Photos: Dead bills on display

A "political graveyard" appeared in front of Summer Hall on the campus of Mississippi University for Women this morning, noting eight pieces of legislation - most focused on education - that failed in this year's Mississippi legislative session. The eight Styrofoam grave markers each bore the name and a description the failed bills. "This is a class assignment, called an installation project by the students in Dr. Beverley Joyce's modern and contemporary art history class," MUW Department of Art and Design Chair Shawn Dickey said this morning as students and staff passed to read the headstones. "The idea is for students to think about ways to interact with the public. Art should not be confined to museum walls. It should be in public places where the artist can connect with the public." Dickey said the university-approved display is an annual class assignment. "It's contemporary art, so it's always relevant to what's happening," Dickey said. "Some years, like this year, it can be political in nature, but not always." Dickey said the students' work is usually on display for two weeks. Photo by: Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff