About
About
The Jackson State University Department of Art Permanent Collection preserves the artistic history of the department and the communities connected to it. It documents the work of faculty, students, alumni, visiting artists, and the wider cultural life that has shaped Jackson State University across generations.
How The Collection Began
The collection grew through the working life of Jackson State University's Department of Art rather than through a single museum acquisition program. Works entered university care through classrooms, studios, exhibitions, gifts, teaching purchases, and long-term preservation.
Early faculty leadership, including Lawrence Jones and Maria Jones, helped shape a visual culture at Jackson State grounded in teaching, artistic practice, mentorship, and community engagement.
Mission
The mission of the Jackson State University Department of Art Permanent Collection is to preserve, document, research, and share the artistic history of the department and the communities with which it has been connected.
The collection supports teaching, research, and public access while preserving the record of artists, faculty, students, alumni, exhibitions, and cultural networks associated with Jackson State University.
Digitization And Database Development
The digitization of the collection and development of this database were led by Dr. Brittany Myburgh and Dr. Detrice Roberts, with support from the Africana Digital Humanities Lab at Jackson State University.
The project brings together collections research, archival investigation, object documentation, and database development to create an evolving digital record of the Department of Art Permanent Collection.
How To Read The Records
The records on this site draw from the active collection catalog, direct study of objects, departmental records, catalogs, archival sources, and ongoing research.
Because the collection developed over many decades, some records are more complete than others. Dates, titles, artist identifications, and object histories may be revised as new documentation becomes available.
Institutional And Cultural Reach
The collection connects Jackson State University to a much larger history of Black artistic production and education in Mississippi and beyond.
Its records trace relationships among artists, educators, exhibitions, institutions, and communities linked to Johnson Hall, Farish Street, Lynch Street, Tougaloo College, Memphis, the Mississippi Delta, and beyond.
Project Credit
Digitization and database development were led by Dr. Brittany Myburgh and Dr. Detrice Roberts.
The project was supported by the Africana Digital Humanities Lab at Jackson State University.