MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris announced Tuesday that he will sign a "Forever Lease" between the Orange Mound Arts Council and Shelby County Government.
On Wednesday, June 24, Mayor Harris will sign a 50-year lease agreement between the OMAC and Shelby County Government for property located at 2471 Park Avenue.
The “forever lease” arrangement will allow OMAC to lease the property for free for the next 50 years. The Orange Mound Arts Council will use the property to expand creative art options in the community.
Also on Wednesday, Shelby County officials will present the Orange Mound Arts Council with art supplies for kids and creative programming.
“I am pleased Shelby County will partner with the Orange Mound Arts Council on this venture to bring more of the creative arts to this neighborhood and its youth. What was formerly blighted property in the Orange Mound Community will be reinvented as a platform for showcasing African American art and creative community programming. The Orange Mound Arts Council and ArtUp have worked for years to showcase the historic art of Orange Mound, one of the first African-American neighborhoods in the United States. I am excited about the work they will continue to do in their new space, ” says Mayor Harris.
Shelby County Commissioner Reginald Milton said "It is important we preserve the rich history of African American culture. Through this partnership, not only are we able to showcase historic Orange Mound Art, but we are also investing in the community.”
"OMAC and the Historic Orange Mound Heritage and Preservation Society extends our gratitude and sincere appreciation to Mayor Harris, the Shelby County Commissioners, and staff for the gift grandeur to our beloved community. Our community’s first cultural center will present activities from this sacred place that will transform the city, the county, and the world, just as Orange Mound has transformed since its conception in 1890," said Orange Mound Arts Council Executive Director Mary Mitchell.
