MS SR19

Extends recognition of the Mississippi Senate to Tupelo multimedia artist Ke Francis as the recipient of the 2023 Governor's Arts Award for Excellence in Visual Arts.

Acknowledges Francis's 40-year career as a multimedia artist, writer, and publisher with national and international exhibitions.

Notes Francis's collaborations with prominent artists including William Christenberry, Robert Rauschenberg, and Robert Stackhouse, and his work represented by major galleries in New Orleans, Kansas City, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles.

Recognizes his "Reconstruction" series depicting tornado destruction and rebuilding, and his work housed in over 30 major public and private international collections including the Getty Museum and National Gallery.

Honors Francis's operation of Hoopsnake Press (established 1970) in Tupelo with his wife Mary and daughter Kerry, and his contributions to arts publications and literary journals.