about the fellowship
The UrbanArt Commission (UAC), in partnership with the City of Memphis, is launching the Public Art Fellowship Program to expand opportunities for local sculptors to complete their first permanent public sculpture with UAC. Recognizing the institutional barriers that many studio artists, particularly artists of color and women face when pursuing public sculpture commissions, this city-funded fellowship aims to bridge that gap through training, mentorship, and production support.
Modeled after the success of UAC’s New Public Artists Fellowship and District Mural Program, the initiative will select seven Memphis-based sculptors, one representing each of the city’s seven districts to design and create public sculptures for designated city sites. Fellows will participate in workshops led by experienced public artists and arts professionals, covering topics such as proposal writing, budgeting, fabrication, permitting, and community engagement. Each artist will also work with a mentor to refine their design and navigate the public art process.
At the conclusion of the program, each fellow’s approved design will be fabricated and permanently installed in their assigned district. Selected artists will receive a project grant (amount to be determined) to support the creation and installation of their sculpture, along with the professional training needed to pursue future public art opportunities across Memphis and beyond.
In February of 2026, the fellows had their very first meeting together at Off The Wall Arts. Apart from meeting each other for the first time, the fellows also had a chance to meet their core facilitator(Yvonne Bobo) and the 2023-24 npa fellows.
From February 2026 to June 2026, our seven fellows gained hands-on experience through workshops led by local public art professionals. During their weekly meetings, the fellows learned about project management and received guidance on how to organize and develop their projects. They also researched and explored the materials needed for their projects, ensuring their designs aligned with both their artistic vision and the desires of their site committees.
By the end of this phase of the program, the fellows will have completed their initial schematic designs and developed a strong understanding of their role in the public art process.
The next step for the fellows is to travel to New York with the UAC team to learn about public art installations and practices outside of Memphis. This experience will broaden their perspective, deepen their appreciation for public art, and provide insight into how similar programs operate in other communities.
Upon returning to Memphis, the fellows will reconnect with their site committees to refine and finalize their project designs. Once their designs are approved, they will begin the fabrication process.
The projects are expected to be completed and installed by 2027. To follow each project's progress and key milestones, please see the information below.
UAC and The Fellows Take New York
Day 1 Arrival at LGA
Day 1 | CONTEMPORARY VOICES IN SCULPTURE
We started the trip off by having lunch at the very popular, Katz's Delicatessen. Our friends at Molly Gochman Studio took us to visit the well known Metropolitan Museum of Art. The group was able to visit exhibits that focused on: Greek, Arab, Egyptian, Asian and even more exhibits that focus on multiple cultures and traditions. This portion of the trip focused on the history of art and how it unintentionally became public art.
UAC team and fellows on the MET steps. You can see one of our staff members paying homage to the Gothic Era.
Day 2 | CONTEMPORARY VOICES IN SCULPTURE
The sculpture featured behind was temporarily installed at Prospect Park for a year before finding its new home at the Liberty Science Center.
Day 2 started off with a visit to the Liberty Science Center to see the Monuments to Motherhood sculpture by Molly Gochman. This installation is from the same series as the set of public art sculptures(three Monuments to Motherhood sculpture) we have at the Medical District Park. After exploring at the Liberty Science Center, we visited Molly Gochman’s studio to get a behind the scenes of her process and learn about new projects she is working on. The fellows were able to ask Molly and her team questions about materials, designs, install and pivoting on public art projects. The fellows were very excited to learn about Molly’s experimentation with materials and processes. After this visit, everyone was very excited to visit their studio and get to work.
Day 3 | ARTISTS AS MAKERS
The fellows pose for a picture near the Brooklyn Bridge.
We started Wednesday off with a Ferry ride to Red Hook where we took a spontaneous tour of Dustin Yellin’s studio. Dustin Yellin serves as the Founder and President of Pioneer Works in Brooklyn, NY. Pioneer Works is an organization that offers their space to artists and scientists in a way where they all have the opportunity to collaborate on projects and/or work solo. To quote the Pioneer Works website, “We support onsite production through our science, design, recording, and ceramics studios; media, virtual environment, and technology labs; darkroom; and garden.” Pioneer Works has more programming to support artists in different ways.
On this same day, we visited some nearby public art by Miami Artists, Woody De Othello. We also learned from Kate Skakel at UAP how artists and organizations bring their designs to life by working with UAP. UAP guides their clients throughout every phase of the design process so that the client understands the engineering, material, dimension and other requirements they need to reach in order for their idea to come to life and become longterm installations.
After that visit, we stopped by Powerhouse Arts to learn about studio space for all types of media. Their space is also very special because they encourage artists and organizations to create large scale work and experiment with new materials. They also offer their space for exhibitions and lead events and workshops that help develop artists. The fellows had some very healthy discourse about how their lives would look differently if they had the same resources in Memphis. This left the fellows feeling very eager to create and advocate for spaces and opportunities like these.
Day 4 | PUBLIC ART AND PUBLIC SUPPORT
The seven fellows on their last day in NY, all very eager to get back in their studios. All photos of this trip were captured by Richard Echols.
Our last day started a tour of The High Line with Cecilia Alemani, the Donald R. Mullen, Jr. Director & Chief Curator of High Line Art since 2011. This organization operates the most similar to UrbanArt Commission, but on a much larger scale. To quote their website directly, “The High Line is a public park on the West Side of Manhattan operated, maintained, and funded by the nonprofit conservancy Friends of the High Line. Through our work with communities on and off the High Line, Friends of the High Line is devoted to reimagining public spaces to create connected, healthy neighborhoods, and cities.” The key to this organization on being so successful is their passion for contemporary art and the relationship with their community. Friends of the High Line is an organization that helps manage funding by hosting events and providing fundraising efforts to make sure this program exists for many years to come.
“Seeing how people are interacting with public work here is really exciting and encouraging to go back to your own studio”
Following that tour we visited the Whitney Museum of American Art and toured the Dia Chelsea art museum in Chelsea NY. These museums were great examples of how art can be impactful and its message can still be suitable to its environment for many years after despite its original intentions. The artists featured in these museums were a great example of combining materials and resources to accomplish the same objective. Both museums included 2-dimensional work, videography, audio and 3-dimensional work.
During these tours, the fellows were able see how other organizations maximize community engagement to prioritize the impact of public art installations. The fellows met professionals that managed multiple phases of public art that gave them advice and exposed to different techniques & materials that they can bring into their own projects. This trip could not have been possible without the support and planning from Molly Gochman and her team at Molly Gochman Studio.
