ARTSmemphis Welcomes New Board Members & Artist Advisory Council to Guide Continued Artist Support

MEMPHIS—ARTSmemphis, the MidSouth’s primary arts funder, has announced the addition of two new members of its Board of Directors and the continuation of its Artist Advisory Council to guide individual artist support, including through the now-open ARTSassist grant program.

“Our organizational direction and strategy continues to be shaped by the expertise of our incredible lay leadership,” said ARTSmemphis President & CEO Elizabeth Rouse. “Their sound counsel and engagement are critical to our growth, impact, and sustainability as an organization."

Under the leadership of Chair Martin Hand, the ARTSmemphis Board of Directors welcomes:

Nicole Lauchaire, Chief Marketing Officer & Head of Retail/D2C, Varsity Spirit

Over the last 25 years, Nicole Lauchaire has become a dynamic and passionate leader in Marketing & Communications at Varsity Spirit, the driving force in spirit worldwide and the leader in serving the cheer, dance, band and yearbook markets.  She is currently Varsity Spirit’s Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Retail/D2C, and leads brand and product marketing, communications, marketing technology, social media, content, creative and the retail business at Varsity Spirit.

Rebecca Givens Rice, Vice President, Human Resources, Customer Satisfaction, AutoZone

Rebecca leads the teams responsible for how AutoZoners learn, communicate, and grow –

spanning training, creative media, HR business partners, compliance, and organizational development. Since joining AutoZone in 2015, Rebecca has held roles in field human resources management, in-house counsel, IT (Information Technology) human resources project management, and Director, Human Resources for the Store Support Center. 

ARTSmemphis is also proud to continue ARTSassist, the only unrestricted grant program for individual artists in Shelby County. ARTSassist grant applications, generously supported by ARTSmemphis contributors, are now open until October 4 for visual art, dance and film (directors) through ARTSmemphis. Musician support is provided through ARTSmemphis grantee partner Music Export Memphis. 

In conjunction with individual artist grant opportunities, ARTSmemphis is pleased to grow its ARTSmemphis Artist Advisory Committee (AAC), which will advise ARTSmemphis staff and board in review and refinement of programs supporting individual artists, namely the ARTSassist grant, in alignment with ARTSmemphis’ mission and strategic goals; identify and recruit jurors for artist grant review process; advocate for support of ARTSmemphis to their networks; and serve as liaisons between ARTSmemphis and local artists.

Members of the ARTSmemphis Artist Advisory Committee (AAC) include:

Carl Moore, Co-Chair, Visual Art

Jazmin Wilson, Co-Chair, Film

Marico “Dr. Rico” Flake, Dance

Zaire Love, Film

Morgan Massey, Music

Kong Wee Pang, Visual Art

Mandy Possel, Dance

ABOUT ARTSmemphis. ARTSmemphis is Memphis’ primary arts funding and advocacy organization, dedicated to building a sustainable and vibrant arts community by recognizing the power of its collective sector. Founded in 1963, ARTSmemphis has distributed over $100 million through grants and strategic partnerships, connecting artists and organizations with the resources they need to enrich the lives of all Memphians. For more information, visit artsmemphis.org.