/Jackson awarded $1 million from Michael Bloomberg for art project to spotlight food insecurity

Jackson awarded $1 million from Michael Bloomberg for art project to spotlight food insecurity

The project, “Fertile Ground”: Inspiring Dialogue About Access to Food, will inform policy on nutrition and use art to communicate Jackson’s issues about food insecurity. Bloomberg stated during a downtown news conference, “I have always believed that culture attracts wealth rather than capital attracting wealth.” Bloomberg claimed that he supported over 500 public art projects in New York while serving as mayor. He said, “This will be an effort of the community, and I hope that it not only leads us to increased food access in Jackson but also sparks a conversation across our country.” Jackson was announced as the third winner of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge. This initiative is open to more than 200 cities. “The city is thrilled to have been selected,” stated Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba. He was joined by Bloomberg for the announcement. “Fertile Ground” will bring together the talents of many professionals including chefs, nutritionists and farmers. The project will use public streets, community gardens and a local elementary school as the sites. A vacant building will be transformed into an exhibition space. A food lab with a pop-up kitchen will also serve as an incubator for experimental food. According to Feeding America (a national food bank network), Mississippi has experienced the highest level of food insecurity for eight years. A 2017 study found that Jackson has the highest levels of obesity and diabetes in the country. The National League of Cities gave Jackson $120,000 to combat hunger in the city’s schools. Bloomberg, who was New York City’s mayor for twelve years, has responded to speculations that he would run for president in 2020. He said, “If I was given the opportunity to do something in Washington,” he added. “What I am trying to do is travel around the country to talk to people, listen to their thoughts and see if they are open to hearing my ideas. There are many other people who might run, so we’ll watch what happens.” This award is the culmination of a long partnership between Bloomberg Philanthropies and Jackson. Bloomberg Philanthropies selected Jackson from eight cities in 2015 to create an open data portal that would make public information about the city’s spending. Although the project is still being developed, Melvin Priester, Jackson City Council President, said that it would be completed soon. Bloomberg selected Mayor Lumumba from 40 other mayors to participate in a Harvard University leadership training in July.