Angels in Mississippi

By: Stephen Jermanok

June 2007

JACKSON, MISS.—It takes a whole army of angels to build a new cultural institution—especially when the price tag hovers around $14 million. So in a fitting metaphor, the inaugural exhibition at the new Mississippi Museum of Art building is “Between God and Man: Angels in Italian Art.” Curated by Dr. Francesco Buranelli, the Director General of the Vatican Museums, “Angels” will display more than 150 works art from Italian collections, including works from Titian to contemporary artist Sandro Chia. This will be the only American venue for the exhibition, which delves into the imagery and mystery of angels in various mediums, before it returns to Italy.

Unveiled alongside the exhibition on June 9, the museum’s new building is only one city block away from its former home, yet almost twice the size. For the first time, curators can display permanent and traveling exhibitions together. Mississippi Museum of Art Director Betsy Bradley describes the natural light that pours into the glass-exposed lobby as “creating a warm, pleasant space that’s conducive to conversation and reflection.” For more information, visit www.msmuseumart.org or call 601.960.1515.