The City of Meridian is slated to receive a $332,670 grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission for improvements to the Meridian Museum of Art, making it more in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The grant, announced earlier this week, is one of two received by local entities as the Mississippi Arts Commission awarded 20 organizations in 13 counties with Building Fund for the Arts, or BFA, grants for fiscal 2025. Altogether, the BFA grant awards totaled $3.5 million.

Building Fund for the Arts is a special initiative managed by the Mississippi Arts Commission and funded through an appropriation from the Mississippi Legislature. For fiscal 2025, MAC received 41 requests, totaling $7 million, for BFA grants.

“MAC is thrilled to support these vital building projects that enhance the arts and our communities in Mississippi,” said David Lewis, executive director of MAC. “Through this grant, we showcase our state’s commitment to our rich artistic heritage by investing in the spaces that foster the growth of our next great Mississippi artists, while providing enriched quality of life for Mississippians throughout our state.”

In addition to the art museum grant, the Mississippi Arts Commission announced a $66,000 grant to the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience to add power-assisted automatic doors.

“This grant will help us increase accessibility to The MAX, adding push button plate openers to nine exterior and interior doors at The MAX,” said President and CEO Penny Kemp. “The doors are very heavy, especially in the wind, and are challenging for many. The push-button openers will not only make it possible for those with physical limitations to enter without assistance, the automatic closers will improve energy efficiency by stopping the flow of cold air to the outside.”

Kemp said this was the first time The MAX has applied to the state arts commission’s Building Fund for the Arts for this specific project.

Kate Cherry, executive director of Meridian Museum of Art, said this was the fourth time the museum has applied for a BFA grant for its project.

The planned project at the art museum is an expansion to the historic Carnegie Library building, which is owned by the city of Meridian. Completed in 1913, the building is not fully accessible to visitors who may have mobility and disability issues, according to a summary of the project.

Presently, the building has a wood wheelchair ramp at the front entrance, along with a set of concrete stairs to enter the building. There is a set of wood stairs and a mobility lift to gain entrance to the main floor, but the top floor is only accessible by two sets of staircases.

“To ensure the building complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the expansion will include adding an elevator, a concrete ramp entrance and a staircase on the south side of the building,” according to a written summary of the project. “Parking is available at the front of the building with handicapped concrete ramps from the street.”

The expansion would follow ADA guidelines, including providing a 96-inch long parking space designated with a 60-inch access near the main entrance to the building, along with a drop-off zone. Among other things, building corridors would be wide enough for wheelchair turnarounds, the floor surface hard and non slippery, elevator controls low enough to reach with markings in Braille and audible signals for the blind.

The art museum is currently leasing a building across the street to expand its after-school arts programs, so the idea is to convert the top floor gallery to a space to be used more for adult programming opportunities and facility rental, according to the summary. The planned expansion will aid in this endeavor.

Cherry said half of the grant funds will be received early in the project and the remaining half will come in near the end of the project.