Living a life woven in the South
Woven into Mississippi’s cultural and historical fabric are stories of both fact and fiction perfectly etched into being. These stitches share untold truths, sought-after desires, visions and dreams yet to unfold. Behind each thread delicately sewn are the tired fingers of an artist. Fibers flood through the artist’s DNA in intricate patterns, unable to discern which story to spell out first.
One Mississippian, whose walls are lined with fabric, looms, and other methods of artistic media is Madeleine Miller. A native of Jackson, Miller has a cultural fascination with art and artifacts rooted in Yazoo Clay. However, she took time to sketch outside of the lines of Hinds County and, eventually, the hospitality state to perfect her craft and explore new artistic passions.
Miller spent the final two years of her high school career dripping paint onto canvas at Mississippi School of the Arts, a public, residential high school in the heart of Brookhaven’s historic district. Here, she studied visual arts, graduated with honors, and continued her educational journey at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fiber and Material Arts. As a student at SAIC, she had the opportunity to explore multiple artistic disciplines, including glassblowing and textile work.
Prior to coming back to Jackson, which Miller describes as “charming,” she worked as a glassblower in Chicago. Unfortunately, the brutal Mississippi heat has forced Miller to put down her blowpipe. Now she spends her free time weaving on a 1920s loom she restored during college or dying fabric in her backyard with indigo. However, most of her time is spent at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History where she is an exhibit designer. As an exhibit designer, Miller and her team create educational showings for the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and Museum of Mississippi History. Her exhibition, Mississippi Distilled: Prohibition,
Politics, and Piety, is on display here through the end of the year. “We are trying to collect and preserve our history so we can educate and learn from our mistakes. This is definitely something I’ve become more aware of as I’ve worked there,” says Miller in response to her work at the department of archives. Aside from her work as an exhibitionist, Miller serves as a graphic designer and content creator for the department. When talking about her everyday tasks, she says, “It’s kinda wild. It varies a lot, which is awesome. I love being able to do a ton of different things. Because the department is over a lot of different sites and historic sites, I don’t just work in one area.”
The Junior League of Jackson has also given Miller the opportunity to serve her community in multiple areas. During her provisional year, she designed a mural for the wall outside of We Will Go Ministries in Downtown Jackson. However, her exhibition skills come to light under the glow of Mistletoe Marketplace. This “perfectly planned” event, according to Miller, is fully immersive in regard to decor and stylist detail. The Junior League provides Miller with the chance to add a splash of color, whether large or small, to the lives of her neighbors.
Outside of the realm of art and design, which was originally Miller’s outlet away from sports, she has unearthed a newfound passion for ultimate frisbee. By the encouragement of her husband, she picked up a disc and swam through unknown waters as well as through Mississippi’s humidity. Since then, she and her husband have started The Mississippi Disc Organization (MDO), which brings organized ultimate frisbee to the capital city through youth, college, and club level teams. The organization has grown exponentially since its founding in 2016. Last year, MDO was home to 160 members, with some members traveling from Vicksburg each week to dig their heals into Liberty Park’s field. Sadly, as a result of the global pandemic, there were no discs avoiding Magnolia trees this summer.
Another pause button pressed as a result of COVID-19 was Miller’s wedding. Originally set for June of this year, the wedding was delayed for two months. Miller and her now husband, Zachary Branson, an associate attorney with Jones Walker LLP, were wed at The Jackson Country Club on August 22. With a Beverly Hills Hotel inspired wedding, she led the tropics to Jackson. Through the use of banana leaves and luscious flowers, Miller brought one of her most memorable artistic creations to life. She and her husband, who received his baccalaureate in art history from Ole Miss, will continue to reside in Jackson.
However, whenever they find themselves outside of the Fondren area, the art-lovers take every opportunity to explore local art museums and broaden their cultural education. In fact, the twosome was engaged at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. While art connects Miller and her husband to cities near and far, she continues to find the deepest connection with her southern roots. Drawn to Mississippi’s art history, which overflows with cultural heritage etching itself in a complex but all-together beautiful fabrication, Miller has discovered a nuanced understanding of historical ties that are intricately woven yet difficult to break, eager for the next artist to forge ahead.
