A career in art looms large in her visions of the future, but for now Holly Hall is living in the splendid world of queen-ship.

Surprised but pleased that she was selected to serve as Pilgrimage Garden Club queen at the 2007 Historic Natchez Pageant, Hall put away her artist’s smock to don a dress fit for a fairytale princess.

She left the academic atmosphere of the University of Mississippi, where she completes her bachelor’s degree in a few weeks, and returned to her hometown for a magical few weeks of parties and performances.

Hall, 21, reigns with King Andrew Baker, taking part from opening night on March 9 and continuing through March 23.

At that time a second set of queen, king and court members will take on the roles and complete the pageant season, which ends on April 7. Spring Pilgrimage house tours continue through April 14.

“I am very honored to do this,” Hall said. “It’s an honor and a pleasure and I’ve had a wonderful time.”

She said being chosen as queen had not occurred to her before she received the invitation. Once asked, she knew she would agree to do it.

How does an honors student with a thesis due in her major subject take on a big role in the pageant many hours away from her university? First, Hall said, she went to all her professors.

“I showed them a video about the pageant so they’d understand what it’s all about,” she said. “They had never seen anything like it. They were amazed, and said, ‘this is an honor for you.’”

As it happened, one week during her reign is spring break. For the other class days, the teachers agreed to allow make-up after she returns to campus.

Hall has an insider view of the pageant, as her mother, Christina Hall, is pageant chairman. “It’s amazing what they do,” Holly said. “It gets done every year and it’s all volunteer. I don’t know how they do it.”

Hall grew up taking part in the pageant, from Little Maypole and Big Maypole to Showboat, Picnic and Polka. She took part in the Wedding of Jefferson Davis and, last year, the royal court.

Hall will move to Atlanta after graduation from Ole Miss. She will attend Savannah College of Art and Design there, studying for a master’s degree in fine arts.

“I wanted to go to a big city,” she said, explaining her decision to go to the Atlanta campus of the well-known art school.

Her plans after graduate school are to work with a design firm to gain experience and then open her own design business someday.

For her thesis, completed only a couple of weeks ago, Hall prepared an exhibit of her own original work titled “A Detailed Message.”

She created her works in the World War II propaganda poster genre, using a method similar to woodcut but employing Styrofoam instead.

Though serious about her artwork and her future, Hall is glad that she is “a simple, relaxed person,” she said. “I’m a lot like my dad, simple and easy going.”

Her father, the late Dr. David Hall, died when Holly was a month shy of 16. The experience helped her to mature as a person, she said.

“I know it happened for a reason,” she said. “And I know that I am more devoted to everything I do.”

Her brother, Matthew, 19, is at Ole Miss with her. And her sister, Emily, just turned 14. She enjoys spending time with both of them.

Her family has been a big part of her participation in the pageant this year. Her Natchez grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Hall, have bought party clothes for the pageant season. Her Jackson grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Myron Womack, bought her crown.

Her scepter is one used by her mother in Mardi Gras. And she wears the dress of her friend, Lauren Barnes, who was the 2001 Natchez Garden Club queen.

The dress is a Victorian-era design, fashioned in ivory silk dupioni and heavily embellished with pearls and Austrian crystals.

Pearl-edged silk folds follow the shape of the neckline, which is finished with jeweled lace edging. Short poufs of silk, edged with the same lace, form the sleeves.

An overskirt of jewel-encrusted, hand-beaded and re-embroidered Alencon lace falls into rounded points banded with dupioni and edged with pearls and crystals.

The train of the same silk fabric features the same embellished lace in patterns that echo the style of the dress.