Kira Cummings is a multimedia artist working in visual arts, videography, and event production. For the Rural Routes Design Lab, Kira Cummings will mount a multi-faceted, community-engaged project including the collaborative production of an album featuring ten different creatives reflecting on their experiences living in Mississippi, ten accompanying music videos, ten pyrography portraits of the participants, and a culminating album release event at Duling Hall featuring screenings of the videos, panel discussions with the participants, and an exhibition of the pyrography portraits.
Kira will recruit singers and rappers through an open call submission process utilizing Google Forms. All genres will be eligible with a selection process developed under the guidance of the RDDL support team. Questions in the form will inquire about past musical experience, their philosophy of community engagement, and the topics they would like to explore in their contribution to the album related to “What Mississippi Means to Me”.
The album will be recorded and produced at New Management studio in Jackson, MS. Fifteen beats created by John Qwest will be available for participants who would like to have a beat provided.
Kira Cummings will record original music videos to accompany each track. Cummings will also create an original pyrography portrait on “10x10” wood panels of each participating musician or band. These wood panels will be collaged to create the album art.
Music videos would also accompany each song on the album. Once the music videos are completed- a public screening/ panel discussion will take place in Jackson, MS. The 10 creatives can discuss the meaning of their song/ music video with the general public.
This project will culminate with a public, community album release party at Duling Hall in the Fondren District of Jackson, MS. The event will celebrate the participants and their music through the release of the album, screenings of all ten videos, panel discussions with the participants on “What Mississippi Means to Me,” and an exhibition of the pyrography portraits. Duling Hall is a mid-size concert and event space which has hosted national acts such as Bun B, the Flaming Lips, and Phoebe Bridgers as well as community events such as Duvall Deckers Community Design Studio and the Art of Wellness.
The Rural Routes Design Lab will allow Kira to take her artistic and organizing practice to the next level. Kira has over ten years experience organizing musical showcases, art exhibitions, creating music videos, and celebrating Mississippi musicians through portraiture. This project will bring all of her artistic facets together in a multi-disciplinary offering to the community, showcasing Mississippi talent through music, video, and visual art and celebrating them in and with the community.
Cummings is a Fine Art graduate of Jackson State University with a Minor in Graphic Design and is a member of the Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi for her pyrography. Cummings is the Creative Director for The Works where she creates video and animation for musicians, produces interview programs, and develops corporate promotional assets as well as producing live events such as…
Kira Cummings RRDL project will shine a bright light on Mississippi offering a counterpoint to the tragedy of its governance as evidenced in the statistics related to poverty, obesity, education, etc. Mississippi isn't all doom and gloom - this project will lift up the light.
Samples of Community projects
https://www.theworksllcjxn.com/showcases
