The History of MIAL
Each year the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters honors creative individuals with an award in their specific field.
The prestigious awards, first made in 1980, are presented in nine categories: Fiction, Non-fiction, Life Writing, Youth Literature, Visual Art, Music Composition (Classical), Music Composition (Contemporary), Photography, and Poetry. The Institute's juried competition is one of a kind in the state. Our carefully selected judges, chosen from out of state, are prominent in their field. Supported by Mississippi Institutes of Higher Learning and members, MIAL is privately funded, self-perpetuating, and non-profit.
In 1978, the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters (MIAL) was dreamed up by a few discerning individuals, including former Governor William Winter and Dr. Cora Norman both of Jackson, Dr. Aubrey Lucas and Dr. Noel Polk both of Hattiesburg, and Mrs. Keith Dockery McLean of Cleveland. These founding members knew that among Mississippi's greatest riches are our artists, writers, and musicians, who must be supported, nurtured, and recognized. To see a list of Charter Members, click here.
Shown above are the 2025 award winners: (top, left to right): Erin Austen Abbott, Adam Shemper, Jessica Fisher, Allen R. Wells, John Wooton, Julian Randall; (bottom, L to R): Charlie Buckley, Max Hipp, Staples Jr. Singers, Robert Colby, John Marszalek, Thad Lee. To read about the 2024-2025 special award recipients, open the Winners tab. To see the list of 2024-2025 nominations, open the Nominations tab.
The prestigious awards, first made in 1980, are presented in nine categories: Fiction, Non-fiction, Life Writing, Youth Literature, Visual Art, Music Composition (Classical), Music Composition (Contemporary), Photography, and Poetry. The Institute's juried competition is one of a kind in the state. Our carefully selected judges, chosen from out of state, are prominent in their field. Supported by Mississippi Institutes of Higher Learning and members, MIAL is privately funded, self-perpetuating, and non-profit.
In 1978, the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters (MIAL) was dreamed up by a few discerning individuals, including former Governor William Winter and Dr. Cora Norman both of Jackson, Dr. Aubrey Lucas and Dr. Noel Polk both of Hattiesburg, and Mrs. Keith Dockery McLean of Cleveland. These founding members knew that among Mississippi's greatest riches are our artists, writers, and musicians, who must be supported, nurtured, and recognized. To see a list of Charter Members, click here.
Shown above are the 2025 award winners: (top, left to right): Erin Austen Abbott, Adam Shemper, Jessica Fisher, Allen R. Wells, John Wooton, Julian Randall; (bottom, L to R): Charlie Buckley, Max Hipp, Staples Jr. Singers, Robert Colby, John Marszalek, Thad Lee. To read about the 2024-2025 special award recipients, open the Winners tab. To see the list of 2024-2025 nominations, open the Nominations tab.
MIAL Board of Governors 2023-2024.
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Officers for 2024-2025: (top, L to R): Margaret Robbins, Executive Secretary; Jan Taylor, Treasurer; Laura Howell, Immediate Past President; Sarah Frances Hardy, Archivist; Julian Rankin, President, Pete Halverson, Vice-President.
Virtual Board of Governors meeting September 15, 2021.
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