top of page

About Us

The Hattiesburg Arts Council provides collaborative, innovative, and accessible programming in the arts, that promotes artists in all disciplines and enhances the quality of life in our community.

Meet The Staff

The Hattiesburg Arts Council (HAC) holds a special place in my heart. I liken its efforts to the ones I experienced as a young person growing up in Meridian, Mississippi. At a crucial developmental point in my life, my artwork was chosen as first place in an art competition hosted by an organization similar to the HAC. This moment changed my life and gave me purpose.

 

When I see the HAC at work through its rich history, high-quality programs, and diverse audiences, I not only feel proud of the part that I have played in making these amazing events happen for other people in the community, I feel proud to be a citizen of Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

 

My professional resume includes: a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an Emphasis in Three-Dimensional Design and Sculpture, a total of twenty-seven years of continuous professional art related employment, solo exhibitions, largescale public commissions, and more. My former position as the HAC’s Arts Facilitator has given me six years of tremendous insight into the hard work evolved in operating a successful non-profit organization.

 

With pleasure, I am now carrying the brightly burning torch of the HAC into the future as the new Executive Director. My main objective is to protect the existing integrity of the Hattiesburg Arts Council’s fifty-year tradition and well-defined mission statement.

​

Alehandro Wooten
Executive Director
004.ALE.for.PRINT.by.Traci.Stover.06232021.jpg
Mary Lucas Halliwell
Arts Facilitator
005.HAC.Mary.Lucas.Halliwell.Live.at.Five.002.jpg

As a lifelong artist and Downtown Hattiesburg resident, the Hattiesburg Arts Council has always held a special place in my heart. From attending fine art exhibits with my parents and enjoying 

SmART Space events with my friends as a child, to participating in the Emerging Artists Show in high school, HAC's effect on my creative growth has been a vital part of my development.

​

Growing up in such a vibrant area, surrounded by art and fellow artists made it easy to see the importance of the Arts in the world around us. 

​

After studying Sculpture at Mississippi State University, I earned an even greater appreciation for self-expression and the importance of uplifting the voices of others. This is why I'm so happy to be working as the new HAC Arts Facilitator.  

HAC Board of Directors

​​

​

Charlotte Blom

Rebecca Chandler

Steve Coleman

Melanie Eubanks

Jeanne Gillespie

Lynn Phillips Helwig

Karen Huddleston

Casey Jarman

Ginger Lowrey

Morgan McElroy
Brad Newton

Kyle Poehling

Emily Simmons

Will Thompson

Jacqueline Gonzalez Wooton

​

​

​

009.004.Drum.Circle.004.jpg

Vision

We believe the Arts transform and enhance the lives of all citizens. 

bottom of page