From Vision to Built Form: Integrating Artists into Community-Led Development for Health, Safety, and Welfare

A Presentation by Michael Cowan (Community Uplift) and Lakeisha Edwards (Urban Art Commission)

Join us for our March Third Thursday Luncheon where Michael Cowan and Lakeisha Edwards will explore how architects, artists, and community developers collaborate to deliver projects that protect public health, safety, and welfare while strengthening neighborhood identity and long-term value.

Through Memphis-based case studies (including Slim House, airport public art installations, Regional One proposal integration, and functional art in healthcare and civic spaces) participants will examine how early artist integration improves risk mitigation, enhances equitable access, strengthens stakeholder trust, and supports regulatory and safety standards in the built environment. The session combines funding pathway insight, interdisciplinary coordination strategies, and a rapid design charrette where teams identify safety considerations, community health impacts, funding mechanisms, and artist integration points within a real-world development scenario. 

Event Details

March 19, 2026

Chickasaw Country Club

3395 Galloway Ave

Memphis, TN 38122

Ticket Info

$35: AIA Members

$45: Allied Members

$15: Students

$50: Public

Registration is non-refundable.