Contact: Sasha Steinberg

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Vibrant photographs by a Mississippi State education alumna from Byhalia are on display through Sept. 1 in Mississippi State’s Colvard Student Union Art Gallery.

Titled “Still South,” the second-floor exhibition showcases Jessica Hughes’ fascination with Southern culture and features images of Mississippi magnolias, cotton, tractors, the Byhalia Railroad, and BNSF New Albany Train, among others.

Regular gallery hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday, as well as by appointment. Guests are encouraged to sign the art gallery visitor’s log for the duration of Hughes’ exhibition.

Pieces on display are available for purchase. Those interested are encouraged to contact Hughes directly at stillsouth@aol.com for more information.

Through her photographs, Hughes seeks to celebrate and preserve the character of beloved Mississippi towns. A self-proclaimed “lover of Mississippi and old things,” Hughes started taking pictures at a young age using an old Pentax 35 millimeter camera that her grandfather gave her.

Her photography has received first- and second-place awards in local art competitions, as well as Best of Category in Starkville’s Cotton District Arts Festival.

A 2004 MSU education graduate, Hughes currently is a seventh-grade science teacher and school yearbook adviser in DeSoto County. She enjoys traveling and sharing her passion for Mississippi and its history with her husband and sons.

Additional information on the “Still South” exhibit is available from Brad Hill, MSU assistant director for student activities, at 662-325-2930 or bhill@saffairs.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.