The W

Art History in the Making: Three Southern Women Artists
2026-02-18 16:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Gail Gunter Multi-Purpose Room
Sheryl Jefferies, independent scholar and oral historian, will speak about three contemporary southern women artists, including MUW alum and Columbus native Elayne Goodman. Sheryl is a contributing author for Beyond Discards: Junk Appropriation in Global Art and editor and producer of a podcast.
This event is part of the Women’s College Colloquium Speaker Series. The theme for the Spring 2026 colloquium series is “Women and the Arts,” which honors the Women’s College’s inaugural study away trip to New York City with The W’s Art Department.

Special Performance by Julia Mortyakova
2026-03-04 16:00 - 17:00 | Fant Memorial Library, 1100 College St, Columbus, MS, United States
Professor and Chair of the Department of Music at The W, Julia Mortyakova will discuss how she founded the International Music by Women Festival. She will also perform songs by a female composer.
This event is part of the Women’s College Colloquium Speaker Series. The theme for the Spring 2026 colloquium series is “Women and the Arts,” which honors the Women’s College’s inaugural study away trip to New York City with The W’s Art Department.

Three Years in the Life of Fannie Lou Hamer: An American Catalyst for Change
2026-03-18 16:00 - 17:00 | Gail P. Gunter Room, Fant Library
Dr. J. Janice Coleman, a quilter, storyteller, and professor of English at Alcorn State University, will be speaking about and displaying her collection of quilts, cotton sacks, and pillows inspired by the life of Fannie Lou Hamer. One quilt she will be displaying features a life-sized image of Mrs. Hamer.
To view some of Dr. Coleman’s works, visit her online museum, the Mississippi Delta Shotgun Sewn Arts Museum at https://mdssam.omeka.net.
This event is part of the Women’s College Colloquium Speaker Series. The theme for the Spring 2026 colloquium series is “Women and the Arts” and honors the Women’s College’s inaugural study away trip to New York City with The W’s Art Department.
