“The mission is to make sure that we continue to celebrate ourselves!“

That was the message I took away from my time with Stephen Brown, founder and owner of Briarwood Arts Center in Jackson, Mississippi. These were also the final words of his interview.

Through the Mississippi Presenters Network’s Artist Exchange program, I had the opportunity to visit Stephen and a group of artists who create and collaborate at Briarwood Arts Center. The experience was both enlightening and deeply meaningful. Sherrell Ford, a painter and tattoo artist; Steve Randle, a poet; Kira Cummings, a woodburning artist and videographer; and Brett Johnson, a rapper, producer, and designer—each shared not only their artistic visions but also personal stories of what inspires and motivates them, and how Briarwood Arts Center has shaped their creative journeys.

The result is a series of 2–3 minute interviews designed to inform and inspire both artists and those aspiring to be. These digital stories, produced by YALLWANTADS, are made possible thanks to support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mississippi Presenters Network, the Mississippi Arts Commission, South Arts, and the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council.