MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2019 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Horhn, Barnett, Blount, DeBar, Frazier, Jackson (11th), Jackson (32nd)
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE RECOGNITION OF THE MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE TO JAMES PATTERSON AS A POSTMORTEM RECIPIENT OF THE 2019 GOVERNOR'S ARTS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PHOTOGRAPHY AND FOR COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
WHEREAS, the Governor's Arts Awards Program has announced its 2019 recipients, a postmortem tribute to James Patterson for Excellence in Photography and for Community Support; and
WHEREAS, James Patterson was a Jackson-area Portrait, Commercial and Fine Art Photographer who was a regular contributor to such publications as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and many other respected publications and in advertisements for well-known brands. James was a sought-after Photographer whose work has been published internationally. Patterson had long been a friend to the Mississippi arts community by promoting artists and events and providing artists with free or heavily-discounted work as well as exhibit or performance space; and
WHEREAS, James Patterson was born in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1959 but moved to Mississippi as a young child where he became one of the region's leading commercial and portrait photographers. His sought-after skills behind the camera and in the darkroom were paired with a lifelong love for music and the visual arts, along with the people who created art; and
WHEREAS, James Patterson started his own photography business after graduating from The University of Southern Mississippi. He published photographs in the country's leading publications, including The New York Times, Time and the Washington Post. James captured images of people from all walks of life but always returned to photographing his many artist and musician friends. Patterson befriended and photographed authors like Pulitzer Prize Winner Eudora Welty and Willie Morris, as well as performers such as Morgan Freeman and B.B. King. He also photographed scores of lesser-known artists whom he considered no less important; and
WHEREAS, Patterson owned numerous galleries and studios, which he used as a springboard for countless emerging artists. His studio in Jackson's Fondren Business District was often the site for musicians to perform original music in a supportive, intimate environment; and
WHEREAS, James was one of two photographers with permission to print Eudora Welty's own Depression-era photographs. In 1992, he collaborated on a limited-edition art portfolio featuring large-scale prints of Eudora Welty's photos; and
WHEREAS, in 2018, the Mississippi Museum of Art featured a retrospective of his work. A subsequent musical celebration for Mr. Patterson brought together many old friends and some of his favorite local bands from the 1980s; and
WHEREAS, James Patterson passed away in October 2018 after he was selected to receive a 2019 Governor's Arts Award, and we extend the condolences of the Mississippi Legislature to James' surviving family on his passing; and
WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we pay tribute and express appreciation for the contributions of a Mississippi community leader who made Mississippi a better place and exemplified the artistic traditions of our great state:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby extend the recognition of the Mississippi Legislature to James Patterson as a postmortem recipient of the 2019 Governor's Arts Award for Excellence in Photography and for Community Support, and extend our congratulations on this auspicious occasion.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to the surviving family of James Patterson as part of the Governor's Arts Awards presentation and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.