Artist in Residence at the Center of Memphis’ Creative Future
Memphis’ creative economy is gaining new momentum through a powerful collaboration between Crosstown Arts and The Big We.
The Big We Artist in Residence joined by The Big We CEO, Anasa Troutman, appearing on Memphis’ Live @ 9
Crosstown Arts is hosting The Big We’s current Artist in Residence, Racheal Weathers, providing space, resources, and community connection for a national artist deeply embedded in Memphis’ cultural life. The residency reflects a shared commitment to strengthening the city’s creative ecosystem through intentional partnership and infrastructure.
The Big We is a social enterprise building resources and infrastructure for the cultural economy. It does this through creative placemaking, social entrepreneurship, and storytelling. The Artist in Residence program lives at the intersection of all three.
An Artist Rooted in Place
Racheal Weathers, an interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker, has been working alongside The Big We since October 2025 as part of the In This Place season. Her work documents Memphis’ present-day creative community while exploring what the future of the city’s cultural economy can become when artists are resourced, visible, and centered.
The Big We Artist in Residence joined by The Big We CEO, Anasa Troutman, appearing on Memphis’ Live @ 9
Through the residency, Weathers is housed at Crosstown Concourse, a longtime champion of artists and creative experimentation in Memphis. The Concourse provides an environment where living, working, and collaboration exist in one place, allowing the residency to grow beyond a single project into a fully immersive creative experience.
“What I’ve experienced in Memphis is a creative community with real backbone,” said Weathers. “Being able to live, create, and connect here has shaped how I’m thinking about the future and how artists can help tell a new story about what’s possible for this city.”
The residency reflects a model of institutional partnership that prioritizes artists as essential contributors to Memphis’ economic and cultural future.
Woven Into In This Place
Weathers’ work is integrated throughout the In This Place season, an annual series of public gatherings that bring Memphians together through music, storytelling, learning, and shared cultural experience. Rooted in the spirit of the 1968 Sanitation Workers Strike, the season creates space to reflect on Memphis’ history while actively shaping its future.
The season will culminate with the premiere of This Is Memphis, a documentary created by Weathers during her time in the city. The film captures Memphis through the eyes of an artist experiencing the city in real time, highlighting the people, creativity, and cultural forces shaping what comes next.
“At The Big We, we believe artists are essential to the future of Memphis’ economy,” said Anasa Troutman, Executive Director of Historic Clayborn Temple and founder of The Big We. “Collaborating with Crosstown allows us to build real infrastructure around our artists and model what it looks like when institutions work together to support creativity, community, and possibility.”
The premiere of This Is Memphis will take place on April 16, 2026, at Crosstown Theater as the closing event of the In This Place season. The season begins February 15, 2026, with the Community Sing at Crosstown Concourse, inviting Memphians to gather in joy, connection, and collective voice.
For more information about Historic Clayborn Temple + The Big We programs, contact Director of Programs Sameka Johnson by clicking here. To support Historic Clayborn Temple’s rebuild, click here.
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