The Mid-South Sculpture Alliance (MSA) began in 2006 as the dream of two sculptors: John Henry and Verina Baxter and has developed into an innovative community of regional, emerging, mid-range, and established artists. The founders’ vision was to invigorate the culture for sculpture and sculptors within their community through a membership-driven arts organization.

In its infancy, MSA focused on exhibition, education, and networking opportunities hosted by partners throughout the Mid-South region. Today, MSA continues the legacy of the founders and advances the creation and awareness of sculpture in its many and varied forms, provides accessibility and platforms for 3D art practitioners, and promotes diverse, inclusive, and supportive environments for sculpture and sculptors.

What began as a small, regional organization has grown to include members and partners throughout the United States and territories. Inspired by the growth in membership, and led by our diverse board of directors, MSA focuses ongoing programming to make sculpture accessible, inclusive, and transformational.

MSA strives to connect communities in underserved, overlooked regions directly to the possibilities and opportunities of contemporary sculpture. Since its inception in 2006, MSA has broadened its reach to include not only sculptors but also educators, curators, architects, art lovers, universities, museums, galleries, and both public and private institutions working in and with sculpture. MSA has initiated public art competitions, conferences, confabs, symposia, workshops, and exhibitions in Atlanta, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Cincinnati, Jacksonville, Lexington, Birmingham, and Norman to name a few locations. These events highlighted a diverse range of sculptors and curators, providing visibility, accessibility, significant resources, and a network for practitioners. Venues include the Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga State Community College, University of Tennessee, University of Kentucky, the University of Cincinnati, Riverwalk Chattanooga, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Various partnerships include Midtown Partners, LexArts, Public Art Chattanooga, City of Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark, and more.

MSA progresses in its long-term goal to be a leader in the presentation of dynamic exhibitions and events that are aesthetically strong and intellectually challenging, with a particular interest in contemporary, technological, and cultural issues that engage the community. MSA welcomes professional sculptors, artists, curators, educators, students, and all art lovers at any stage of their career to join the membership and participate in these exhibitions and events.

The Dianne Komminsk Scholarship is one of MSA's most significant programs. Begun in 2016, the scholarship competition has since awarded sixty-two cash awards to students pursuing degrees in sculpture. These awards come with speaking, exhibition, and mentoring opportunities. Winners gain a platform for artistic production and public engagement, plus direct access to a professional network for dialogue and collaboration.

MSA continues to build upon this effort of supporting sculptors throughout their careers through special initiatives, such as the Vision 2020 grant. The pilot Vision 2020 awarded three mid-career, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) sculptors with unfettered access to funding for artists to use toward the production of new work. The fellows were invited to exhibit and/or present at the fall 2021 Conference in Cincinnati, furthering their opportunities to engage in critical dialogue, collaboration, and intellectual exchange with their peers in the field of sculpture as well as public engagement with their work.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, MSA launched the Online Panel Discussion Series to expand access to sculpture, streaming live on Instagram and archiving each session on MSA's YouTube channel. Panels originally covered topics ranging from Tearing Down Monuments to WISE during the Year of Suffrage to The Online Sculpture Classroom, and have since expanded to feature discussions with curators for upcoming exhibitions, scholarship recipients, exhibiting artists, and student-focused discussions about applying to graduate school and internships. Panelists and moderators have included professional artists, educators, and arts professionals, drawn from MSA's membership and beyond. Each session closes with a Q&A, giving the public direct access to experts and thought leaders regardless of location.

Conferences and Confabs bring many of the nation’s foremost experts and talents in the field of sculpture to speak to members and the public in each host location. Conferences generally last three to four days and include multiple speakers, panel discussions, workshops, and exhibitions, which foster artistic production, learning, and public engagement. Confabs are shorter, one- or two-day events built on the idea of a “fireside chat” and highlighting a specific theme during which presenters and attendees have the opportunity to listen, learn, and get to know each other. A recent confab keynote, Anna Tsoularakis, included in the 2026 Whitney Biennial, spoke on connection to land and indigenous humour to our audience in Norman, OK. Our 2024 Birmingham conference included panels discussing building on the history and power of social justice in Alabama. 2025 brought Isaac Duncan III, a past MSA President, to speak with the community in Huntsville about his practice, and the 2026 Confab in Conway, Arkansas featured Beili Liu, a large-scale process-based artist concerned with cultural memory and the environment.

Outdoor and indoor exhibitions in Chattanooga, Murfreesboro, Johnson City, and Knoxville in Tennessee; Atlanta, Georgia; Jackson and Oxford in Mississippi; Lexington, Kentucky; Birmingham, Alabama; Norman, Oklahoma; and at the Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park in Hamilton, Ohio have all increased public engagement through free exhibitions, artist talks, and tours. These events generate dialogue and bring artists and community members together to be inspired by and learn from each other while providing a platform for MSA members to showcase their works.

Recent partnerships with non-profit organizations and academic galleries have enabled MSA to organize several juried and curated exhibitions that address issues in contemporary sculpture, the politics of the ‘body,’ marginalized presence, and inter- connectivity.

MSA is a small organization with a working board of directors, committee members, an Ex-Officio member, and one part-time administrative assistant employee.