L.V. Hull Legacy Center Exhibitions

Client: Arts Foundation of Kosciusko

Exhibitions on view beginning June 13, 2026

Self-proclaimed “Unusual Artist” Ms. L.V. Hull (1942–2008) merged artmaking and the Southern art of “visiting” to transform her Kosciusko, Mississippi, home into a wonderland that attracted pilgrims from around the world. The Arts Foundation of Kosciusko, with the support of the community and a multitude of partners and funders, is preserving Hull’s legacy through the creation of the L.V. Hull Legacy Center. Phase 1 of the project includes an administration and programming building and a building dedicated to exhibitions (curated by Annalise Flynn and Yaphet Smith), a reading room, and a media room with video of Hull made by Smith.

Two distinct exhibitions on Hull’s artwork and story are housed in a building that is similar to Hull’s home—built during the same era with similar materials, it has small rooms with low ceilings. Custom display furniture in the exhibitions is made from native red oak. Both exhibitions utilize a font that evokes the artist’s unique handwriting.

The first exhibition showcases Hull’s artwork through an organic design that draws inspiration from the artist’s home in color usage and display style. More than 100 works are installed in varied clusters that emphasize Hull’s artistic approach and evolution. Hull’s presence is woven throughout, via her voice from the video and photos of her situated within her art environment.

The second exhibition is a timeline of Hull’s life, the preservation of her artwork, and the development of the Legacy Center. The design is markedly different from the first gallery, using colors and shapes from her artwork while introducing rigidity via grids, with distinct sections emphasizing the linearity of the timeline. Photos from family and visitors, personal items, historic documents, and artwork are included as parts of the story, and three oral histories on Hull provide additional perspectives.

Photographs made by Ted Degener of art environments from across the country are displayed in the reading room and situate Hull within a broader artmaking practice. Near the exit of the building, a piggybank painted by Hull encourages donations via QR code, and a composition book like the ones Hull often used as her own guestbooks invites visitors to share their thoughts.