MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2021 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Horhn, Jackson (11th), McMahan, Simmons (12th), Fillingane, Jackson (32nd)
A RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE RECOGNITION OF THE MISSISSIPPI SENATE TO CINEMATOGRAPHER AND STUDIO INNOVATOR ARTHUR JAFA AS THE RECIPIENT OF THE 2021 GOVERNOR'S ARTS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MEDIA ARTS.
WHEREAS, the Governor's Arts Awards Program has announced its 2021 recipients, which includes Cinematographer Arthur Jafa for excellence in media arts; and
WHEREAS, established in 1988, Governor's Arts Awards are given to individuals and organizations to recognize outstanding work in the artistic disciplines, as well as arts-based community development and arts patronage in Mississippi. The awards are presented in partnership with the Governor's Office and signify the important relationship between government and the arts; and
WHEREAS, born in Tupelo, Mississippi, in 1960, Arthur Jafa grew up in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where both his parents were educators. After studying architecture and film at Howard University in Washington, D.C., Jafa moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to kick off his career, which has seen him move effortlessly between feature films, documentaries, experimental video art pieces, music videos and various other artistic media; and
WHEREAS, in 1991, Jafa won the award for Best Cinematography at the Sundance Film Festival for Julie Dash's film Daughters of the Dust. A few years later, he served as cinematographer on Spike Lee's feature Crooklyn; and
WHEREAS, alongside his more high-profile commercial work, Jafa has produced an impressive body of video, art collages, essays, and installations. Many of the country's top museums have exhibited his work, including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, California; and
WHEREAS, his video essay Love is the Message. The Message is Death is in the collections of numerous museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. With a soundtrack of Kanye West's song "Ultralight Beam," the work is a collage of found footage depicting Black American experiences --running the gamut from harrowing to celebratory-- throughout history. In 2019, his video essay The White Album won the Golden Lion at the prestigious Venice Biennale; and
WHEREAS, Arthur Jafa has also made a name for himself as an innovative creator of music videos. He has directed, produced, or photographed videos for Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Solange Knowles.
Always looking for new ways to promote black arts and culture, Jafa co-founded the movie studio "SunHaus." Thirty years into a winding and eclectic career, Arthur Jafa continues to explore innovative forms of artistic expression; and
WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we pay tribute and express appreciation for the talent of World-Class Mississippian Arthur Jafa, who has made Mississippi a better place and exemplifies the musical traditions of our great state:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby extend the recognition of the Mississippi Senate to Arthur Jafa, the recipient of the 2021 Governor's Arts Award for Excellence in Media Arts, and extend our congratulations to this artistic innovator on this auspicious occasion.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Arthur Jafa as part of the Governor's Arts Awards presentation, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.