Lauren Kennedy has served eight and half years as Executive Director for UrbanArt Commission.
Dear friends of UAC,
After eight and a half years as Executive Director for the UrbanArt Commission, it is bittersweet to announce my departure from the organization that has brought so much to the city of Memphis.
As I prepare for an exciting new venture in Memphis this fall, opening a contemporary art gallery called Sheet Cake in The Edge neighborhood, I take with me the experiences and achievements that have shaped me and this organization. It has been my sincere privilege to lead UAC since 2015 and to see it grow and shift in order to better deliver on our mission of supporting artists and neighborhoods in shaping our shared spaces. I have worked with so many incredible people, and could not be more proud of everything that we have accomplished together.
In particular, seeing UAC’s body of work grow in partnership with a number of wonderful organizations such as the City of Memphis, Memphis International Airport, Mural Arts Philadelphia, Downtown Memphis Commission and more has been spectacular. Over the last eight years, we have seen $6 million invested in new public art projects from public and private partners, over 60 artists commissioned, work acquired from 100 artists for display in public spaces, and installations in over 13 neighborhoods from libraries to the Memphis International Airport. Our intentional support of Memphis-based artists has manifested in new resources and intensive training programs to help artists expand their practices and meet new audiences.
UAC’s commitment to an equitable public art program that represents and responds to the richness and diversity of Memphis has been at the heart of how we work. We launched critical new programs like the New Public Artist Fellowship and Neighborhood Art Initiative to address historic barriers to opportunities and funding for both artists and neighborhoods. I believe that all of these things have made UAC a stronger and more engaged organization that will continue to flourish and add incredible value to our city. I encourage you to learn more about UAC’s work by reading our 2022 annual report.
I will be forever grateful for this time and the opportunity to help artists grow, contribute meaningful projects to our communities, and expand what public art can do in this place that I love dearly. Public art is critical for the vitality and health of our cities, and this experience has meant the world to me. I look forward to telling you more about Sheet Cake and how I hope to continue contributing to this creative community in the coming months.
A heartfelt thank you to the board members, UAC team, donors, partners, artists and neighborhoods that I have worked with during my tenure. And I want to thank you for being on this journey with me. I hope you’ll continue to support UAC and the arts in Memphis. I can’t wait to see what happens from here.
Wishing you all the very best,
Lauren Kennedy
