W MFA faculty, alums receive MAC awards
Four members of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program at Mississippi University for Women have been awarded grants through the Mississippi Arts Commission.
The group includes Dr. Kendall Dunkelberg, program director; Ellen Ann Fentress, part-time faculty member; Julie Whitehead, ’21; and Katrina Byrd, ’18.
“We are proud of our faculty and alumni of the MFA in Creative Writing for taking the initiative to apply for these awards and forging the literary reputations that make them competitive. It reflects well on our program to be represented among Mississippi’s top artists and writers,” said Dunkelberg.
Dunkelberg was awarded a Literary Artist Fellowship in Poetry, and Whitehead was awarded a Literary Artist Fellowship in Fiction. These are two of the top awards in the state, and they include a $5,000 for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Fentress and Byrd were both awarded Artist Mini-Grants, with Fentress receiving $190, which will be used to purchase printing supplies, and Byrd receiving $250, which will be used to support web design.
According to the MAC awards page, Individual Artist Fellowships recognize artistic merit, while Individual Project Grants and Artist Mini-grants can be used for a variety of needs including community-oriented ideas and projects, registration for conferences and workshops, promotional efforts and expendable artistic supplies.
About MAC
The Mississippi Arts Commission was established in 1968 by the Mississippi Legislature as the official grants-making and service agency for the arts in the state. MAC provides financial and technical assistance for arts programming to arts organizations and educational institutions throughout Mississippi. Funded annually by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts and private funds, MAC uses this support to carry forth its mission and continues to act as a core and essential function of government.