In an effort to make the arts more accessible to the public, the Starkville Area Arts Council developed the Arts In Public Places committee. The committee’s mission is to promote accessibility to the visual arts for its enrichment of the Starkville area and to promote the visibility of and create opportunities for our local artists.

The Starkville Area Arts Council joined with the Greater Starkville Development Partnership to create the GSDP Gallery in the lobby of Partnership’s office at 200 Main Street in Downtown Starkville. The gallery maintains a year-round calendar of exhibits of local artists’ work and includes solo and group shows that vary in style and medium. SAAC has also joined forces with Starkville In Motion and The Starkville Community Market to reach out around the downtown area and into the community beyond. Starkville In Motion combined efforts with SAAC in the creation and launching of the Starkville Arts Walk. A self-guided tour of area historic places and businesses exhibiting local artists, the Arts Walk integrates art into the fabric of daily life, enriching the cultural content of daily life in Starkville while encouraging healthy activity. Each participating location has brochures containing a map of the various points of interest to guide walkers around for an arts-centric stroll.

The AIPP committee has also been working to coordinate with arts and crafts vendors participating in the Starkville Community Market. Every Saturday morning 8-noon, May through October, on South Lafayette Street in Downtown Starkville, the Market provides a venue for local craftsmen, artists, gardeners, and producers to sell locally. Arts demonstrations and hands-on activities are an integral part of the Market atmosphere where “locally produced” has an immediacy and builds an understanding of material and process and an appreciation for craft.