The Problem
3RDSPACE was created as an evolution of Young Art Patrons. It served as an agency committed to serving as an exemplar and generator of socially progressive ideas around the arts.
3RDSPACE took a look at the archive of tools that cities and creatives use in forming relationship and created programs that reshaped how we envisioned that tools usefulness.
“[...]highlighting the uneasy relationship between public and private makes progress unpredictable. Design leadership is only as strong as political will.
Without economic and legislative building blocks, a new social contract will struggle to take shape. §”
Program Feature: Crowdfund Live
Begninnig in 2019, 3RDSPACE presented an evening of shared stories, ambitious ideas, and audience funded micro-grants for creatives.
Crowdfund Live was created to provide more access to capital for creative disciplines in Memphis that did not have grants, debt, or equity opportunities.
In researching the Memphis creative economy, Whitney noted that by creating a market for funding more creative ideas, we could further support new projects and more creative entrepreneurs scaling businesses and innovations locally.
Program Feature: Community and Open Air Gallery
The Community Space & Gallery Program brings contemporary Memphis creatives into offices, non-profits, and non-traditional spaces. The galleries were designed as opportunities to provide exposure, sales, and art education to new audiences.
Galleries included:
LatinoMemphis with art curation focused on LatinX, immigrant, refugee, and LGBTQ artists. Artists featured include Danielle Sierra and Vanessa Gonzalez.
The Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce office focused on work from local photographers and makers. The feautred artists such as Catherine Elizabeth Patton provided dynamic dialogue, experience, and education about their photographic narrative of the city and how that work relates to the daily mission of the Memphis Chamber.
This program would inspire the Open Air Gallery (replacing outdoor billboards in blighted areas with community-selected artwork). Billboards are located in Summer Avenue and Downtown Memphis viewed by over 2 million viewers from October 2020-Present.
“We can turn creative power into economic power”