Stax Music Academy (Photo: Memphis Music Initiative | Facebook)
We, as a city, have to create secure pathways for our young people to develop their talents, pursue aspirational careers in the creative economy, and secure Memphis’ rich cultural legacy into the future.
Often, when we think about Memphis’ cultural offerings, we’re stuck in the past and limited by how we define and value the city’s heritage. Memphis is known worldwide for its music, food, and culture, but we don’t always support the diverse array of makers, producers, dreamers, and thinkers pushing culture forward in Memphis and beyond. There is incredible untapped economic potential in the arts and cultural heritage sector. In order to unlock that potential, we must evolve the way we think about Memphis’ creative economy and what it encompasses, push for policies that provide better access to capital and capacity building for artists and creative entrepreneurs, and provide sustained funding for arts nonprofits and creative businesses. We must shift our policies and practices to lower barriers to cross-sector workforce development collaboration so that we can create stronger bridges from education to industry for young people interested in pursuing careers in the wide array of creative fields in Memphis.
In the days following the death of Tyre Nichols, images from his online photography catalog began to circulate online. Clicking through the beautiful photos, it is obvious and tragic to realize that he does not have a chance to develop his talent because his life was so cruelly stolen due to the atrocities committed against him. When we talk about the future of our city (and our city’s arts sector), we’re talking about young visionaries like Tyre. It’s vital that we resource organizations, spaces, and individuals who reflect our city’s arts and culture now — one day, they will be the leaders of the sector.
Last fall, the More for Memphis Arts & Culture Collaborative launched a survey to gather the voices of Memphis creatives — particularly Black creatives whose work fuels our city’s arts ecosystem — to get a better understanding of the challenges facing the sector. One of the key findings was that although the arts are a major economic driver for our city, the sector is critically under-resourced relative to the amount of tax revenue it generates. In 2019, the arts sector generated more than $8 million in revenue, but received just $2.02 in per capita funding — less than half of the national per capita average — for an ROI of 1,000 percent. What’s more, between 2018 and 2022, only 28.81 percent of the public funding for the arts in Shelby County, including pandemic relief funds, went to organizations led by people of color.
That lack of baseline investment makes it incredibly difficult for artists to make a living as creatives in Memphis. Survey respondents said that they struggle to make ends meet, often working multiple jobs and long hours to keep the lights on. It also impacts whether young people are able to see a place for themselves in Memphis’ creative economy. Young people are the lens through which we must vision a better, more equitable future for our sector and our city. This is where art starts in Memphis. In a city that is more than 60 percent Black, this is a racial justice issue. There is a disconnect between how we, as Memphians, view Memphis and how Memphis is sold to the world.
As part of the More for Memphis project, we are working to recenter Blackness at the heart of Memphis’ cultural heritage so that we can better define the contours of the arts and cultural heritage economy here in Memphis beyond music tourism and traditional, often white, mainstays that often derive from Black cultural forms. Memphis’ celebrated arts and cultural heritage economy should highlight important cultural and historical assets like the National Civil Rights Museum, Mason Temple, Hattiloo Theatre, and Collage Dance Collective, in addition to world-renowned assets like Sun Studio or Graceland. That starts on the grassroots level, with more support for organizations that are led by and serve Black and brown people, and more support for individual creators.
In addition to better supporting artists, we must also recognize and value creativity as an important workforce development skill in any field. The creative economy is made up of knowledge workers who possess critical thinking and design skills that transfer across all sectors, with overlaps in forward-looking fields like healthcare innovation, business technology, and advanced manufacturing. To be a competitive economy in the coming decades, we need people who can think outside of the box and who can adapt to new technology and new innovations — all traits of creative thinkers. We must equip our young people to be the foundation of a thriving, more equitable creative economy.
The arts and creative industries must no longer be left out of the economic and community development conversation. By developing economic and business development policy and practice to better support the needs of creatives, especially Black creatives and Black heritage sites, Memphis can begin to realize the full value of the arts as an underutilized economic asset.
Rychetta Watkins is the director of grantmaking and partnerships for Memphis Music Initiative. She is a passionate advocate for increased equity, access, and opportunity in education, the arts, and philanthropy in her hometown.
Tommy Kha's “Eye is Another” at Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
As you invite spring back into your lives, we invite you to support the arts this season, for Memphis has no shortage of exhibitions, performances, and arts happenings. We also encourage you to step out of your comfort zone. Catch a performance by a cast of actors who were formerly incarcerated; try out an immersive theater experience; or maybe, if you’re brave enough, audition for a show yourself.
Black Men Missing II
Nine years ago, during a service at Miracle Temple Ministries, Larry NuTall noticed that the majority of the church’s congregation was women. The men, he noted, were missing, not just from the church but from the community and the family, and he let his imagination carry him through the different reasons as to why that might be. “I just created little scenarios,” he says. “That’s how I basically got the idea to write a play about Black men.”
The characters came easily and so did their backstories, wrapped up in crime and family issues, often the victim of their situation. By the conclusion of the play, called Black Men Missing, most of these men end up dying or incarcerated, and that bleak ending has sat with audiences for almost a decade. NuTall says that, even to this day, people ask him about what happened to the characters and their families after they last saw them on stage. So, when he was approached to bring back the show, he opted instead to create a sequel.
“Part two is basically giving the audience the ending where everything turns out great,” NuTall explains. “These guys [who were incarcerated by the end of the first part] are back out in society and what they’re doing now is being role models. … They’re trying to encourage others to be better than they were, not to be a statistic, letting them know that they don’t have to go that way.”
Though Black Men Missing II has yet to take to the stage, it’s already impacting members of the community — specifically those in the cast. Though most of them had never acted before answering the casting call NuTall posted at church and on social media, these men have lived the story he has written, stories of addiction and incarceration, stories of lacking a father figure, stories of searching for love in the wrong places.
In turn, they bring a weight to their respective characters that the playwright could never have imagined. For this cast, acting has become a source of therapy. They’re able to embody their stories with not only a sense of accountability but also sympathy for their characters and, by extension, their past selves.
“One of the guys said that this particular play basically saved his life,” NuTall says. “They are actually very emotional. To see them cry, these big guys, strong guys, to see them emotional in rehearsal, it caused my heart to just fall right into my pocket. It’s really helping them. To see them at the very beginning and to see them now, these guys embrace each other and tell them, ‘I love you, brother. I’ll see you next week.’ They didn’t do any of that at the very beginning.”
NuTall himself knows the power of performing, having been a professional dancer for the Tennessee Ballet Theater before turning to playwriting. “I remember back in the day, the Orpheum was one of the biggest spotlights for me because we did the Nutcracker there basically every year. I always said that I would love to bring my very own show back to the Orpheum. And my dream is a reality now.”
Black Men Missing II is a Larry NuTall production and will be performed at the Orpheum Theatre, on March 25th, 7 p.m.
In a Dark Wood
For Julia Hinson and Aliza Moran, writing a script together comes just as easily as finishing each other’s sentences. “I think we have a very similar language,” says Moran. “I feel like it’s something that’s developed through our time working together. She’s one of my best friends, and we are around each other all the time. … We’ve known each other for 20 years.”
For their latest project, titled In a Dark Wood, the two friends, who met while at the University of Memphis, found inspiration in Southern lore. The show is about two travelers who, after an unexplainable event, find refuge in a diner, where patrons and staff share their own experiences with the supernatural. “We have taken real experiences we read about and just put them in the mouths of our character basically,” Hinson says.
“We also knew it was gonna be audio immersive,” she continues, “meaning that the people will go into the theater, they’ll put headphones on, and then we will put them in darkness. So the play happens in their minds, basically.”
As such, the two knew that scripting this experimental play would be different than scripting a traditional performance. “We’re always thinking of the audio first, so as we’re writing it, if it’s a storm, what kind of storm? And then to even think through sounds that you wouldn’t normally think about — like driving in a car, the sound of the keys, the sound of the engine.”
They plan to record the cast with a binaural microphone. “It’s shaped like the human ear,” Hinson explains. “And so it picks up sound just like the human ear would.”
“So whatever character’s perspective we’re writing, you’re hearing it from their perspective, which is pretty neat,” adds Moran, and that concept focusing on character perspective drove their process. “We started with the characters first and then moved from there. … We ask questions, which is the part of the devising process that I learned, and it’s like asking questions from these characters like you were trying to get to know somebody. So, say, what is their earliest memory? What do they want? What did they want to be when they were young? And then just keep adding and adding, so that when we got to the writing process, we knew these characters so well that we could trust each other with scripting.”
Through this collaborative process, Moran continues, “No one part of the play belongs to one person,” and the collaboration doesn’t end in the scripting. For instance, Hinson says, “We’ll tell the actors that if something doesn’t quite fit in their mouth, we’ll change it to make it flow out of their mouth. So we hope to be collaborative with them as well.”
Even the audience will be a part of this collaboration, Hinson says. “It’s a communal experience.” Without an audience, the show’s purpose would cease to exist, and in that way, the show belongs to the audience, too. In a Dark Wood, in particular,promises to be intimate, with the audience limited to 20 people. “When we experience things together [through theater], I think it bonds us to people in a way that other things don’t,” Hinson says. “Theater’s also a mirror to society. And while our show is mostly creepy fun — we’re not making any political statements necessarily — we’re looking to give people a different kind of experience, but there’s value in that.”
“It is a way to step out of our general lives,” Moran adds, “have the experience with others, maybe be moved by it. You never know.”
In a Dark Wood is a LoneTree Live production and will be showing at Evergreen Theatre at select times on March 31st-April 9th; lonetreelive.com.
Mora Play rehearsals in 2020 (Photo: Courtesy Our Own Voice | Facebook)
Mora Play
After eight years of working on their play, Sarah Rushakoff was finally ready to share it with the public. Rehearsals began in early 2020 with the theater group Our Own Voice (OOV) and soon came to a crashing halt at the onset of the pandemic. Now, after another three years of waiting, Rushakoff’s Mora Play will at last make its debut on the TheatreWorks stage as OOV’s first production since 2020.
The play takes inspiration from medieval morality plays, which were religious in nature and largely allegorical with a protagonist who must choose between good and evil for the sake of their salvation. For Mora Play, Rushakoff says, “I’m making it the humanist version, with the idea that people can do good without the promise of a reward and avoid doing evil without the threat of punishment, which is opposite of the original morality plays.
“It just always nagged at me that some people who are very religious make it sound very difficult to just be good and do good things,” they continue. “And when you look at a lot of religious zealots today and what they say, a lot of it is not what you would call moral goals. It’s capitalism, greed, hate, dishonesty, willful ignorance. It turns people against each other, instead of bringing them together. That’s why I thought that this [play] was a version that maybe we need today, instead of fire and brimstone.”
But Rushakoff, a self-declared atheist, is wary of creating their own echo chamber, so they hope to get feedback from their fellow OOV members, who range in religious affiliations. They’ve also recruited Bill Baker, the founding director of the company, as a co-director. “I definitely wanted different viewpoints. I wanted to be challenged if something in the script didn’t sit well with someone.”
After three years in limbo, Rushakoff does expect to revise the script. “It’ll probably never be done in my mind,” they say. “But there’s so much stuff that’s happened since I first said I was done writing it. There’s so much more to say. … But it’s gonna be a collaborative process.”
After all, that collaborative and egalitarian energy is what initially drew Rushakoff to OOV. “If you’ve ever done a show with us, you’re a company member,” they say. “Period. Like forever. We welcome everyone and for a lot of people, we’re the first play they’ve ever been in. … Auditions are more like, ‘Just show up and if you like what we’re doing and we like what you’re doing, then you’re in.’” (For those interested, auditions are April 1st, 2nd, and 8th.)
Audience participation is also important for OOV performances, where there’s never a fourth wall. “When the performers acknowledge the audience and when we invite them to perform with us,” Rushakoff says, “it deepens the connection with the audience and makes them feel like a part of the performance.”
Mora Play, for its part, hints at that desire for connection. “We wanted to redefine the idea of sin,” Rushakoff says. “We boiled it down to the idea that it’s a modern sin to prevent or break a connection between people. So the flip side of that is, a good deed is building or facilitating a connection between people. That’s what we hope to do [with theater].”
Mora Play will be performed May 26th-June 11th at TheatreWorks; follow OOV on Facebook (@ourownvoicetheatretroupe).
ON DISPLAY
“Black Alchemy: Backwards/Forwards Revisited” Aaron Turner explores the depths of music through photography. TONE, through March 18
“Atmospheric Conditions” Bill Killebrew’s narrative scenic paintings. David Lusk Gallery, through April 1
“Jeanne Seagle: Of This Place”
“Jeanne Seagle: Of This Place” Drawings of landscapes surrounding Memphis with remarkable precision. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, through April 9
“Who Is That Artist?” Works by Johana Moscoso, Karla Sanchez, and Danielle Sierra, who speak to Latinx identity, intersectionality, and transcendence. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, through April 16
Johnson Uwadinma Paintings by this contemporary Nigerian artist. Urevbu Contemporary, through April 29
“Eye is Another” at Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
“Eye is Another” Photography-based installation by artist Tommy Kha. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, through May 7
“Tend To” A flora-filled group exhibition featuring works by Joel Parsons, Sarah Elizabeth Cornejo, and Verushka Dior. Urban Art Commission, through May 7
“Extending the Potential” Enameling by the late Bill Helwig and current enamel artists. Metal Museum, through May 21
“Going with the Grain” Rose Marr’s crayon drawings on wood. Hattiloo Theatre, March 9-April 6
Harmonia Rosales’ “Master Narrative”
“Master Narrative” Harmonia Rosales’ paintings weave tales of West African Yorùbà religion, Greco-Roman mythology, and Christianity. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, March 10-June 25
Carl E. Moore at Jay Etkin Gallery
“From the Studio” Carl E. Moore’s work reflects and represents the people and landscape around him. Jay Etkin Gallery, March 17-April 29
Jasmine Marie Photographer Jasmine Marie’s work exploring love, Black femme identity, and community. Beverly & Sam Ross Gallery, March 19-April 23
“The Expansive Moment” Susan Maakestad’s watercolors take banal urban landscapes and transform them into meditations on light and color. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, April 16-July 9
“Watercolors and Ceramics” Chinese-French artist Zao Wou-Ki’s lyrical watercolors and designs for ceramics. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, April 30-July 16
Doudou Mbemba Lumbu Paintings that express the artist’s observations of a failing humanity and his vision for a better world. Urevbu Contemporary, May 6-June 30
“Rich Soil at the Garden” at Memphis Botanic Garden
“Rich Soil at the Garden” Outdoor exhibition created by Kristine Mays, inspired by the movements of Alvin Ailey’s dance composition. Memphis Botanic Garden, opening in May
The Dixon Gallery & Gardens
“Dixon Blooms” Daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips! Oh my! This will be one of the Dixon’s biggest garden exhibitions yet, with 350,000 new flowering bulbs planted. Stay up to date on the status of the blooms on the Dixon’s social media. The Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Spring
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (Photo: Paul Kolnik)
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater The dancers of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dazzle with their technical brilliance and passionate energy, bringing audiences to their feet at every performance. Orpheum Theatre, March 3-5
Spamalot A musical and comedic take on the tale of King Arthur’s quest to find the Holy Grail. Germantown Community Theatre, March 3-19
The Play That Goes Wrong A play within a play, where disaster befalls the cast and crew. Theatre Memphis, March 3-26
Step Afrika! One of the top-10 African-American dance companies in the United States comes to GPAC. Germantown Performing Arts Center, March 5
Ain’t Too Proud (Photo: Emilio Madrid)
Ain’t Too Proud The electrifying new smash-hit Broadway musical follows The Temptations’ extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Orpheum Theatre, March 7-12
Freckleface Strawberry: The Musical A show for the whole family, this musical follows Freckleface Strawberry as she tries to do anything to get rid of her freckles. The Circuit Playhouse, March 10-April 16
Lonely Planet Centered around the AIDS epidemic, this play touches on mourning and grief, kept at bay with quips and comedy. TheatreWorks, March 10-19
Marie-Stéphane Bernard: Sounds of My Life Witness the worlds of Paris, Italian opera houses, and Memphis as they collide in the lyrical language of Marie-Stéphane Bernard. Germantown Performing Arts Center, March 11
Memphis Music & Art Expo An evening of dynamic jazz by pianist Alex Bugnon, plus a performance by flutist Althea Rene. Scheidt Performing Arts Center, March 11
Dalí Quartet An Iris concert fusing classical and Latin music. Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center, March 17
Ink A team of underdog reporters and an editor set out to beat the competition and change the way the world looks at news — all this, under the watchful eye of Rupert Murdoch. The Circuit Playhouse, March 24-April 16
Mozart and Electric Guitar Concerto A concert of musical dedications by Memphis Symphony Orchestra. Crosstown Theater, March 24 | Germantown United Methodist Church, March 26
School Girls; Or, African Mean Girls Play Exploring the universal similarities (and glaring differences) facing teenage girls across the globe. Hattiloo Theatre, March 24-April 16
Preacher Lawson (Photo: Courtesy EV Memphis)
Preacher Lawson Memphis-born comedian comes to GPAC. Germantown Performing Arts Center, March 25
Menopause: The Musical Four women at a lingerie sale have nothing in common but a black lace bra and memory loss, hot flashes, night sweats, not enough sex, too much sex, and more. Orpheum Theatre, March 29
Mrs. Mannerly A demanding etiquette teacher comes face-to-face with a student determined to earn a perfect score. Theatre Memphis, March 31-April 16
30 Days of Opera Opera Memphis presents a month of free, outdoor performances throughout Memphis. Various locations, April 1-30
Chicago This Broadway show brings all that jazz to Memphis. Orpheum Theatre, April 4-9
Ballet Memphis presents Cinderella. (Photo: Justin Fox Burks)
Cinderella Young and old alike will be enchanted by this timeless tale from Ballet Memphis. Orpheum Theatre, April 14-16
Jose Limón Dance Company Jose Limón Dance Company is revered throughout the world for its dramatic expression, technical mastery, and expansive yet nuanced movement. Buckman Arts Center, April 16
Brahms: A People’s Requiem Experience this exquisite, soulful journey with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, April 22-23
Heather McMahan: The Comeback Tour Your favorite high-functioning hot mess, comedian Heather McMahan is back on tour. Orpheum Theatre, April 28
Lungs A couple considers starting a family. Quark Theatre, April 28
Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich One of the greatest symphonies of the 20th century. Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, May 6 | Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center, May 7
Clyde’s A truck-stop sandwich shop in Reading, Pennsylvania, becomes a place of employment and redemption for the formerly incarcerated staff. The Circuit Playhouse, May 12-June 4
Sistas: The Musical After a matriarch’s death, the women in the family bond over old memories. Hattiloo Theatre, June 2-25
Mary Poppins You know her and you love her. Mary Poppins is coming to Theatre Memphis. Theatre Memphis, June 9-July 2
Jersey Boys An exciting walk down memory lane uncovers the rise and fall of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Playhouse on the Square, June 16-July 16
AROUND TOWN
Chalkfest (Photo: Courtesy Memphis Brooks Museum of Art)
Chalkfest Join local artists in transforming the Brooks Plaza into the most beautiful masterpiece with chalk. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, March 25
Tennessee Triennial: Memphis Highlight Weekend Presented by the Tennessee Triennial, the weekend will include receptions and celebratory events at select venues. Various locations, April 27-29
Spring Faire Theatre Memphis’ annual event with artists’ and artisans’ booths, food trucks, and performances throughout the day. Theatre Memphis, April 29
Brazil by Day Become immersed in the rich culture of Brazil through fine art, live music, dance performances, cuisine, and more! Crosstown Arts, May 13
This will be the third Women in the Arts. (Photo: Courtesy Dixon Gallery & Gardens)
For a third time, the Dixon Gallery & Gardens and Theatre Memphis will cohost the annual Women in the Arts, a day dedicated to, as you may have ascertained, women in the arts, with panels, demonstrations, classes, performances, and more.
“We have such a rich arts community in Memphis,” says Karen Strachan, youth programs coordinator at the Dixon, “and while women are fortunately starting to get more of a nod in other industries from engineering to business to medicine, the case isn’t the same for women who are creatives.” In turn, this event hopes to rectify that gap by supporting and highlighting the women makers, arts administrators, actors, singers, writers, musicians, dancers, florists — basically any kind of artist you can think of.
Split between the Dixon and Theatre Memphis, with shuttles going back and forth between locations, the day will cater to all ages, artists and art lovers alike. The schedule for the day is truly packed, so choosing which bits to attend will be the hardest part of the day, says Kristen Rambo, the Dixon’s communications associate. “We try to cover all the things, but you can participate as much or as little as you like.”
At the Dixon, attendees can chat with several visual artists and perhaps even get a chance of some hands-on experience during artist demonstrations. Plus, guests can check out the make-and-take stations, hosted by Hutchison School teens, who will also facilitate a poetry corner. The galleries inside will also be open, with Jeanne Seagle’s “Of This Place” and “American Made,” a survey of American art curated by Diane DeMell Jacobsen, on display.
Also on display is “What Is That Artist?” with art by Johana Moscoso, Karla Sanchez, and Danielle Sierra — all of whom will be present at the event on Saturday. Sierra will be part of the artist demonstrations, Sanchez will facilitate a large-scale collaborative mural activity, and Moscoso will be a part of a panel, titled “Made In,” which will feature women who are artists and immigrants speaking on their experiences.
Meanwhile, at Theatre Memphis, there will be a panel featuring women directors as well as an artist market. Theatre Memphis will also host various performances and drop-in dancing, acting, and yoga classes.
All in all, the event, Strachan says, hopes to “connect new artists and performers with the community because there is certainly no shortage of talent here. You may see some familiar faces but also some new ones. You might even be introduced to a new art form.”
Rambo adds, “I am a woman in the arts and have been working here for a long time, and every year I am amazed how many people I meet. … So we hope a lot of people will come out and see something that might be out of your comfort zone.”
Women in the Arts, Dixon Gallery & Gardens and Theatre Memphis, Saturday, March 4, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., free. A full schedule of the day’s events can be found here.
As seen in UAC’s “Tend To” (Photo: Sarah Elizabeth Cornejo)
By the time Brian R. Jobe and his wife Carolyn founded Tri-Star Arts in 2015, they had moved from Tennessee to Texas to New York and back to Tennessee. Finally, the two artists from Memphis and Nashville, respectively, knew that the Volunteer State was their home. “I think it was just something about Tennessee,” says Brian. “There’s just a rich history, a depth of ideas, a tangible passion among people here. It’s really fertile ground for art-making, and you see that in a much more celebrated way in the music, literary, and culinary worlds.” But the visual arts world, Brian says, lacks that same level of celebration.
And so, the couple founded the nonprofit, Tri-Star Arts, now based in Knoxville. “We wanted to support other artists here and to have malleable programs that function as tools to normalize experiences with contemporary art and show people that a lot’s already happening [in Tennessee].”
One of the first programs Tri-Star Arts implemented is the online resource, LocateArts.org, which holds a directory of current and upcoming exhibitions across the state as well as a curated artist registry. But, perhaps, its biggest endeavor yet will be the first-ever Tennessee Triennial, which begins this week after a two-year Covid-related postponement.
From Memphis to Nashville to Knoxville and Chattanooga, several artistic venues throughout the state will host exhibitions adhering to the theme: Re-Pair, authored by consulting curator María Magdalena Campos-Pons. How the venues interpret and execute this theme is up to the individual venue’s curator — a diversion from typical biennials or triennials where a single person curates all the exhibitions.
In Memphis, the four participating venues are the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art with its “Tommy Kha: Eye Is Another” exhibition, the Memphis River Parks Partnership with a sculpture of an enlarged Afro pick by Hank Willis Thomas, Tone with an exhibition by Talibah Safiya and Bertram Williams Jr., and UrbanArt Commission with its “Tend To” exhibit by Sarah Elizabeth Cornejo, Verushka Dior of the Mane Wildling, and Joel Parsons.
Ultimately, Brian says, Tri-Star Arts, in line with the triennial’s theme, hopes to connect people statewide through conversations about art. “We want to center our focus on the state as a place of a lot of activity, a lot of rich histories within each city, but also that it’s a place where a visual language can be spoken, something that is distinctly different from other forms of communication. … People have a hard time talking to one another these days. I think it’s a great moment for art to be the meeting point.”
Brian adds that even those who don’t have an arts background can and should participate in the conversation. “I just encourage everyone to trust their instincts. In a way, it’s no different than scanning the radio; you land on and listen to what you like and you’re honest with yourself about what you like. I don’t want people to feel differently about art.”
To keep up with all the triennial’s exhibits and programming, including a highlight weekend in Memphis on April 27th-29th, visit tennesseetriennial.org.
Tennessee Triennial, Various locations, Friday, January 27-May 7.
The Tree of Life, as created by CAG students, in the Mosaic Garden (Photo: Abigail Morici)
Winter is here, and there’s no way to escape it. Unless you consider the arts an escape. In that case, you’re in luck, since Memphis has no shortage of arts events this season, and as always, our local arts organizations are still tilling the soil for us to reap the benefits. In fact, this winter, a few of our favorite organizations are celebrating major milestones — 10, 25, and 60 years (read about them below). Be sure to mark your calendars for what’s to come — an extensive list of winter arts events can be found at the end of this feature or by visiting memphisflyer.com/calendars.
Carpenter Art Garden
The Purple House on Carpenter was once a site of unseemly activity — “if you know what I mean,” says Megan Banaszek. Now, the house, which was rebuilt from the foundation, is home to Carpenter Art Garden (CAG), for which Banaszek serves as executive director. It’s still purple, but today its porch holds a communal bookshelf, bulletin boards of community activities, and a table of free bread and hats. Inside you can find art and music lessons for kids, community meetings, and a laundry co-op. “It’s funny,” says Banaszek. “People are like, ‘The Purple House does what now?’”
With the intention to make up for a lack of art programming in Binghampton, the nonprofit started in 2012 in the empty lot next door, now dubbed the Art Garden. “The idea for this space was to be an outdoor art classroom,” Banaszek says, “so people cleared it out, put down a shipping container [for storage], put down some picnic tables, and just met here on Tuesday afternoons to lead different art classes.
“There were a lot of opportunities for firsts in terms of having access to these programs. For any age student, just having something that you get to sit, focus on, hands-on is a way to unwind, connect with people you’re familiar with after school, and be expressive.”
Those Tuesday drop-in art classes continue today, but by 2014, CAG wanted to do more. So it bought the Purple House and started offering small-group classes throughout the week. Classes range from violin with Iris Orchestra to ceramics with staff and guest artists. “And if someone says, ‘I wanna learn about screen printing,’ we’ll try and track someone down and do a class,” Banaszek says. They’ve even added opportunities for teen employment.
Now there’s also the Carpenter Street Workshop, where kids can learn bike mechanics, sewing, and cooking; Aunt Lou’s House, where tutoring is offered; two community gardens, where staff tend to seasonal crops that are sold at the twice-weekly pop-up market; and the Mosaic Garden, where community members can sit and enjoy CAG’s various mosaic creations, which were designed and executed by the student-run Mural Arts Apprentice Team.
“Any time something gets added, I kind of can’t believe it,” Banaszek says, “but I think it’s at a good spot right now.”
This week, through December 8th, CAG is hosting its annual Holiday Bazaar, where patrons can purchase student work, with 70 percent of the sales going to the student and the rest into CAG programming. Popular items include Griz Hearts ornaments, pot holders, Christmas cards and gift tags, and bead hangings. As a bonus with each purchase, Banaszek says, “The kids get a sense of pride when they are able to sell.” You can also purchase work online at carpenterartgarden.org/shop.
2021 fellow Sarah Elizabeth Cornejo’s final project:The Sinkhole (Photo: Courtesy UrbanArt Commission)
UrbanArt Commission
For UrbanArt Commission (UAC), the canvas stretches from one end of the city to the other, with endless opportunities for public art. So far, the organization, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, has filled that canvas with 130 projects — from sculptures in Binghampton to murals at Central Station Hotel. Yet, even with such a widespread footprint, Lauren Kennedy, UAC’s director, never worries about running out of space.
“I can drive around town, dream up like 15 projects, just going to Kroger and back,” she says. “There are so many great ideas that we haven’t gotten to tap.”
Since 1997, UAC has worked with the city, neighborhood groups, and municipal authorities to produce meaningful public art, from murals to sculptures. “Public art, when you boil it down, is about making an investment in a shared space,” Kennedy says. “When public art is doing what it should do, it is also reflecting the people and experiences in that community. It’s a real boon for neighborhood pride.”
For Kennedy, the project she takes most pride in is the Concourse B installation, completed this year. For it, UAC, in partnership with Memphis International Airport, selected more than 40 works of contemporary art for the airport with a goal to highlight Memphis’ vibrant and eclectic range of artists and to reflect the city as a whole — not just Elvis, blues, and barbecue, but everything in between that gives the 901 its texture.
Of course, the Concourse B installation wasn’t the only project that came to fruition recently. After a pandemic-induced delay, the nonprofit kicked off its New Public Artists Fellowship in 2021, wrapped up the first cohort’s experience this summer, and will accept another six artists in the spring. The fellowship provides in-depth training and professional development for artists wanting to break into public sculpture, and it’s capped off with a temporary public installation. Fellowships like this and the District Mural Program, which Kennedy describes as “the same concept but focused on murals,” allow UAC to leverage their funding to prepare local artists for more opportunities down the road, in and out of Memphis.
“Large-scale public art is not something that is particularly easy to dive into,” Kennedy says. “It’s one thing to have your work in a gallery or a museum, but to paint the side of a building that thousands of cars are driving past on a regular basis is really huge.”
After all, public art lasts lifetimes, and UAC cares that the community continues to enjoy the projects long after their completion. “In the past five years, in particular,” Kennedy says, “we’ve put more emphasis into thinking about how people continue to interact with these things over time.”
This year, after a pandemic pause, UAC brought back its bi-monthly Artist Happy Hour Series, where artists can network, and its Revisiting Series, which are temporary site-specific responses to existing public art projects. The nonprofit also offered yoga by current projects twice this year, and Kennedy assures, there’s more public programming to come in 2023.
New Ballet Ensemble’s NutRemixis just one project ArtsMemphis helps to fund.(Photo: Mary Gunning)
ArtsMemphis
Founded in 1963 as the Memphis Arts Council to help fund various local arts organizations, ArtsMemphis has navigated all the ups and downs that have come within those 60 years. But Elizabeth Rouse, the organization’s president, says, the effects of the pandemic on the arts in Memphis was like nothing they’ve seen before.
“We saw how overnight so many were out of work,” she says. “It was certainly hard on artists and arts administrators.” Pre-pandemic, nonprofit arts in Memphis had a $200 million economic impact and boasted more than 6,000 full-time positions.
With so much at stake, though, both the general public and the arts community had a reinforced appreciation for all that the arts can offer, and from that, opportunities for change and growth arose.
“Like many funders, we, over the pandemic, have been much more connected with our grantees,” Rouse says, “and it’s really helped to foster a sense of community as everyone in the art sector navigates new times. The pandemic also forced organizations to be a bit more flexible and think differently about how they deliver programs.”
For ArtsMemphis, one of the biggest changes was being able to support a larger number of individual artists than ever before. About 10 years ago, the nonprofit had started to “tiptoe” into the arena with a few yearly grants, but the pandemic spurred the Artist Emergency Fund, which has since shifted into the Recovery Fund, both in partnership with Music Export Memphis. As of last month, through this fund, they have given out $1 million to artists of all disciplines, but particularly music.
Last year, the organization gave out $3.1 million to 68 organizations and hundreds of individual artists. “Those organizations are doing work in every zip code in Shelby County,” Rouse says. “It’s really about using the arts as a community resource and to bridge differences and offer these points of healing and connection and so much more.” And that includes economic impact. “We’re in the midst right now of doing a new economic impact study, and we’re excited to see how those numbers have hopefully grown.”
Part of this success, Rouse attributes to the intentional collaboration among the arts community. “It’s what makes Memphis unique,” she says. “And I think that’s represented during ArtsWeek.”
For ArtsWeek, which began on December 3rd and ends December 11th, various organizations are hosting events throughout the city. “In 2020, when things were actually shut down,” Rouse says, “Mayor Harris and Mayor Strickland designated a week to celebrate, support, and build awareness for our local arts sector. Our hope is that people will experience something new in the arts.”
And this ArtsWeek also happens to be the kick-off for ArtsMemphis’ 60th anniversary. “There’s an exciting future ahead, especially as we continue to expand our support for both organizations and artists and as people engage with the arts in new ways and the arts become much more accessible.”
Find out more about ArtsWeek and year-round events at artsmemphis.org.
WINTER ARTS GUIDE
ON DISPLAY
once a river, once a sea Maysey Craddock’s paintings, examining growth and decay along the Gulf Coast. David Lusk Gallery, through Dec. 23
Les Paul Thru the Lens Gallery of photos highlighting the life of Les Paul. Stax Museum of American Soul Music, through Dec. 30
Tennessee Triennial A major statewide contemporary art event organized by Tri-Star Arts and including the Brooks, Memphis River Parks Partnership, TONE Memphis, and UrbanArt Commission. Various locations, Jan. 27-May 7
Tommy Kha’s “Eye Is Another” will open in 2023 at the Brooks.
Tommy Kha: Eye Is Another Site-specific, photography-based installation by Tommy Kha. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Jan. 27-May 27
Collage Dance Collective was a beneficiary of the ArtsFirst grant. (photo courtesy ArtsMemphis)
The local arts are getting another boost, this time to the tune of a cool $450,000.
Eighteen local organizations are set to benefit from the investment thanks to a partnership between ArtsMemphis — the primary arts funder for Memphis and Shelby County — and First Horizon Foundation.
“Arts organizations have persevered during this pandemic and, as a result, have uncovered new, innovative ways to engage audiences and create works we can all appreciate,” said Bo Allen, regional president for First Horizon. “We’re proud to partner with the arts community to help bring their programs and productions to life.”
The grant is part of ArtsMemphis’ ArtsFirst program, which aims to promote excellence and enrichment in the arts throughout Memphis and Shelby County. Since the program was founded in 2012, it has raised more than $4 million for 43 local arts organizations.
“Our city and county’s vibrancy in the arts would not be possible without corporate generosity,” said Elizabeth Rouse, president and CEO of ArtsMemphis. “First Horizon Foundation’s leadership and support of ArtsMemphis and arts organizations has been transformative. We are honored to celebrate 10 years of the ArtsFirst program and grateful for their investment to enable a powerful return of the arts this year. It’s an honor to work alongside their team to administer this unique grant program.”
Grant recipients pose on the lawn outside the Levitt Shell (photo courtesy ArtsMemphis)
Read the full list of ArtsFirst grant recipients and accompanying programs below:
Arrow Creative | Youth Summer Camp Scholarships
Ballet Memphis | Ballet Memphis Midtown Campaign
Carpenter Art Garden | Mosaic Program
Collage Dance Collective | Breaking Through Campaign
Creative Aging Memphis | Operating Support
Crosstown Arts | Crosstown Theater
Dixon Gallery and Gardens | Black Artists in America: 1929-1954
GPAC | The Grove at GPAC
Hattiloo Theatre | Sensory Friendly Shows
Levitt Shell | Operating Support
New Ballet Ensemble & School |Springloaded Gala 2021
Opera Memphis | Company Artists Sponsorships
Orpheum Theatre Group | Annual Auction
Soulsville Foundation | Stax Music Academy’s Music Career Fair and Spring Showcase
Tennessee Shakespeare Company | Season Sponsorship
The CLTV |Juneteenth Gala
Theatre Memphis | Season Sponsorship
UrbanArt Commission | Revisiting and Responding Project
ArtsMemphis has announced its second round of fiscal year 2021 operating support grants – for a total of $850,000 – benefitting 48 local arts organizations.
Funding evaluation criteria includes: grantee narrative reports surrounding organizations’ COVID-19 responses and commitments to advancing racial equity and inclusion; financials from 2019 and 2020 coupled with 2021 projections; and staffing data, including total artist engagement.
As the Mid-South’s primary arts funder, ArtsMemphis invested $2.8 million in 71 arts groups and 137 artists in 2020. During the COVID pandemic, the organization elevated its role as convener and connector for the arts sector by helping arts organizations maintain or rework business plans, create virtual arts events, and develop reopening protocols.
“We recognize that unrestricted operating support is necessary to shape a dynamic and sustainable arts community,” said ArtsMemphis president & CEO Elizabeth Rouse. “In addition to the COVID-prompted Artist Emergency Fund, we continue to prioritize our cornerstone operating support grant initiative, which is made possible each year by our corporate, foundation, and individual donors.”
Of the 48 awarded organizations, 41 percent are led by a person of color, and 77 percent are serving majority people of color participants.
“We are establishing equitable practices through not only the size, history, or genre of our awarded grantees — we are also covering a higher percentage of smaller organizations’ operating budgets, especially since their access to additional relief funds during COVID, such as PPP, has been limited,” said Rouse. “We felt this financial relief should be an immediate priority.”
Prior to the pandemic, 20 percent of ArtsMemphis’ grantees’ budgets were related to 1,300 staff. Arts organizations have reported an 80 percent reduction in the number of artists engaged in 2020 versus 2019, resulting in 8,570 artist engagements lost. Layoffs or furloughs were reported by 53 percent of arts organizations, impacting 560 positions, or 44 percent of the arts sector workforce.
It’s a tough time for the arts. With performance venues shuttered by COVID-19 and the associated economic downturn hurting donations, arts nonprofits are struggling to make ends meet. Four Memphis arts organizations got some welcome relief this week when they learned they have been selected to receive grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.
All four grants were awarded through the Art Works program. The New Ballet Ensemble was selected for a $40,000 Arts Education grant. Opera Memphis will receive a $25,000 grant. In the theater category, Hattiloo Theatre was chosen for a $25,000 grant. And Indie Memphis will receive its first-ever NEA Media Arts grant worth $20,000.
In total, 18 grants worth $1.2 million will go to arts organizations in Tennessee. The largest is the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, which is slated for a $75,000 Our Town grant for design. The Dogwood Arts Festival and the Big Ears experimental music festival in Knoxville were also chosen. Among the 10 organizations in Nashville chosen for grants are the Nashville Children’s Theatre, the Nashville Symphony, and Vanderbilt University. By far the largest grant this funding cycle went to the Tennessee Arts Commission, which received $846,100 as part of the State and Regional Partnerships program.
In all, more than $84 million in competitive grants were awarded across all U.S. states and territories. The NEA is also supplying technical support for these organizations to help them adapt their programming to help stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Memphis Flyer, like too many other local businesses, has suffered a financial blow during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. We know talented local creatives are also facing a precarious economic future.
Also, just about everyone we know is in need of a fun, relaxing activity to pass the time at home.
So we are planning to produce a quick turnaround Memphis Flyer coloring book, filled with work by local artists and illustrators. We encourage artists to submit work that looks and feels like Memphis. We will split the proceeds with the creators whose work we include.
We will make the coloring book available as a downloadable PDF to those who purchase it. We are also looking into short-run and on-demand printing options.
We will charge $35 per printed coloring book and $20 for a printable PDF version. Proceeds will be split 50/50 between the Flyer and the artists. We will pay out monthly through July, and quarterly through the end of 2020; the project split will end at the close of 2020. We will promote the coloring book through all our channels, and the artists are invited to do the same.
DETAILS: • Deadline:Thursday, April 30, at 5 p.m. • Email to:anna@memphisflyer.com • Size: 8 inches wide and 10 inches tall
• Hi-res PDF, 300 DPI, black-and-white artwork only. 100 black (not CMYK) ink.
• Please provide the name you would like to have as a credit, plus your website, social handles, and anything else you would like to include for folks to reach you.
• Also please provide a two-sentence bio.
ArtsMemphis and Music Export Memphis are distributing $77,190 to 159 artists in Shelby County. The funds come from the Artist Emergency Fund, which became public April 1st and supports artists of all types across music, visual art, film and media arts, literary art, theater, and dance.
The fund was created through a Community Foundation of Greater Memphis COVID-19 Regional Response Fund grant and was compounded with contributions from the Assisi Foundation, Crosstown Arts, Hyde Family Foundation, and individual donors to Music Export Memphis.
Additionally, the Kresge Foundation is giving $100,000 to ArtsMemphis and $85,000 to Music Export Memphis to make continued Artist Emergency Fund granting possible.
ArtsMemphis began a community-wide survey on March 18, 2020 of arts organizations and individual artists across Shelby County to assess the impact of COVID-19. As of this week, 61 organizations and 200 individuals had completed the survey.
Survey data forecasts a total projected loss of income for March 2020 exceeding $1.19 million for organizations and $507K for individuals. Anticipated loss of income for April-June based on cancellations/postponements exceeds $7.4 million for organizations and $1.45 million for individuals. See full survey data here.
The application deadline for the next round of Artist Emergency Fund grants is April 22. Among applications of all artistic genres, Music Export Memphis will continue to partner with ArtsMemphis in receipt, review and reallocation of funds to local musicians.
“In our first round of applicants we saw an average reported loss for musicians of more than $4,000, just for gigs canceled in March and early April,” says Elizabeth Cawein, executive director of Music Export Memphis. “The hit to music professionals who rely on live performance to make a living is truly catastrophic, and it’s far from over.”
