cultural arts/
arts education
richelle Putnam
Richelle Putnam earned her BS in marketing and an MA in Writing. She brings a lifelong passion for storytelling, creativity, and community-building to her role at The Montgomery Institute. As Director of Cultural Arts & Arts Education, she oversees programs that connect people of all ages—from Pre-K learners to senior adults—through meaningful arts experiences. A published author, MAC arts integration specialist, and Mississippi Humanities Council speaker, Richelle believes in the power of the arts to inspire, heal, and unite communities.
why the arts matter to communities
At The Montgomery Institute, we believe the arts are not a luxury—they are a vital part of a thriving, connected, and forward-moving community. Across East Mississippi and West Alabama, the presence of the arts—through festivals, murals, music, and performances—enhances our shared spaces, brings people together, and improves quality of life. Communities with strong cultural assets tend to have higher levels of civic engagement, better mental health, and increased local pride.
But the impact of the arts goes far beyond beautification or entertainment.
In schools, arts integration—the use of music, visual arts, drama, and movement to support learning across subjects—has been shown to boost academic achievement, increase student engagement, and build essential life skills like critical thinking, collaboration, empathy, and creative problem-solving. These skills don’t just prepare students for success in school—they prepare them for success in life.
From the MSA Pines Region Songwriters Festival to early childhood arts programming and creative events for seniors, TMI supports arts initiatives that serve people at every age and stage—because when the arts thrive, communities do too.
ARTS EDUCATION
OUR ABC STRATEGIES
Empower
Growth
Art Builds Confidence
Art Brings Connection
Art Beckons Creativity
Art Braces Cognition
Art Brightens Classrooms
Art Bolsters Curiosity
Art Balances Comprehension
Art Bridges Communication
Art Broadens Capacity
Art Binds Community
Arts-integration
ABC PreK, developed by The Montgomery Institute in partnership with Meridian Public Schools and leading community arts organizations, is an innovative early childhood program that integrates the arts—music, movement, drama, and visual arts—into foundational learning for PreK students.
The ABC PreK initiative prepares young learners for kindergarten success by using arts-based strategies aligned with Mississippi’s Early Learning Standards to enhance literacy, cognitive development, creativity, and social-emotional skills.
The pilot phase will launch in Fall 2026 across selected PreK classrooms in Meridian and Lauderdale County, as well as two independent PreK programs that will serve as pilot partners outside the public school system, with plans to expand to additional centers.
Program Objectives
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Enhance Kindergarten Readiness: Strengthen early literacy, vocabulary, and cognitive development through interactive arts-based instruction.
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Build Social-Emotional Competence: Foster confidence, cooperation, and self-expression through creative exploration.
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Empower Educators: Provide PreK teachers with professional development in arts integration to deepen teaching practice and engagement.
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Engage Families: Encourage learning beyond the classroom with family arts-and-literacy take-home activities.
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Model Community Collaboration: Connect schools, arts organizations, higher education, and families to support whole-child development.
This project made possible by a grant from The Phil Hardin Foundation
CULTURAL ARTS
the msa pines region songwriters festival
Celebrating Original Music, Local Voices, and Creative Community
The MSA Pines Region Songwriters Festival, in partnership with Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Center (The MAX), is a two-day celebration of songwriting, storytelling, and music's decisive role in building vibrant, connected communities. Held across multiple venues in downtown Meridian—including local favorites like Threefoot Brewing Company, Aie's Taste of Thai, Don P's Taste of Bayou, and Brickhaus Brewtique—the festival brings together local and regional songwriters to perform original music in intimate, engaging settings.
Created to spotlight the talent rooted in East Mississippi and surrounding regions, the festival offers a mix of songwriter rounds, open mic performances, and interactive songwriting workshops. These experiences entertain and foster professional growth for emerging artists, while encouraging collaboration, mentorship, and creative expression.
More than a musical event, the festival is a community development initiative. With strong support from partners like the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience (The MAX) and the Jimmie Rodgers Foundation, and local businesses, the festival contributes to the local creative economy by increasing foot traffic to restaurants, breweries, hotels, and shops and drawing residents and visitors downtown for a shared cultural experience.
At its heart, the MSA Pines Region Songwriters Festival reflects The Montgomery Institute’s mission to upbuild people and places through the arts—nurturing homegrown talent, strengthening economic vitality, and bringing our communities together through the universal language of music.
