Program Description

How we move through the world and connect with others has changed drastically during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, and worldwide protests for racial justice have brought renewed energy to an urgent national conversation. In response to this moment, UAC invited short project proposals from artists to make and share community-oriented artwork. We asked: What message do you most want to share with your friends, neighbors, and fellow Memphians during this uncertain time? How would you creatively share this message with your community? 

20 projects were selected in our initial round of funding, and each was awarded $500. Selections were made by a committee consisting of Joel Parsons (Director, Clough-Hanson Gallery, Rhodes College and UAC Board Member), Patricia Lee Daigle (Director, Fogelman Galleries, University of Memphis), and a collective vote from the UAC team.

Summer 2020 Bridging the Distance Projects

  • Aisha Raison

  • Aliza Moran

    • Bridging the Distance: A Series (web series)

      32 performers, writers, and creatives come together to create a storytelling experience about what connects us and what has changed us; there are moments of loss, love, laughter, and everything in between.

  • Anahis Luna

    • I will create a collective zine of work done by Memphis artists during quarantine. Submissions are accepted from everyone in the city. We want to show the wonderful work made by our community during these times, and that of course, artists never stop.

  • Brandon Dill

    • Social Distance Photo Booth (photography)

      From my porch I can photograph any community member who wants to participate in the walkthrough touch-free booth along the sidewalk. My hope is to support a spirit of community to combat the feelings of isolation and loss so many are experiencing.

  • Brittney Boyd Bullock

    • Gentle Reminders (mixed media)

      Britney Boyd Bullock created collages as on the importance of slowing down to remember our stories, ancestors, rituals, and traditions, and the importance of releasing uneasiness and anxiety for Black Folks in Memphis.

  • Danielle Sierra

    • I will compose four vibrant floral paintings roughly 11 x 14 in size. These floral paintings will depict different sayings incorporating the word “hope." To reach the community I will be doing a combination of live stream and time-lapse videos of the paintings and sharing them on my social media platforms.

  • James M. Dukes

    • A poetic short film, directed, narrated and scored by me. The film attempts to show that there is no one covid-19 experience, and that we're all adapting to handle it our way... and that we don't want to go back, we want to go forward by using this tragedy of an experience to better our world afterward.

  • Judith Dierkes

    • Flip the Script (outdoor installation)

      A geodesic sphere, resembling the opposite of the coronavirus image embedded in our visual memory, is located near the sidewalk of the artists' home. In front of the ball is a table with white circles, for the public to write about moments of positivity and hope during the pandemic.

  • Karl Erickson

    • “Hello. How Are You? Goodbye.” (audio/visual)

      A plant was connected to a modular video and sound synthesizer. Electricity generated by the plant was amplified so that it produced changes in the a/v signals through biofeedback. This is a form of conversation between the machine and the plant facilitated, but not controlled, by humankind. I “seeded” the communication with an audio sample of the phrase “Hello. How Are You? Goodbye.”

  • Maritza Davila and Jon Sparks

    • Journey of a COVID Heart (handmade book, video)

      A video of the making of a handmade book by Maritza, which includes photos of her artwork, plus photography and 17 haiku by Jon.

  • Nikii Berry Richey

    • The Respite Project (outdoor installation)

      Chairs facilitate human connection, and a single chair can represent an island of calm. My original concept was to spread painted chairs all over the city to show the hospitality of Memphis. Since COVID-19 has us homebound, I decided to start in my own yard.

  • Tad Lauritzen Wright

    • Pandemic Puppet Theater (web series)

      Low-fi puppet shows by the father-daughter team "Kreative Differences," aka Tad and Anna Lauritzen Wright. Making the world a safer place one puppet show at a time!

  • Sara Moseley

  • Sharday Hawkins

    • Kaleidoscope Butterfly Coloring Book (handmade book)

      Need a break? Prepare a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, and relax with this nature inspired coloring book. I created this coloring book with healing in mind, a total of twelve pages to pour your creativity into and bring you to a new world of fantasy and wonder.

  • Nubia Yasin

    • I plan to share The Penny Series as a virtual exhibition on my production house's website (nujaspro.com). I would like to use this virtual exhibition as a means to facilitate conversation around the intersection between race and the effects of this epidemic.

  • Silvan Laan and Emily C. Thomas

    • Scrying session #1 (mixed media)

      We gave five artists an obsidian tablet, and asked them to imagine tuning in to a shared field of awareness. The black mirror surfaces of our obsidian tablets may unlock our innate psychic abilities, helping to emancipate us from the hypnotic power of digital tools and the corporate forces behind them.

  • Sophia Mason

    • Press Record and The Simple Levers (virtual group exhibitions)

      The Little House is an experimental art and performance space. Press Record on this Painting and The Simple Levers: Second Annual Knitting and Crocheting Show are two exhibitions of work by local artists made to be experienced digitally.

  • Suzy Hendrix

    • Surrealist Pen Pals (mail art)

      An exquisite corpse collaboration -we support the USPS by sending partial drawings back and forth to each other.

  • Tracy Treadwell

    • Untitled (sculpture)

      Each week in June a piece will be made in collaboration with a note from my time as a non-traditional undergraduate student, threading distantly considered themes with current material aims. I hope to develop a rhythmic at-home practice, and with any luck it could provide a model for others who too have felt blunted by our restrictive circumstances

  • William Lescheck

    • Untitled (ceramics)

      I created 50 handmade mugs and steins to pass out to friends, family, and neighbors. Even in this time of separation, we can all come together and have a drink (virtually, of course).

Fall 2020 Bridging the Distance Projects

  • Darlene Newman

    • Neighborhood Door Indicators (mixed media)
      My neighborhood has older neighbors of which the majority may not have knowledge of or access to neighborhood friendly internet sites like Nextdoor.com. Sometimes, using non verbal expressions makes it easier to say what one needs. So, in the hopes of making it as easy as possible to keep communication flowing between neighbors during this pandemic, I will created door indicators that are easily seen from the street that bear illustrations that represent what a neighbor is feeling during this time of COVID-19 and what a neighbor may need. Each illustration will be a version of an emoji on an appropriately paired, easily visible, colored door hanger that easily fits on the front door knob. The knob hangers will also come with a sheet of large print neighborhood contact numbers and an explanation of the door indicators. Each neighbor on my street will receive a pack so that we are all looking out for each other.

  • Eric Echols

    • Untitled (photography, mixed media)

      I found over 1500 4x5 negatives of African-Americans from the 1920s to the 1950s at a local antique store and would love to use the grant towards deferring some of the cost of getting some of the negatives scanned and digitized at MPI (Memphis Professional Imaging). From looking at some of the negatives through a light source, many of the people look prominent and resilient, especially at a time where they had to deal with far worse racial discrimination, hatred, injustice. It is my goal to share a message of hope and resilience at a time of turmoil, strife, and uncertainty by using some of the images and having them processed and printed to be part of a small exhibition or show at a local gallery in the area such as Orange Mound Gallery or the CMPLX. The images will also be part of a new series I plan create for a show that also encompasses Black Americana/Memorabilia and items from the Jim Crow Era.

  • Ethan McVay

    • Untitled (ceramics)

      I would like to distribute clay tiles that are then altered by the recipients in ways limited to the body; in other words, without the use of traditional tools. While those of a traditional practice might feel limited or confined by the lack of available tools, others might enjoy the child-like sensation of sticking their digits into mud. The idea behind this is to document the acts of movement and touch. Once the tiles have been altered, they will be collected, fired, and displayed as a unit, symbolizing the effects of a collective movement.

  • Jana Wilson

    • Mini Murals (outdoor mural installation)

      I would like to lead a community-based volunteer project to paint mini-murals on 8 newly-donated raised garden beds to be installed in the front green-space at Arkwings Foundation in Frayser. This will be achieved by hosting several public design sessions with youth and adults in the neighboring community to create interpretive signage, plant labels, and printable materials that encourage residents to plant and visually decorate their own outdoor spaces. These sessions will be held virtually as well as in small family groups or "pods" of friends. All onsite sessions would be socially distanced and comply with COVID-19 preventive protocols.

  • Jasmine Marie

    • Periphery (mixed media)

      Since quarantine has challenged our meaning of community and family, (as well as forced us into guilt-free movie binging) I've been examining a lot of media featuring black femmes. I've also been looking at media where the black femme's absence itself still sways the film and how this mirrors real life. Black femmes lie in the periphery of various forms of oppression and disrupt our understanding of what social justice is. I want to blend photo, text, and video to create three pieces highlighting these "film- to life" parallels and affirm black femmes that even though we are not able to physically create and take up space right now, we have not been rendered invisible. Each piece will include a recreated shot, an overlay of the script of said movie, and an erasure poem using lyrics and writing from black queer writers. I want to do a virtual exhibition and zoom conversations with black women, femmes, and queer folks about our representation in media.

  • Jeanelle TBj Jones

    • Super Soiree (collaborative performace)

      Super Soiree is a youth engaging event targeting ages 4-11 providing an extra-curricular experience through artistic sharing and introductory art skills in several mediums. Super Soiree will feature children partnering with local art professionals of Memphis to teach specific art styles to their peers. Collaboratively I have brainstormed with the children involved to come up with different ways we can combine performance and visual art with sports activities, outings and more. This will be an episodic release full of different segments that will introduce Covid19 friendly ways for children viewers to also share and do these activities with friends and family at home.

  • Larry Walker

    • The Paint Yourself Clean 5 Star Challenge (activity book)

      For my project I created an activity book for children to color with crayons while learning 5 major areas of cleanliness that will aid them in developing a safe and healthy life style. The activity book is designed for children PreK age to 2nd Grade. The illustrations inside the book are drawn by two of my children - Zamoni & Zaniyah. All of the book's copy was written by my wife Sharonda and I designed the cover.

  • Lurlynn Franklin

    • ArtSee Youth Gallery and Creative Space

      I am working in partnership with Jana Wilson to bring my brainchild, ArtSee Youth Gallery and Creative Space, to life. The gallery will be located inside the Arkwings Foundation in Frayser. With school campuses closed and extracurricular activities cancelled for at least the remainder of 2020, students (and their families) need opportunities to share their creative talents in a real, tangible way. ArtSee will host a grand opening exhibit October 10th, in conjunction with the Frayser Local Arts Festival. The inaugural art show is a Masters/Apprentice Exhibition specifically developed to celebrate Arts Educators and their “prodigies”, highlighting the importance of art Education, what we do, why we do it, and how it has shaped our students’ creativity.

  • Najee Strickland

    • I have a franchise called 'Black Fist Series' and it's a series of paintings based on my childhood and things I've seen growing up. Prominent issues dealing with society, propaganda in the black community, and media stigmas assigned to black/brown individuals and other minorities. Due to these rising and ongoing situations I would like to paint a mural, in a neighborhood, in the city. The intent behind this mural/creation would be to uplift the community, encourage the youth, and manifest the power for change.

  • Spence Bailey & Hope Hudson

    • PDA Synth

      The PDA Synth is a cooperative electronic instrument, which uses pairs of people as conductors to alter the sound. This project started as a desire to translate intimate touch into sound during a pandemic that makes physical contact so rare. By connecting conductors to two people (who are already quarantining together) and attaching them to the synthesizer, they will be able to use touch to control an aspect of the sound. We hope to perform it with different pairs of people in different types of relationships once we can do so safely.

  • Synthia Hogan

    • Photography Project (untitled)

      My project will highlight the community of Boxtown, a small minority heavy area slated to be directly affected by the construction of the Byhalia Pipeline. I would like to share stories of their strength to persevere against all odds. I believe this message is important now because their story represents the complexities of Covid-19, race and social inequalities. Showing their hope and faith is not only bringing awareness to this environmental issue but motivating others to continue to fight back against the odds. I would give out free prints of photographs relating to this project to my community and representatives. Any video content will be uploaded on my IG and online.

Btd Round 3: Going Further 2021 Projects

  • Joann Self Selvidge

    • I'd love to share this piece that I've been working on during my Crosstown Artist Residency (Feb - June 2021) called Pandemic Per/severance, which is on the surface about our family’s experiences during the early quarantine days of the pandemic, and on a deeper level, it’s about living with a family member with disabilities whose daily experiences of frustration and anxiety impact all of us individually and in relationship to one another. In some ways, our family’s everyday experience is echoed in our collective experience of what it’s been like to live through the pandemic. This past year, we have all experienced extreme isolation, anxiety, and uncertainty.

  • Mary Jo Karimnia

    • Mixed Media Art Installation

      My goal is to do an art installation on the theme of “watching eyes” in a box that could be shared by viewing through the window on the porch of the studio/house I am currently renovating. Disembodied eyes have been a steady theme in my work for many years. When I visited Istanbul, Turkey with my family in 2008 eyes took on a new level of meaning when I learned about the Nazar Boncuk charm - or Turkish Evil Eye. It is a round, blue-colored glass amulet that is used to repel evil spirits and protect you from harm. As a modern/western take on this idea I have an ongoing series of beaded eyes on vintage oval plates that are intended to be hung above a doorway - as a type of evil eye protection bestowed on all who enter.

  • Courtney Cross

    • Zine Collection

      I'd like to remind myself and friends, loved ones, and hopefully strangers too, to continue to take things one day at a time no matter the weather. I'll do this by making zines of daily drawings, daily feelings, and send them out via snail mail. The series would be called Waking Up.

  • Elizabeth Alley

    • Grounded Virtual Studio Tour

      I’m having a show in my studio called Grounded, of paintings that I’ve worked on for the past year in response to the pandemic. Join me for an “opening”/studio tour at 7:00 PM CST on Friday, June 25 via Instagram Live. With a Bridging the Distance grant from the UrbanArt Commission.

  • 35Miles

    • “Nine-Tine” Short Film

      I would create a short film that shows that even though we are separated physically we are still very much connected. The film would include clips that people record on their own and send to me for editing to show that it is still possible to collaborate while staying safer at home. I would show that there are still times to look forward to by ending the film with nature sounds that inspire hope that we will make it through these troubling times.

  • Jill Samuels

    • Digital Photo Exhibition and Photobook

      I would like to create a project that is a document of the document: a companion to my artist/mother social media posts since October 2020, when I began documenting this phase of pandemic life. I will explore the questions: what is the other side of this moment? What kinds of work did it take to get us here? What happened immediately before/after this photograph was taken? My Artist/Mother social media posts document the true joy of this time, but they do not indicate all that I (or my children) have lost, or the challenges of simply being during this time.

  • Warn Wilson Jr

    • Mural Installation

      I want to share the importance of financial literacy and having multiple streams of income through a larger scale visual presentation. I also want to share the importance of STEM involvement in the African-American community moving forward. Last year showed us how your employment and/or income can be disrupted from unforeseen events. We also saw how technology was fast forwarded to accommodate the new social distancing rules. The speed at which technology updates now shows how important STEM will be moving forward.

  • Alex Paulus

    • Artist Trading Cards

      my goal for the project is to make hundreds of Artist Trading Cards, an idea based on research i’ve done over the pandemic where I discovered that a Swiss artist named M. Vänçi Stirnemann created the idea of Artist Trading Cards. In 1997 he initiated a performance where artists would make original art on trading card sized panels. At the event, they would then trade and collect each other's small works of art and become part of the performance. I plan to package them in my own original art packs, have an outdoor event (possibly at crosstown) where the community can come purchase packs, and trade cards with one another. And hopefully this would inspire others to make their own Artist Trading Cards and become part of the performance too!

  • Stuart Lacey

    • Metal Wildlife Installation

      Since there is evidence that habitat loss/fragmentation contributed to the emergence of the Covid virus, I propose a project highlighting the relationship between our native flora and the wildlife they support. I will create weatherproof metal cutouts of various moths, butterflies, birds, and other small animals, oversized, lightweight, and representationally painted, to hang in the trees and shrubs that support them, with a legend place central to the installation explaining the connections.

  • Laura McArtor

    • Free Little Art Gallery & Free Little Zine Library

      In this year of isolation, disappointment, and doom scrolling I found myself overwhelmed and languishing. I resented the sourdough bread makers and the kitchen remodelers. I could not relate to the people announcing big projects and making big changes, and I know I am not alone. What finally got me out of my funk was completing the #makedontbreak Instagram challenge in January. I made a small analog collage a day with pictures ripped from magazines glued into a tiny sketch book that had itself been languishing in a drawer for years. Respectfully ignoring the prompts and unapologetically having no plan, I glued my way to 31 days of feeling a little better and calling myself an artist. IN response to this, I want to offer access and inspiration to make and share art as the first MEM FLAG & FLZL (Free Little Art Gallery & Free Little Zine Library).

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