Jackson Free Press

In June, the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters will award prizes for works first published, shown or performed in 2010. Categories include poetry, fiction, nonfiction, visual arts, photography and music composition. Out-of-state judges select winners, who must have significant ties to the state of Mississippi. The institute will present the awards June 4 at its annual Awards Gala at the Ocean Springs Community Center in Ocean Springs.

Indianola native Mary D. Garrard, professor of art history emerita at American University in Washington, D.C., will receive a Lifetime Achievement award for her art-history scholarship.

Other winners include Ava Leavell Haymon for poetry; Natasha Trethewey for nonfiction; Brad Watson for fiction; Rolland Golden for visual arts; Oraien Catledge for photography; Eden Brent for music composition (popular-contemporary); and Samuel Jones and Mississippi College professor James Sclater for music composition (classical-concert).

Each winner receives a cash prize of $1,000.

Past winners have included Richard Ford, Walker Percy, Barry Hannah, Gwen Magee and William Eggleston.

For information about the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters and the upcoming Awards Gala, visit http://www.ms-arts-letters.org.

Mary D. Garrad has won a Lifetime Achievement award from the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters.
Courtesy American University