Arts and Culture
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris announces county's first Arts and Culture Liaison.
Click here to read the entire press release.
Committee Accomplishments
The Shelby County Nonprofit Committee brought together nonprofits across varied sectors to share concerns and draw attention to issues that are barriers to residents’ success. We collectively identified major issues per sector and identified ways to address a part of a systemic problem. This is a different approach. Our focus has been on narrowing a focus, coming up with a project that chips away at a big problem, that’s achievable in a year. Previous projects in this sector include:
- Problem: Advocacy and representation of and for the arts were missing in the public sector. We are the only city and county of our size that doesn’t have a formal office of staff member devoted to arts and culture.
- Strategy: The Art and Culture Committee researched and developed a plan to create an Arts and Culture Liaison position to advocate for this important sector and create more coordination, funding opportunities, and a stronger and more sustainable sector. We welcome Nykesha Cole, our new Liaison for Arts and Culture, in July 2022.
- Problem:Awareness of Art and Culture Contributions are lacking in the county. Many residents don’t know about the breadth of art and cultural organizations around the county and in their own neighborhood.
- Strategy: The Art and Culture Committee created a large scale arts awareness campaign to generate pride and enthusiasm for this sector that was hit the hardest amongst nonprofit organizations during Covid-19, culminating in a series of events.
Participating Nonprofits
- Arkwings Foundation
- The Arts Cafe
- Arrow Creative
- ArtsMemphis
- Blues City Cultural Center
- Carpenter Art Garden
- CazaTeatro Bilingual Theater Group
- Collage Dance Collective
- Cooper-Young Garden Club
- Creative Aging
- Danz901 Foundation
- Davies Manor Association
- Elmwood Cemetery
- Germantown Performing Arts Center (GPAC)
- Hattiloo Theatre
- Hug Neighborhood Park Friends
- Image Builders Memphis
- IOBY
- Iris Collective Orchestra
- Memphis Black Arts Alliance, Inc
- Memphis Botanic Garden
- Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
- Memphis Heritage
- Memphis Music Initiative
- Memphis Jazz Workshop
- Memphis Juneteenth
- Memphis Slim Collaboratory
- Memphis Symphony Orchestra
- Memphis Youth Symphony Program
- Metal Museum
- Music Export Memphis
- My ZIP
- New Ballet Ensemble and School
- New Day Children's Theatre
- Opera Memphis
- Orpheum Theatre Group
- Overton Park Shell
- Paint Memphis, INC.
- Perfecting Gifts Inc
- Playback Memphis
- Playhouse on the Square
- Seeding Success
- Sillys
- Soulsville Foundation
- Successful, Inc.
- Theatre Memphis
- Transformations ECD
- TriState Adaptive Sports Association Inc.
- Urban Art Commission
- Whitehaven Arts Alliance
- WYXR 91.7 FM