Lakeisha Edwards is a dynamic leader in the arts and nonprofit sectors, dedicated to fostering inclusivity, empowering artists, and transforming communities through public art. A native of Covington, Tennessee, she serves as Executive Director of the UrbanArt Commission (UAC) in Memphis.
She holds degrees in Social Work and Psychology from the University of Memphis and has led initiatives in child support services, food security, and arts advocacy. Before joining UAC, she served as Executive Director of Art Ventures in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where she championed artist development, arts education, and community engagement. She also has extensive experience in public service, having worked as Operations Manager for Maximus Child Support Services, overseeing policy implementation and program operations.
Lakeisha is a graduate of the BLDG Memphis City Builders Cohort, a Small Business Council Member with the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Memphis Cultural Coalition, the Medical District Park Advisory Committee, and the Junior League of Memphis. She also lends her expertise as a grant reviewer for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Tennessee Arts Commission.
Her leadership at UAC has been recognized by the Memphis Business Journal for advancing diversity in business, and she was featured in Memphis Magazine’s “Who’s Who” for 2024. She was recently interviewed by Forbes magazine for her role in bringing Monuments to Motherhood to Memphis—an initiative by artist Molly Gochman that honors caregivers through powerful, interactive public art.
In October 2024, she served as one of four judges for The Beauty of Change: The Frances Dancy Hooks Art Award & Exhibition at the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change, reviewing submissions that explored transformation, resilience, and inspiration through visual storytelling. She was also a featured speaker at Dixon Gallery & Gardens’ “Women in the Arts” event, where she participated in the panel discussion “Don’t Go Baroque: Supporting Yourself as a Visual Artist.”
A respected voice in leadership and community engagement, Lakeisha has facilitated leadership and team-building sessions, including presenting “Harmony and Hustle: Balancing Team Building with Peak Performance” at the New Memphis Leadership Summit. She has also shared insights on the intersection of arts, culture, and business as a panelist for New Memphis’ “Celebrate What’s Right: Creative Economics!”
e :: lakeisha@uacmem.org
p :: 901.552.3934
