Emma Caroline Brown
Editor
Since November, Neely Jenkins, a Mississippi University for Women alum and local artist, has been the art department’s administrative assistant, which merges her office and artistic experience in one place.
Jenkins, a 2020 graduate, is the first face you see when entering Summer Hall’s front office. The W’s administrative assistants are tasked with many duties, such as keeping the office organized, completing any clerical work, helping departmental faculty with tasks and communicating with faculty, students, staff and community members.
Alex Stelioes-Wills, professor and chair of The W’s art department, first met Jenkins when she was a student in his design one class, and now, he and Jenkins work next to each other to ensure the departmental office runs smoothly and efficiently.
(L-R) Professor Wills, Haley Rountree, Neely Jenkins, and Erin Crabtree at the zine craft day in Summer Hall held by Columbus Collective.
Photo by Ray Brothers
“Many of the things Neely brings to the job make her a good fit, and not all of it has to do with her really cool and interesting arts and culture side,” Wills said. “Her experience in banking and running a budget is so valuable to us, and her and Haley Rountree’s Columbus Collective helps the department in having another means of connecting with the community and making contact with people.”
Jenkins’s role as a local artist has expanded past her own work and into a community-wide zine known as Columbus Collective, which Jenkins co-runs alongside her best friend, Haley Rountree, a fellow artist and alum of The W.
“My and Neely’s friendship means the world to me,” Rountree said. “She constantly inspires me and supports me, and she makes me excited to do things. Because we’re a team, it makes it easier for opportunities to come up.”
Since 2022, Rountree and Jenkins have been giving community members, students and local artists space to express themselves in ways that were not previously available. The eight-page zine, short for magazine, is mailed out once a month, and consists of handmade artwork such as collages, illustrations and digital drawings.
Zine pages created during the zine craft day.
Photo by Emma Caroline Brown
On Jan. 31st, Jenkins and Rountree held a craft day for the Collective in Summer Hall, where they had dozens of attendees, made up of friends, students and community members from the Golden Triangle. Jenkins and Rountree received more than 70 pieces of artwork to use for future zines.
“We wanted to have plenty of room for people to work on whatever craft they want to do, so here [Summer Hall] is just great because we can reach the community and get more young people to do things,” Jenkins said.
Now that Jenkins works in the art department, it has become easier for her and Rountree to plan events like the craft day. They hope to make this an event that happens once every semester and continues to engage students and community members to make their art known.
Jenkins’s artistic enthusiasm and experience in an office setting and in the arts are proving to be a valuable presence for the department and its engagement with students campus-wide. As she works on campus with students, faculty, staff and community members, Jenkins continues to have a deep love for Columbus and The W, which she sees as creative hubs for everyone.
“Since I came to The W, became involved with the arts here and started going to house shows, I just love seeing people have fun and interacting with each other despite their backgrounds,” Jenkins said. “I just like that the community could bring a bunch of people together to have fun and do their own thing.”