>> Good morning, colleagues in the city of Memphis and.
I call to order the Arts & Youth Initiatives Committee,
August 18th 2026, at 10:35 AM.
Would you please call the roll?
>> (Calling roll)
>> Colleagues, we have two updates and presentations today.
So there will be no voting today,
but first we have an update from the urban Art
Commission requested by Chairwoman
Swearengen-Washington.
Good morning, director.
>> Good morning.
>> If you can just say your name,
give an address for the record, and you can proceed
on your presentation.
>> Lakisha Edwards, 42 North Cleveland, Memphis, Tennessee.
Today I wanted to give a brief update on our FY27 projects
that we will be beginning, of course, going into this fall,
then also a quick update on FY26,
specifically the fellowship program.
I gave some handouts.
They should be in front of your podiums.
One of the things that I also wanted to mention is, of course,
we are always going to put in this little funding overview --
it's on the back -- of what the ordinance provides,
can be received by Urban Art Commission,
versus what we actually receive.
There is a significant gap in that funding.
We received a reduction in funding on our maintenance.
I just wanted to make sure that I communicated that,
just in case it wasn't widely known, simply
because we had a lot of discussions last year, and also
earlier this year, regarding maintenance and the need
for a five year plan.
I gave the five year plan -- the need for additional funding.
Of course, I was requesting additional funding.
Then we received a decrease, which I understand
many departments did.
So for this year, what I am asking
is to use a portion of my project funds,
actually, for some of that deferred maintenance,
because regardless of the funding
that we receive specifically from maintenance,
it does not negate the fact that it needs to be done.
The deferred maintenance that is specifically
out of these project funds will be more so for upkeep,
to keep our current collection from going into blight.
There will be several opportunities
for us to clean the pieces, to touch them up,
and from that particular pot of money,
it wouldn't be any new installs.
It would simply be going through our collection, which
we do already have a listing of those pieces that
need that extra care.
Also just wanted to give a shout out to MLGW and also
public works.
They have been amazing to work with,
and they have been helping us with the piece that
is in the entrance of the Tom Lee Park.
That is going to be repaired.
There are some pieces on it that have rusted over the years.
I think that piece has been there 17 years,
so of course it is time.
We had to get some water turned on.
We had to get some of their supplies out there.
Was really grateful for that additional support.
Thankfully, we do have a very good relationship
with the different departments, so everyone pitches in to help.
And we are grateful.
For that piece, we wanted to, of course,
get that one in tip top shape because of the new museum coming
into that space.
We have two other projects that are very close to the museum
that we will also be completing, one of which
is the South main tower sign revitalization.
That's the first one on the list of your chart.
That funding is specifically for the three towers
that are on Main Street Mall.
They are very outdated.
They have not worked in several years.
The lights are out of them.
Urban Art Commission did not commission those projects,
but because they are on city owned property,
we are going to revitalize them.
We will allow an artist to reimagine what
those pieces can look like.
The bottom portions will remain the same because, of course,
we don't want to spend funding on completely tearing it
down and starting over.
They have already painted the bottom portion of it
and repaired the bricks, so it is ready for us
to reimagine the top of it, where it says South Main Mall.
For South Main, South main association,
some other constituents in that area
have approached us asking about some crosswalks.
They are also raising some private dollars
to do some additional signs and things
of that sort for that area, but it
is specifically so that when someone is coming off
of Bill Street, they have a reason
to look down South Main to continue walking to the shops,
celebrating the local artists that are in that space,
as well as those local businesses and some of the newer
hotels.
This is also a part of tourism to ensure that we are --
when people are coming into our downtown space,
they actually see reasons to stay, to spend money,
and to support our city.
The last one for the downtown area
is the library, which is directly beside the new museum.
We have a set of six planters there that, unfortunately,
right now, the unhoused are sleeping in, as well as,
we don't have any plants in them.
It is definitely a waste of space.
But again, it's one of those situations where the planters
are already there in.
They have already been put there.
We are not going to spend money removing them.
But we are going to turn them into functional art
so that we can utilize that space
and not be an eyesore right beside this new development in.
Any -- new development.
Any questions so far?
Next is the City traffic Safety Crosswalk project.
This is a project that we are also talking with city
departments regarding -- because we have an issue at the corner
of Summer and Highland.
It's actually recorded as one of our most dangerous intersections
in the city.
And we want to calm again, use creative placemaking
to ensure that we are bringing light to people needing to slow
down and knowing which parts of the street
where they are supposed to actually be crossing.
The cultural Heritage Mural project --
that is a project that is near and dear to my heart.
I just wanted to specifically set aside some funds for us
to have at least one project that would acknowledge
cultural history of at least one of the communities
that are underrepresented in our public art collection.
So that may be Indian heritage.
It may be Asian heritage.
But wanted to ensure that we had some funding to be sure
that all voices are heard.
Pine Hill Community Center is the next one on the list.
There is a deteriorated mural that is on that wall
that you can see from the golf course.
We would like to remove that.
It has been there probably -- close to 20 years.
I think it has been there 18 years to be exact.
We wanted to replace that one.
Then the public art collection signage
is because we have so many of our pieces
that have aged and have no signage
either because it has been removed
or it was never placed there.
We also have some mural projects that we just simply
did not have the budget to create the proper signage.
We want to make sure that the city of Memphis emblem
is on every piece in our collection.
The deferred maintenance -- that is the $45,000 that I am asking
to use from our project funds for maintenance.
Again, that maintenance is mostly
for just basic cleaning, upkeep, painting things that
need to be cleaned up and things that
need just a little bit of help.
These are no major maintenance projects,
but this is just basic upkeep to add to the maintenance funds
that were reduced for FY27.
And then of course, contingency, just in case something happens.
That brings us to 328 and then our project management fees
are in the total that we are assigned,
and that is the 18% by contract.
Last but not least, I wanted to mention --
I sent everyone a copy of our Moveable Collection catalog.
Hopefully you received it.
This, just in case you didn't know what you were receiving,
is the newest version of what we are putting
into the public libraries.
Every library in the city of Memphis has local artists in it,
and this is the 2026 collection that was recently purchased.
So these are all local artists that we did a direct purchase
program with.
So once a year, we go and we ask artists to give us
pieces of artwork that they have already created,
that we don't commission, then we purchase from them to put
them in public spaces to, again, highlight our local artists.
The last sheet that you have that is in color --
those are the different projects from the fellowship that was
actually awarded in FY26.
The first seven projects are the ones
for each of the seven districts.
So there is a fellow that is associated with each district
throughout the city.
They have been doing their community service projects.
They have gone into the communities.
We had one, in particular, that went to a Juneteenth event
at Douglas Park, and she had a time, to say the least.
I can show some pictures.
She really had a time.
It was very good to see that the community embraced
her and really was excited to see someone
coming into their community that wanted to know more
about the community itself before creating
the artwork for them.
That's it.
>> Wonderful.
Thank you for joining us and letting us
know about all the updates in.
Let the record show that we have been
joined by Councilwoman Logan.
In the queue, we have Councilman Logan and Chairwoman
Swearengen-Washington.
>> Thank you, chair, and thank you for the update.
I appreciated, and for the work that you do.
My question, first, is, how do you determine --
I see these projects.
What is the criteria to determine
what the project will be?
>> It is community-driven, and the selection committee
determines what the final product would look like.
So the selection committee would be the individuals, which
are all listed on our website.
Every project, we list the people
that are on the selection committee
so you know who the decision makers were.
We always try to give residents, business owners --
we actually send the invite to all of city council,
and we make sure that the public knows that these meetings are
happening.
They are also recorded.
And those conversations that the selection committee has
is what forms what the artist will actually produce.
>> How do we bridge beautification and public art?
For instance, the neighborhood markers
will add art plus navigating or wayfinding
or identification signs for the different communities.
I know we often hear -- we hear from constituents,
as well as ourselves, as council members, that other communities,
such as municipalities, they have beautiful flowers.
They have different planters along their roadway.
I think I mentioned to you before, how do we bridge --
because we need those, or would like those,
in the communities inside of Memphis.
That could be seen as art, as well.
How do we bridge those two, or have you given any consideration
to how we can use the public art dollars and have those artists
that you work with also make art that could serve dual purpose,
that could help with the, that could help with bringing those
--
that could help with the beautification, that
could help with bringing those things to our communities,
as well?
>> Those are things that we have done in previous projects.
Many of our projects do include other aspects,
such as the Welcome to Orange Mount sign --
that has a planter.
That has additional flowers.
That has a community that actually
committed to keeping up with what's happening in that space.
I think we do have several projects that are dual- purpose,
but I will say that the communities that are more
engaged are the ones that probably get more
of the additional add-ons, simply because they are willing
to come together and help to maintain it,
such as an orange --
as in Orange Mount.
They have a very solid selection committee
that committed to ensuring that it would be maintained properly.
We do have, even with the crosswalks,
as I spoke before, that's a safety issue.
We are working with the city to say, where do we
have the spaces where we know we need
to put some type of artistic design
to draw people's attention to where
they should cross the road, when they should slow down?
We also have a crosswalk that's going in at downtown elementary
because there were several complaints of people coming
over the hill, and they didn't realize
there was even a school there.
So we are creating projects that are serving dual purposes
with just about every project.
>> So if we did have an organization in our district
that would like to partner to do some of those things or to be
a part of the maintenance of it, we could do more of those,
if you could identify some nonprofits or agencies that
wanted to help
?
>> Or even CDCs.
>> Great.
I'm very much interested and we'll be reaching out to you.
Thank you.
>> Thank you, Councilwoman.
Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington?
>> Yes.
I wanted to share that, colleagues,
as a percent for our ordinance requires that the Urban Art
Commission receive 1% of the annual CIP in an amount
not to exceed $1 million.
And within the FY27 CIP budget being over $110 million,
their allocation should have been $1 million.
However, our former engineering administration would
historically only advocate $400,000 to them.
So they are in the back working on a resolution.
I may have to just bring it back for executive.
But I would like to transfer $512,000 in unused CIP
allocations from project GA07018,
which is FYMSCS upgrades, because we haven't been
utilizing those funds.
And this is something that we could have and evenly
distribute between all of the districts
and add some beauty into some of the spots that needed.
>> You said you were going to bring this to the executive
later?
>> Yes, because I thought they would be up here by now,
but they are not up here yet.
So we may have to do it executive.
>> Okay.
Thank you, chairwoman.
Is that all?
We'll be looking forward to that resolution later.
Councilwoman Cooper-Sutton?
>> Thank you.
Jonathan, can you pull up that picture for me, please?
This is at -- in Raleigh.
I think this is your district.
I just heard our chairwoman say that she is
going to allocate some funding.
This needs to be fixed.
>> I've already reached out.
We didn't get a response.
>> I'm responding right now.
I'm sitting in this place because that
isn't our community.
Our constituents sit there, and we
need that fixed ASAP, for weatherization reasons
and just for presentation, as well.
I guess after we get this resolution
and we look at what needs to be done,
we need to get that fixed ASAP.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> It's what?
It's on order?
Perfect, perfect.
>> Yes.
When it was brought to our attention, and as he spoke it,
there were a lot of people that were concerned and readily
looking to fix it.
Of course, we have some drawbacks to it
not being our particular property,
but I'm very happy to hear that it is already being ordered.
We did look into it and got some quotes.
Yes.
There are several other projects that are in queue.
How would you all like to see those updates?
Because, of course, I sent emails,
but I know you get a million emails.
Would you like for me to come quarterly?
Because I can create a presentation of our current
maintenance projects, our current projects that are
in queue so that -- if I had a presentation today,
that would have been in my queue,
and it would have been able to say, we have that in line.
>> Director Collins, is a quarterly maintenance update --
whether you want it by email, you want her in person --
would you --
I'm sorry, Edwards.
I know another Lakeisha.
>> This is so important.
This is part of the presentation of our city
and what it looks like.
>> And we are tracking it.
We send it actually to the engineering division weekly.
We give a weekly report.
I don't know who sees it or who has access to it,
but we do send it to the primary engineers, specifically Michael
Swindell and Deborah Higgins.
But we send it to them every Wednesday.
>> Is that possible to send that report to council, as well?
>> Yes.
>> Okay.
Director Edwards?
Okay.
Councilwoman Cooper-Sutton, and thank you, director Edwards.
There's only two lakisha's in my phone.
You all are the only two in.
Can you talk about -- when you see things like what
Councilwoman Cooper-Sutton put up,
who is actually in charge of repairing or maintaining that?
Because that's a bus stop with a UAC artwork
that's on a city sidewalk.
Who's in charge of that, when we see things like that?
>> Excellent question.
When that came through, I reached out to the director,
and we spoke about it.
He said, yes, it has already come to his attention.
We couldn't replace that window.
You had to replace the whole thing, which
is already on order.
>> When the whole thing is replaced,
who pays for the art to go back on?
>> We need to follow up and confirm,
but it would likely be right here.
>> It's Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington,
and she says, if there's a gap in that,
and that includes maintenance, things like this would also be
included in the budget, even though you don't have your full
complement?
Thank you.
That's all I wanted to ask you.
Okay.
Councilwoman Green?
>> Thank you.
I wanted to thank you for the opportunity
to be at the ribbon cutting for the Chelsea Floodwall.
If you haven't had a chance to go out and see it,
it is gorgeous.
The points have been made here today --
especially Councilwoman Logan -- it's a great way for a dual
purpose to happen, for us to incorporate something that is
structure and safety and keeps that neighborhood from floods,
but also infuses art.
Mayor Young was there and spoke, and he talked about his visits
to Detroit.
He asked them, how do you turn things around?
The leadership there specifically mentioned
public art.
He said, when you have public art from local artists,
then people start caring about the neighborhood.
They start caring about that one space,
then it spreads to other spaces.
That helps investors come because they
can see the vision of what the neighborhood can be,
and the people in the neighborhood
can see the vision of what you can be.
I love learning about all the different places
that we have this.
That is -- I mean, I don't even know how many hours we're put
into the Chelsea Floodwall because it is a mile long,
and it is double sided.
The one section that I was standing in front of
was the kids part, where we had students actually design and do
panels, which is also really very, very cool.
Thank you for letting me be a part of that.
Thank you for doing this, because -- unto your point --
this is the way that other places who have dug their way
out of light issues, they have started with the public art.
It is important that we invest in it properly.
Thank you.
>> Thank you, Councilwoman.
I actually had on my list to shout out
Director Edwards for her work in the Chelsea Green line, as well.
It was years before we get that money to be able to do that.
And so I'm glad that you made that a priority, and also
the other projects that are on your list, as well.
Did you want to add anything before we close out this item?
>> I'm still fussing about -- can you do anything to help us
with that?
>> Who owns the property?
What piece of property is it?
>> Chief, it is on Lamar, off of Willette.
And paint Memphis, which is one of the organizations,
colleagues, that is asking for grant funding,
put a big snake -- no, it's a rat.
It's a rat -- on the wall.
And that's right around the corner
from Rozelle Elementary School, going to the medical district,
and it looks horrible.
So we want to make sure that, when people are putting murals
up, that we are looking at it to see what the plans are,
exactly what the art looks like.
It can't be just a sign off.
We really have to be engaged to know what's going on.
>> I agree.
There are some kind of safety points for urban Art Commission
that prevents that from happening.
So number one, we have a community engagement piece
with our selection committee.
UAC does not make those determinations.
We actually ask the community to give their vote
and to talk to the artist and have that direct say so.
Number two, we have a PAOC Committee.
They meet once a month.
Those meetings are also public, and we submit the recordings
every month.
That is for a committee that there is --
I know summer attends those meetings.
We also have two other individuals that
are appointed by City Council.
One person is appointed by the mayor and myself
and my team just there as advocates.
That also is a place where that committee has
to sign off on the schematic design, the final design,
and also the fabrication.
On top of all of that,