Jonathan Faulkner’s “People” piece was part of the exhibits at the Mississippi Light Festival on Feb. 24, 2017. His work was at the Mississippi Museum of Art.
People in Jackson made the Mississippi Light Festival happen, and that was an incredible sight to behold (and also an extremely crowded one). Amber Helsel
The Mississippi Light Festival on Feb. 24, 2017, featured work from artists such as Lori Rene.
The Mississippi Light Festival on Feb. 24, 2017, featured light installations such as a series of neon triangles in the gallery rooms at the Arts Center of Mississippi.
The Mississippi Light Festival on Feb. 24, 2017, featured light installations such as one from local artist Scott Sorensen.
The Mississippi Light Festival on Feb. 24, 2017, featured light installations such as Kristen Tordella-Williams’ “Portal.”
The Mississippi Light Festival on Feb. 24, 2017, featured light installations such as Zachary White’s “Pop! Box.”
The Mississippi Light Festival on Feb. 24, 2017, took place in and around locations such as the Jackson Convention Complex, Russell C. Davis Planetarium, Arts Center of Mississippi and the Mississippi Museum of Art.
The Mississippi Light Festival on Feb. 24, 2017, featured installations from local business NunoErin.
Dancers from Kinetic Etchings do a light dance at the Mississippi Light Festival on Feb. 24, 2017. Amber Helsel
The Mississippi Light Festival on Feb. 24, 2017, featured many light installations and displays.
Dancers from Art in Flesh dance in the Jackson Convention Complex during the Mississippi Light Festival on Feb. 24, 2017.
Dancers from Art in Flesh dance in the Jackson Convention Complex during the Mississippi Light Festival on Feb. 24, 2017.

The inaugural Mississippi Light Festival was on Feb. 24, 2017, in downtown Jackson.

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.