MSU architecture freshmen showcase design skills in 鈥楨mmett Till River Site Memorial鈥 exhibition
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擳hirty-six freshman 无尽资源采集 State architecture students are showcasing their final first-year studio projects Aug. 28-Oct. 1 in an 鈥淓mmett Till River Site Memorial鈥 poster exhibition at the Emmett Till Interpretive Center in Tallahatchie County.
Located at 120 North Court St. in Sumner, the center is open Tuesday-Saturday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. or by appointment. Admission for the exhibition is free.
Through a spring 2020 semester partnership with the Emmett Till Memorial Commission, the students produced design proposals for a Till memorial at the Graball Landing site. Silvina Lopez Barrera, MSU School of Architecture assistant professor and studio coordinator, said this site sits at the convergence of the Tallahatchie River and the Black Bayou, where it is believed Till鈥檚 body was found. Since April 2008, the ETMC has attempted to commemorate the site, she explained.
鈥淎s part of my own research, we started this collaboration with the ETMC, and we partnered with the first-year studio to design the memorial,鈥 she said. 鈥淣ow, the commission wants to move forward with the development of the river site and is planning to use students鈥 designs to start community conversations.鈥
Along with Lopez Barrera鈥檚 coordination, students have contributed to the community engagement project under the guidance of John Ross, MSU visiting assistant professor, and Simon Powney, studio assistant. The students鈥 proposals could incorporate a wide range of design intentions and sources of inspiration, but they were required to include a site entrance, space for reflection and contemplation, and bus parking area.
Lopez Barrera said by incorporating symbolic and educative features in their proposals, the students responded to specific environmental conditions of the place, which could help engage visitors with Till鈥檚 history, the civil rights movement, and future of racial reconciliation.
鈥淲e hope the work of this exhibition contributes to conversations about the future development of the Graball Landing site and explores design visions and values that could be included in the new memorial and its restorative narrative,鈥 she said.
The student exhibitors聽include (by hometown):
AMARILLO, Texas鈥擡lizabeth M. Gerzon
BEAVERTON, Alabama鈥擶hitney 鈥淓laine鈥 Otts
BELLS, Tennessee鈥擩ames D. 鈥淛.D.鈥 Jaggers
BIRMINGHAM鈥擬ichael D. Chew
BRANDON鈥擱eagan A. Douglass
CHESTERFIELD, Virginia鈥擩essica M. Ninnis
CLINTON鈥擟aroline R. Prather
COLLINSVILLE鈥擠ujuan A. Brown
COLUMBUS鈥擯hilip A. 鈥淎ndy鈥 Ladd
COVINGTON, Louisiana鈥擜nnelise E. Sernich
DELMAR, Delaware鈥擥abriella B. Morelli
DEMOPOLIS, Alabama鈥擳yler K. Pipkins
FRANKLIN, Tennessee鈥擡than B. Harvey; Nikolas A. Humphreys
GARDEN CITY, Idaho鈥擪obe C. Clouthier
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama鈥擲arah E. Mixon
JACKSON鈥擩acob L. Bryson
LEAKESVILLE鈥擩ared Woullard
LECANTO, Florida鈥擟onnor T. Speaks
LOUISVILLE鈥擩acob C. Herrington
MADISON鈥擜lston T. Brown; Kailyn M. Gardner; Lita Li
MANDEVILLE, Louisiana鈥擜bigail G. Desposito
MEMPHIS, Tennessee鈥擫illian K. Montague
NASHVILLE, Tennessee鈥擜nna Kathleen Horn
NEWNAN, Georgia鈥擲ummer L. Watson
PURVIS鈥擩ohn Morris Karnes
RIDGELAND鈥擝ryant P. Baugus
SALTILLO鈥擲kylar N. Sloan
SILVERHILL, Alabama鈥擜nna C. Criswell
SOUTHAVEN鈥擬ikayla B. House; Jennifer K. Hutton
STARKVILLE鈥擥race K. Owens
STEWART鈥擫indsey N. Boren
TUPELO鈥擩ames B. 鈥淛eb鈥 Thomas
The School of Architecture in MSU鈥檚 College of Architecture, Art and Design offers the only curriculum in the state leading to a professional degree in architecture. It is home to the only architecture program in the nation that requires two semester-long collaborative studios for all architecture and building construction science students, including a design/build studio in the second year. For more, visit .
The Emmett Till Interpretive Center is online at .
MSU is 无尽资源采集鈥檚 leading university, available online at .