'Strengthen our community': ARTSmemphis execs detail their roles, organization's local impact

Susan Ellis | Memphis Business Journal

Colleen Chandler was recently promoted to senior director of development at ARTSmemphis. The new role comes just as the 60-year-old arts organization is rebranding.

"I'm an art appreciator, not an artist myself," Chandler said.

Chandler originally came to ARTSmemphis seven years ago. She served as development manager, mostly dealing in fundraising.

"We divide our house into two sides," she said. "We have the side that brings the funds in and the side that grants the funds out."

Nur Abdalla, community impact manager, is on the side that gives funds out. Abdalla joined ARTSmemphis in April 2023.

In the past year, ARTSmemphis has given out $3.4 million to 63 arts groups and hundreds of artists.

The grants can be far-ranging, according to Abdalla.

"We have an entry-level grant that's not exclusive to arts-mission organizations, as long as you're doing an art project," she said. "One of the things that we really pride ourselves on is being that connector and convener to other organizations out there that might not even be in the arts."

To that end, Abdalla points to a recent workshop held by United Way of the Mid-South that was on tax preparation.

"Another service that United Way offers is called Driving the Dream, which is an opportunity to connect people to different services that they might need to alleviate that burden of having to call or go to multiple places," she said. "We thought that's really impactful, especially since some of these organizations are working with different populations and different neighborhoods that might be able to use that."

ARTSmemphis recently held a focus group with their grantees. Two key words stood out: partner and advocate. The new rebrand, led by Doug Carpenter & Associates (DCA), is underlining this idea.

The rebrand features a redesigned website with on-trend colors and a more streamlined feel. A video underscores ARTSmemphis' contributions, spelling out (literally), "We make art more …" followed by sustainable, accessible, dramatic, and equitable.

Chandler said that ARTSmemphis grantees have jumped in, providing their takes, like ARTSmemphis makes art more creative or ARTSmemphis makes art soar.

Arts patrons generally only see the finished product — the painting, the performance. The rebrand gets into rehearsals, the studio time. Chandler deemed it as the "lifeblood" of ARTSmemphis.

Ultimately, the arts make Memphis a better place to live, Chandler and Abdalla said.

"Arts strengthen our community, and we want an accessible, impactful, and sustainable community with abundant and inclusive engagement," Chandler said.