海角大神

Madison Rux lives just outside Hattiesburg, Mississippi, but she finds herself in the city often. Sometimes it鈥檚 for work, sometimes for her social life. Sometimes it鈥檚 to get a moment to herself to think clearly, alone, while she strolls the city until she runs into one of her favorite works of public art.聽 聽

It鈥檚 of a large, vibrant hummingbird, a painting by Texas artist Avery Orendorf titled 鈥淪pread Your Wings.鈥� It reminds Ms. Rux of herself, and of the trials she faced as a teenager. She relocated from Central Texas to Mississippi six years ago, after her adopted parents kicked her out of their home at age 17. She had to reinvent herself and navigate the world on her own.聽

鈥淕rowing up, I was always the person my parents wanted me to be,鈥� Ms. Rux says. 鈥淚 had to figure out who I was again. It was a journey. I had to spread my wings and fly on my own.鈥澛�

For a small city with a population hovering near 50,000, Hattiesburg is teeming with life, and purposefully, through color. On some corners, bright paintings like the hummingbird spring from sunbeams as if they鈥檙e coming to life. On others, the paintings are nods to the city鈥檚 culture, such as a mural by Mississippi artist Amy Giust 鈥撀燼n abstract rendition of a weekend out on the town. It鈥檚 in part an ode to the state鈥檚 place in American music history.聽

Block after block, artwork after artwork, Hattiesburg has declared public art as its theme. There are as many as 46 public art installations like these citywide 鈥撀爄ncluding at least 35 murals plus sculptures and other mediums. The public art presence is a defining element for a city that鈥檚 better known for its student population divided between the University of Southern Mississippi and William Carey College. With impetus from the Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art, the city aims to decorate its rustic streets so they inspire those who grace them.聽

The city鈥檚 effort to immerse itself in art earned national recognition earlier this year when Travel & Leisure magazine noted Hattiesburg as one of the world鈥檚 top public art destinations, alongside creative capitals like Berlin, Paris, and London. In the U.S., Miami and New York City were the only cities ranked ahead of humble Hattiesburg; Philadelphia was listed one spot below.聽聽

But the goal isn鈥檛 necessarily about garnering more tourist dollars, says Shawn Harris, a Downtown Hattiesburg Association board member who鈥檚 volunteered throughout the city鈥檚 beautification project. Rather, it鈥檚 about creating a better space for the community.聽

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the model we follow in Hattiesburg. If you make your residents happy, tourists will come and appreciate those things, but you鈥檙e not ostracizing your residents at that cost,鈥� Mr. Harris says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really about community development and not economic development.鈥澛�

Art 鈥渞aises our morale, ... connects us to each other鈥�

In fact, researchers who study people鈥檚 response to aesthetics say art affects our outlook and thoughts.聽聽

鈥淭he arts are somewhat on the fringes鈥� of mainstream psychological study, says Ellen Winner, a professor specializing in聽art聽psychology at Boston College. 鈥淏ut they鈥檙e coming more into the center now, as people are realizing the importance of art.鈥澛�

Even momentary encounters with art can be healthy.

As Professor Winner explains, public art can help us feel more connected to our immediate surroundings and to artists. It wakes us up to the world around us. It makes us ask ourselves how another person interprets the same piece of work through their own lens. It makes us wonder.聽

The process of viewing public art 鈥渞aises our morale, connects us to the arts, connects us to each other, it makes us think, and it raises our mood,鈥� Dr. Winner says.聽

That was one key goal at the inception of the Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art in 2014.聽

Sculptures and murals began lighting up the city鈥檚 downtown streets, beckoning life and excitement for residents. As installations sprouted, city leaders began exploring ways to better allow residents and tourists to explore them. Then came the pandemic.聽

Like most U.S. cities, Hattiesburg temporarily shut down. Its public art display didn鈥檛. In fact, city leaders decided to lean into commissioning more public art, creating an escape for locals. The creators are about half local, with the other half from other Mississippi artists and those working on the national stage.

The Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art and Visit Hattiesburg collaborated last year to implement the Hattiesburg Public Art Trail, a socially distanced, outdoor activity. Lately, the city has also begun turning its public utility boxes 鈥撀爐hose gray metal boxes often seen on city street medians 鈥撀爄nto public art installations.

It鈥檚 about 鈥渕aking things more beautiful,鈥� says Ricardo Moody, a local high school art teacher who has several public installations in Hattiesburg, including several murals and a utility box.聽

The theme of community is central to his abstract work. Mr. Moody points to a mural he was asked to produce on the side of a local business owner鈥檚 building. It鈥檚 titled 鈥淲onderful Day鈥� 鈥撀燼 splash of warm colors, centered around a quote by civil rights pioneer Maya Angelou: 鈥淭his is a wonderful day. I鈥檝e never seen this one before.鈥� Several local high school kids came to help Mr. Moody produce it 鈥� resulting in a design that incorporated their school colors.聽

鈥淭he plants that I painted there, the leaves, is having to do with growth,鈥� Mr. Moody says in describing his work. And much like Hattiesburg, 鈥渁s things grow, they mature and thrive.鈥澛�

Building a city鈥檚 future聽聽

Over the next five years, Hattiesburg hopes to become 鈥渢he city of 100 murals.鈥� That鈥檚 the directive handed down from Mayor Toby Barker.聽

It鈥檚 an achievable goal, says Kristen Brock, director of programs and promotions at the community advocacy group VisitHBURG.

鈥淗attiesburg has embraced this public art venture that we are on,鈥� Ms. Brock says, noting how the effort has received support from residents, business owners, and organizations alike. 鈥淭hen on the flip side, we have seen huge interest from visitors coming to Hattiesburg. We estimated that we had interaction from about 300,000 people last year who were interested in our public art.鈥澛�

For residents like Mr. Harris of the downtown association, it鈥檚 affirming to see Hattiesburg receive national attention.聽

鈥淚t鈥檚 so easy to make the national news for something negative,鈥� Mr. Harris says. He describes their effort as 鈥渁 testament to following a plan and understanding what your community needs.鈥�

Residents and community leaders alike also hope their efforts counter some of Mississippi鈥檚 ongoing obstacles such as brain drain, with outmigration that has included a period of the highest rate of millennial exodus in the nation.聽

鈥淚 think public art plays a role in making [talented individuals] realize they can have a future in Hattiesburg,鈥� Ms. Brock says.聽

It鈥檚 the city鈥檚 way of building community, she adds.聽聽

But for community members like Ms. Rux, the city鈥檚 art display is a way of building herself.聽

On her strolls alone through Hattiesburg, Ms. Rux makes a point to visit the hummingbird mural. She also likes to take the time to stroll a little bit further across town to a painting of a red cardinal. She grew up believing that cardinals were the souls of loved ones who have died.聽

Ms. Rux likes to think of the cardinal as her late grandmother checking in on her.聽

鈥淲henever I don鈥檛 see a cardinal for a little while,鈥� Ms. Rux says, 鈥淚 go over there.鈥�