In the popular imagination, creativity is a divine and inscrutable force. In Mississippi, we often speak of something in the water or reference seemingly impossible standards like Jesmyn Ward or Jim Henson, Fannie Lou Hamer or Arthur Guyton.

At the University of Mississippi we are fiercely creative. But we have not developed systems to grow and support creative work across our campus and across our state. Until now.

The Mississippi Lab champions a creative ecosystem that spans disciplines and identities. The Mississippi Lab supports and emboldens creators who live in Mississippi, take inspiration from Mississippi, or make change in Mississippi. And we’re just getting started.