MPSD Students Participate in Master Class with MAX Curator Christina McField

MPSD Festival of the Arts set for Thursday, April 23 at The MAX

MERIDIAN, Miss. (April 16, 2026) – In preparation for the upcoming Festival of the Arts on Thursday, April 23, students from the Meridian Public School District (MPSD) stepped out of the classroom and into a professional master class in museum curation and installation at the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience (The MAX) on Thursday, April 16.

Leading the experience was the Curator of Changing Exhibitions + Programs at The MAX, Christina McField, who is also a working artist and cultural producer. A Mississippi native with a Master of Arts in Art Administration and Policy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, McField brings a wealth of expertise in community engagement and institutional storytelling.

Under her guidance, AP Art students from Meridian High School transitioned from creators to curators, acquiring the technical and conceptual skills required to install a professional exhibition within a high-quality museum setting.

"This is more than just displaying student work; it is a master class on the life of a visual art exhibition," said Dr. Antonio Altman, MPSD Arts Director. "Our students are learning to appreciate and create art within a high school setting and then, by working alongside an arts professional of Christina’s caliber, discovering professional practices utilized within top-tier museums and galleries throughout the world."

The culmination of this partnership will be unveiled at The MAX during the MPSD Festival of the Arts on Thursday, April 23. The skills and vision of Mississippi’s next generation of artists will be on full display at the free event, which will feature a dynamic showcase of student work, including performances by singers, dancers, drum lines, jazz musicians, and drama clubs. Piano soloists, percussionists, and spoken word poets will also take the stage, performing alongside violinists and cellists from the district’s newly established strings program.

The public is invited to support these young artists and experience the district-wide celebration. For more event information, please visit msarts.org/events.