Candy Chang’s “Before I Die” installation is part of a global public art project that prompts people to reflect on their lives and share aspirations, a press release says. There are more than 5,000 walls across the world. The Greater Jackson Arts Council unveiled the installation at the Arts Center of Mississippi on Wednesday, April 17. Photo by Amber Helsel
Candy Chang, creator of the “Before I Die” project, speaks at a press conference for the unveiling of the installation at the Arts Center of Mississippi on Wednesday, April 17. Photo by Amber Helsel
Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba speaks at the unveiling of Candy Chang’s “Before I Die” installation at the Arts Center of Mississippi on Wednesday, April 17, as student ambassadors from Barack H. Obama Magnet School and Tougaloo College students look on. Photo by Amber Helsel
Candy Chang (center) poses with current Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba (far left) and first lady Ebony Lumumba (center left) and former Mayor Harvey Johnson (far right) and his wife Kathy Harvey (center right) at the unveiling of the “Before I Die” installation at the Arts Center of Mississippi on Wednesday, April 17. Photo by Amber Helsel
Candy Chang (center) poses with former mayor Harvey Johnson (right) and his wife Kathy Johnson (left) at the unveiling of the “Before I Die” installation at the Arts Center of Mississippi. on Wednesday, April 17. Photo by Amber Helsel
Candy Chang (center) poses with Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba (left) and first lady Ebony Lumumba (right) at the unveiling of the “Before I Die” installation at the Arts Center of Mississippi on Wednesday, April 17. Photo by Amber Helsel
Former Mayor Harvey Johnson writes on the “Before I Die” wall at the Arts Center of Mississippi during an unveiling of the installation on Wednesday, April 17. Photo by Amber Helsel
A crowd gathers in front of the “Before I Die” wall at the Arts Center of Mississippi during an unveiling of the installation on Wednesday, April 17. Photo by Amber Helsel

The “Before I Die” wall, which Candy Chang conceived, prompts viewers to think over their lives and then write down something they want to do before they die. There are more than 5,000 walls across the world. The Greater Jackson Arts Council unveiled one at the Arts Center of Mississippi in Jackson on Wednesday, April 17. Photos by Amber Helsel

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.