Photo ©2010 JCDC

Can FIGMENT bring a city together? FIGMENT Executive Producer David Koren recently stopped by Jackson, Mississippi to gauge local interest in expanding FIGMENT to Mississippi’s capital. Jackson is a smaller venue than New York or Boston, meaning FIGMENT could have an outsize impact here, even in its first year.

A group of roughly 40 attended Koren’s presentation and immediately embraced FIGMENT’s philosophy. FIGMENT’s ties to Burning Man and egalitarian spirit resonate in Jackson, where a costumed St. Patrick’s Day Parade draws some of the biggest crowds all year. Jackson has a vibrant and welcoming arts community, but collaboration between musicians, visual artists and performers happens less often than it could. After suffering disinvestment for decades, the city core is rebounding. FIGMENT represents an opportunity to knit all kinds of people and all kinds of arts into the city’s reincarnation.

Jackson already has a promising potential site in the Old Cola Plant, a former Coca-Cola bottling facility with over 50,000 square feet of building space over 12 acres. The building’s owner has pledged his support for FIGMENT.

The audience at Koren’s presentation has coalesced into a steering committee that will reach out to area artists and arts organizations. Momentum is growing, and the group is determined to make FIGMENT a reality in Jackson.

To get involved in FIGMENT Jackson, please email us at jackson@figmentproject.org.