NATCHEZ — Carolyn Vance Smith, the founder of the Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration, will retire this year after spending 26 years building the annual event into a renowned celebration of Southern arts.

Smith, who started her career at Copiah-Lincoln Community College’s Natchez campus in 1972 as an instructor of English and journalism and director of public information, announced her retirement Friday saying the moment was truly bittersweet.

“I have mixed feelings and emotions because it has been such a very special thing in my life,” Smith said. “But I know there are wonderful people at Copiah-Lincoln and partnering institutions who will step right in and lead it in wonderful directions.”

Smith spearheaded the creation of the conference in 1989 as a way to bring attention to Natchez and help the college, which was 18 years old at the time, move from a rented property on U.S. 61 North in the former Washington school building to a new facility that could handle the growth the college was experiencing.

After attending an educators’ program at the University of Texas at Austin, Smith pitched the idea of Natchez hosting a conference with an educational theme to Howell Garner, the school’s dean at the time, and Billy Thames, the college’s president.

“We couldn’t get the traction for a tax increase or bond issue for a new building at the time, and we were all searching to see what we could do to get the attention of the community,” Smith said. “I thought about the 1,500 people who attended the conference in Austin and said, ‘Why don’t we do a conference in Natchez, which is a tourist destination site, and let the college be the sponsor? It could be an education event and, at the same time, the business community would benefit and see what we’re doing.’”

After an approval from the college’s board of trustees, the first conference was hosted in 1990 using the Natchez Trace as its theme.

Within five years, the college had its new building, which Smith said many credit to the creation of the conference.

“We’ve always been proud that this conference had something to do with that,” Smith said. “It was such a positive force for the community.”

Each year, the conference boasts a different theme that seeks to highlight the South’s — and often Mississippi’s — literary, cinema, music and cultural achievements.

The conference has brought a number of famed presenters to Natchez over the years including, Maya Angelou, Ellen Douglas, Eudora Welty and Clifton Taulbert, among others.

Ensuring the conference continues to do those things is a top priority for Co-Lin President Ronnie Nettles.

“I think what the conference has done with the most lasting impact is the exposure it has brought to our college and the Natchez community,” Nettles said. “This is a type of cultural and literary program that is not often seen at community colleges or small communities like Natchez.

“From my standpoint, it has tremendous value, and that has a lot to do with Mrs. Smith.”

Nettles said Smith’s contributions to the conference are immeasurable.

“Saying she’s been a tremendous resource would be selling it short,” Nettles said. “She’s been an inspiration to a lot of people through the work she’s done, and I don’t know many people who could have taken the lead on something like this, while being so well respected throughout the state and country as she has been.”

Co-Lin Natchez Vice-President Teresa Busby said Smith’s love for the college are unmatched.

“It will be very difficult to find someone who has a passion like she does for the literary arts,” Busby said. “Watching her work over the years has been truly a pleasure, and it’s bittersweet for us as well because you want everyone to have their retirement, but at the same time, you don’t want to lose them.”

Nettles said he and other Co-Lin officials would begin looking at available resources to ensure the conference continues after Smith’s retirement, which will be effective June 30.

“While I can’t say specifically what that’s going to look like yet, I imagine it will probably be a team approach of everyone working together, as it has been in the past,” Nettles said. “But we cannot replace the work she’s done by any means.”

Smith said she is unsure of her exact plans after retirement, but said she looks forward to continuing to volunteer with the conference and sees great things ahead.

“It’ll be wonderful to be able to volunteer and be a member of the audience and do whatever I can to support the conference,” Smith said. “My husband and I will not miss one.”