JUNE 2025

The Columbus Arts Council is honored to collaborate with the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters (MIAL) to showcase the exceptional talents of this year's nominees and award winners.

Charlie Buckley: Winner Visual Arts

Adam Shemper: Winner Photography

Mary Hardy: Nominee Visual Arts

Traci Stover: Nominee Visual Arts

Lee Washington: Nominee Visual Arts

Blair Hobbs: Nominee Visual Arts

Thad Lee: Film & Special Achievement Award

Erin Austen Abbott: Nominee Life Writing & Citation of Merit

Founded in 1978 by prominent Mississippians, MIAL is a privately funded nonprofit organization dedicated to recognizing outstanding achievements in the arts. Each year, MIAL presents awards in nine categories—including fiction, nonfiction, visual art, music composition, photography, and poetry—to individuals who have made significant contributions to Mississippi's cultural landscape. Through this partnership, we aim to bring the creative excellence of MIAL's honorees to the Columbus art scene, enriching our community's appreciation of the arts.

Charlie Buckley

Lee Washington

Adam Shemper