Estes

This week’s opening of the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience in downtown Meridian marks the completion of a longtime development presented with many challenges, but none too big to those committed to its fulfilment.

“There were challenges on every level — state as well as the city,” said Marty Gamblin, who started out as a board member of the facility and now serves as The Max’s Director of Hall of Fame and Walk of Fame.

“But so many people helped make this facility come to fruition — not just figureheads and community leaders, but the community. And that’s why we’re where we are today,” he said.

Gamblin, a native of Philadelphia, became involved with the project a few years after the first step toward the facility’s reality in 2001, when the Mississippi State Legislature enacted Senate Bill #2666.

“When I left Philadelphia I got into the music businesses. I worked in Jackson, Nashville, Los Angeles and then back in Nashville,” he said. “About a year and a half before I retired, Chief Phillip Martin, who was on the arts and entertainment project’s advisory board, told me if I came back to Philadelphia he wanted me to work for him at the resort, and he wanted me to serve on the board for the arts and entertainment project.”

At the time, the project was known as the Southern Arts and Entertainment Center. Gamblin thought the name was too broad.

“Having spent most of my life in the entertainment business, I knew that when you say ‘Southern’ just how many people would be involved as far as music and acting, as well as art and writing,” he said. “I told them, ‘You’re not just talking about Mississippi, you’re also talking about Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee … It’s going to be hard enough telling Mississippi’s story.’”

While the name change made a difference in the concept for The Max, Gamblin quickly notes the impact of other individuals to the project’s success — particularly Paul Ott, vice-chair of The Max’s board of directors.

“He was president when I first got on the board and he was so driven by this project and such an inspiration to all of us on the board,” Gamblin said. “I honestly believe that if it had not been for Paul Ott, it would have probably died somewhere along the way; he would not let it die. He had a weekly radio show, and he would go to the Legislature and I often said the ones that weren’t endeared to him and loved his passion, he drove them nuts to the point where they finally said, ‘We’ve got to do this thing to get Paul off our backs!’”

Gamblin also credits Meridian businessman Tommy Dulaney to the project’s success. Dulaney was among the city’s first local representation on the board.

“We had a wonderful cross section of people on the board, but they were from other areas of the state and came to Meridian for our meetings,” Gamblin said. “We’d meet and we didn’t have any money and we’d read the minutes and talk about the money we didn’t have. We started losing some of the people, who were very busy and we weren’t going anywhere. Paul Ott said we needed someone locally who could really light a fire under the Meridian populace; someone who lives here, who people respect and who is community minded. And Tommy Dulaney was that person. I’d told somebody that if I was going to do something and it was said Tommy Dulaney wouldn’t support it, I’d forget it. Because Tommy backs everything that’s for the good of the Meridian community.”

Dulaney considered the arts and entertainment a great project — not only for Meridian, but also Mississippi.

“I think it’s going to be one of the premiere museums in Mississippi,” said Dulaney, who serves as chairman of the board. The Meridian businessman also has contributed to the center financially through his business Structural Steel as well as contributions with his wife, Rebecca.

“It took awhile before it seemed it would happen, but I believed we were going to make it. Mississippi has had so much talent — and still does. And this is a wonderful facility to showcase all of that talent and share it with the world,” Dulaney said.

And while board member Billy Estes acknowledges the tremendous talent the state has produced, he said he was especially committed to the project because of its potential for Meridian.

“Meridian needed help, anything we could do that could give us a shot in the arm for economic development, tourism, bring more people to town. And this project really satisfied that. It will bring lots of people to the state and Meridian ” said Estes, a Natchez native who joined the board in 2009 while working for Trustmark Bank in Meridian.

“And as a result of that, I hope we’ll see downtown add restaurants, shops and other attractions to add to the appeal of that area,” he added.

Estes said despite the project’s challenges, he remained committed to it because of Ott, Dulaney and Gambill.

“They all believed this project was doable, viable and would mean a great deal to Meridian and the state of Mississippi. I listened to that and I agree with that,” Estes said. “I thought that if we did not get the center, it would be difficult for Meridian to move forward.”

Despite the project’s challenges, Gamblin said he does not foresee any regrets with the Meridian Arts + Entertainment Center.

“You can’t make change without change,” he said. “I think everybody is going to look back and they’re going to say, ‘We griped and we thought it was an injustice more or less at the time. But by golly, we’re sure glad we gave them an opportunity to prove to us that it was the right thing to do.’”