On the edge of the Briarwood community in northeast Jackson sits a white building with a blue awning. On any given night, its rooms are filled with artists, dancers and creatives who have come to build community and hone their crafts.
This is the home of the Briarwood Arts Center, the creation of Stephen Brown, also known as the hip-hop artist, producer and DJ 5th Child.
“During the pandemic, there was this unhoused population that had an encampment in front of the building, and the gas station next door had become a dumping site. There were huge piles of trash and tires and all sorts of stuff,” Brown said. “It was really frustrating seeing that as I pulled into my neighborhood after a long day of work.”
The building had been abandoned since he moved into the neighborhood in 2017. It was the remnants of an abortion clinic, turned daycare center, turned 3,500 square feet of deserted possibility. A property management company with property close by eventually bought and leased the building in the summer of 2022.
“When this opportunity presented itself, I knew that it had to be comprehensive,” Brown said. “It wasn’t gonna be just like one type of art. It’s not Stephen Brown Art Center or 5th Child Art Center. This is Briarwood Arts Center. It’s not about one person, but it’s about the community.”
Brown aimed to fill a void in the local arts scene. Popular hangouts like The Flamingo, a collective space and venue in Fondren, had closed, and there weren’t many places around for people who were into the alternative arts and music culture.
“I wanted to create something where we own it, within the artist community, that nobody could just take from us or remove us from or anything like that,” he said. “I didn’t know how that was going to happen, I just knew that it needed to happen even if I wasn’t the person to do it.”
He secured the keys later that fall, and soon after hosted an open-house, gathering ideas for what community members wanted to see. That culminated into stacked programming, with a calendar flush with events such as line dancing classes, Kuumba (Swahili for creativity) Youth Night, GoodEDvice ACT Prep Club and Crochet Circle. Most of the events at the Briarwood Arts Center are free.
“The work that we’re doing here, we can find other ways to make money, but I don’t wanna make money on the backs of the community members,” he said. “I don’t wanna price them out of these enriching experiences, so that’s why the stuff that we do is free.”
Artwork at the Briarwood Arts Center, located in northeast Jackson, Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi TodayStephen Brown, at his Briarwood Arts Center, located in northeast Jackson, Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi TodayStephen Brown, in the sewing room at his Briarwood Arts Center, located in northeast Jackson, Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi TodayStephen Brown, in the music room at his Briarwood Arts Center, located in northeast Jackson, Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi TodayStephen Brown, in the music room he named for a beloved pet at his Briarwood Arts Center, located in northeast Jackson, Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi TodayArtwork at the Briarwood Arts Center, located in northeast Jackson, Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi TodayMural overloking the Briarwood Arts Center parking lot, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in northeast Jackson. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi TodayBriarwood Arts Center owner Stephen Brown, talks of his vision for the center, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in northeast Jackson. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi TodayEntryway of the Briarwood Arts Center, located in northeast Jackson, offers a book for readers, Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi TodayArtwork at the Briarwood Arts Center, located in northeast Jackson, Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi TodayEach room at the center is designed with the artist in mind. There’s the Craft Kitchen, where visitors can develop their crafting skills, practice using a Cricut machine and learn how to sew their own projects. In the Ubuntu room, dancers learn movement through music, and community members can brush up on their self-defense skills. There’s also Cole’s House II, a music lab, and The Branding Lab is complete with a green screen and backdrops for photography practice.
“The space is really designed for folks who are still trying to figure it out, who have the genuine curiosity about something that they’re like, ‘What if I don’t get it right? What if it’s not perfect?’ Well, come here and screw up,” he said. “Come here and make all your mistakes so that you can fine tune it and take it to a bigger, nicer, fancier venue down the line.”
Brown hopes that his persistence and dedication to creating safe spaces inspires others in Jackson to imagine what’s possible for their neighborhoods.
“What I want is for someone in Shady Oaks to be like, ‘Oh man, we got an abandoned building right here in our neighborhood too. Let’s put our money together and start the Shady Oaks Art Center.’ Or somebody in Alta Woods or in Virden Addition to say, ‘Hey man, we got this abandoned building. How about we start the Alta Woods Art Center?’”
Briarwood Arts Center will hold events for 601 JXN Day, which is an annual weekend long celebration of the city coordinated by Visit Jackson. Residents can participate in the Briarwood Unity 2K, as well as a community clean-up. The center will also host the Siegel Select Block Party, a service program where volunteers will collect donations and supplies for residents who stay in the hotel, which is right next to the arts center’s parking lot.
“There’s no fee to register, but this is more about a demonstration of establishing that camaraderie and dignity for the Briarwood neighborhood,” he said. “Before Fondren was Fondren, somebody had to care enough. Before Belhaven was Belhaven, somebody had to be the squeaky wheel.”
Brown sees the space he cultivated as one that reaches across generations. He said he’s seen visitors at Briarwood Arts Center from ages 6 to 94.
“It’s not just about the technical skill of sewing a stitch, but they’re talking about history. They’re talking about legacy. They’re talking about family tradition and all that stuff is being passed down through the arts,” he said. “The arts are a vehicle to bring these people together. Arts have always been, not only a time capsule, but also a means of resistance. They’ve been a blueprint for resistance.”
More information about Briarwood Arts Center and a calendar of events can be found on its website.
Schedule of 601 JXN Day eventsFriday, May 305 p.m.-7 p.m.Official 601 JXN Day Weekend Kickoff at The Walk-In, 200 Commerce St.Saturday, May 319 a.m.-12 p.m.601 Day 5k with JXN Run Club at Fertile Ground Beer Co., Belhaven Town Center2 p.m.-7 p.m.Community market at Union Market, 300 W. Capitol St.Magnolia Sunset Market in collaboration with Jackson Redevelopment Authority, music by DJ JavaSunday, June 18:30 a.m.-11 a.m.Briarwood Unity 2K & Block Party at Briarwood Arts Center, 614 Briarwood Drive11 a.m.Offbeat 601 JXN Day Hangout at Offbeat, 109 N. State St.Includes a t-shirt pop-up with Lucid Ink, the opening reception for Lichelle Brown’s GLOW and Skate Jackson’s second annual Skate JamView more events here Read More Details
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