Arizona native Hannah Lewellen ’16 has found a community passionate about art, and for that reason she plans to continue to make Memphis her home after graduation.
“Working with the staff members at my Arts Memphis internship has shown me that there are people just as excited and invested in the arts as I am,” she says. “It has solidified my decision to work in the nonprofit sector and has shown me that the arts play an important role in the lives of Memphians.”
Arts Memphis supports the work of all nonprofit arts organizations in the city through fund-raising, grant writing, art promotion, and otherwise heightening the impact of art in the city.
Through her internship this spring, Lewellen, an art major, gathered data from arts organizations throughout the city for an Arts and Economic Prosperity study that shows the impact of nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in the area. The experience exposed her to the tapestry of art at work in the city.
“I have definitely seen a tight-knit community,” she says. “It’s great to watch so many individuals work toward the common goal of ensuring that the arts continue to flourish. It’s something Memphis realizes is important in order to sustain a sense of pride in our growing city.”
Whatever Lewellen does after college, she knows what community she wants to be in.
“Whether it’s working to provide funding for the arts or working directly with arts programs, I just hope to be connected with the arts in some meaningful way,” she says.