under Yazoo Clay, a collaborative podcast series produced with iHeartMedia exploring the history of the Mississippi State Asylum and stories uncovered on its grounds. The project was celebrated for its creative use of digital storytelling and multimedia to connect art, history, and community
The Museum has also received a Gold Award in the “Books and Catalogues” category of the 2025 SEMC Publication Design Competition for Of Salt and Spirit: Black Quilters in the American South, the catalogue accompanying the 2024 exhibition curated by Dr. Sharbreon Plummer. The publication highlights the artistry, history, and cultural legacy of Black women quilters in the South.
Both the 2025 SEMC Technology and Publication Design Competitions received a record-breaking number of applications from a wide variety of
museums across the southeast. Recipients of the awards were judged by an appointed jury of museum professionals across the region who specialize in the fields of digital media and technology and graphic design, respectively.
“These honors affirm MMA’s commitment to applying both technology and scholarship in order to deepen engagement and broaden access,” said the Laurie Hearin McRee Director of MMA, Betsy Bradley. “On behalf of everyone associated with these projects, we’re thrilled and grateful to SEMC for recognizing the creative work happening in Mississippi.”
The SEMC Technology and Publication Design Competitions showcase the best in museum innovation and design across the Southeast, celebrating projects that demonstrate creativity, accessibility, effective communication, and strong institutional identity.
Both awards will be featured in the Winter 2025 edition of INSIDE SEMC, the organization’s digital publication.
About the Southeastern Museums Conference
The Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC), a nonprofit membership organization, is an association of museums, museum staff, independent professionals, and corporate partners. We focus on the Southeastern United States including: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands.
SEMC works to:
- Provide educational and professional development opportunities
- Improve the interchange of ideas and information
- Encourage respect and collegiality.
SEMC is dedicated to providing a safe, inclusive, and welcoming conference experience for everyone. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment in any form.
For more information about the Southeastern Museums Conference, visit https://www.semcdirect.net/.
About Mississippi Museum of Art
Established in 1911, the Mississippi Museum of Art is dedicated to connecting Mississippi to the world and the power of art to the power of community. The Museum’s permanent collection includes paintings, photography, multimedia works, and sculpture by Mississippi, American, and international artists. The largest art museum in the state, the Mississippi Museum of Art offers a vibrant roster of exhibitions, public programs, artistic and community partnerships, educational initiatives, and opportunities for exchange year-round. Programming is developed with community involvement to ensure that a multiplicity of voices and perspectives are represented. Signature programs include the Center for Art and Public Exchange, a community-driven effort to ensure local relevance to offerings; the Annie Laurie Swaim Hearin Memorial Exhibition, a bi-annual nationally recognized traveling exhibition program; and the Mississippi Invitational and Jane Hiatt Fellowship, promoting the careers of working artists in the state. Located at 380 South Lamar Street in downtown Jackson, the Mississippi Museum of Art and its programs are sponsored in part by the City of Jackson and Visit Jackson. Support is also provided in part by funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, and in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information, visit www.msmuseumart.org.
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