MUW faculty member receives fellowship
The Mississippi Arts Commission gives MUW faculty member a fellowship
COLUMBUS, Miss. (MUW Press Release) — The fellowship is a portion of the more than $1.7 million in grants and fellowships MAC awarded in Fiscal Year 2026 and will support travel for international and domestic piano performances, as well as to record a new solo piano album featuring music written by women composers.
“Receiving the 2026 MAC Performing Arts Fellowship is a great honor,” said Mortyakova. “I am incredibly proud to be recognized for my artistic achievements and to represent Mississippi and The W worldwide wherever my performance activities take me. Thank you, MAC!”
Mortyakova joined The W as a faculty member in 2012. At the university, she has served on the Teacher Education Council, Council of Chairs and Cultural Affairs Committee, among others. She is a member of the National Association of Schools of Music, where she was recently re-elected to a second term on the Commission on Accreditation.
“Mississippi is a vibrant hub of artistic talent that enriches lives and fuels local economies throughout our state,” said David Lewis, executive director for the Mississippi Arts Commission. “With the generous support from the Mississippi Legislature, we can leverage our citizens’ creativity to invest in our communities.”
The W also received a $4,000 Organization Project Grant from MAC for the annual Music by Women festival held on campus each spring. Mortyakova founded the Music by Women international festival at The W, which just completed its ninth year. The event features performances of new and historic music written by female composers.
MAC’s annual grant funds come from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Mississippi State Legislature. Awards were made in 94 Mississippi House of Representatives districts and 49 state Senate districts.
This is the second time that Morytakova has received the Performing Arts Fellowship award from the Mississippi Arts Commission.
The Mississippi Arts Commission is a state agency serving more than two million people through grants and special initiatives that enhance communities, assist artists and arts organizations, promote arts education and celebrate Mississippi’s cultural heritage. MAC is funded by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mississippi Endowment for the Arts at the Community Foundation for Mississippi and other private sources. For more information, visit www.arts.ms.gov.
For information about the Mississippi Arts Commission, please contact Ellie Banks, communications director, (601) 359-6546 or ebanks@arts.ms.gov.
About the Mississippi Arts Commission
The Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) is a state agency serving more than two million people through grants and special initiatives that enhance communities, assist artists and arts organizations, promote arts education and celebrate Mississippi’s cultural heritage. MAC is funded by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, and other private sources. For more information, visit www.arts.ms.gov.
