project overview
Urban Flow | Renasant Convention Center parking level entrance
UAC partnered with the City of Memphis and the Renasant Convention Center Board of Commissioners to produce a mural inside the convention center entrance from Parking Level 1 that welcomes visitors to the renovated facilities. The convention center, formerly known as the Memphis Cook Convention Center, opened along the city’s riverfront in 1974. In 2019, the City embarked on a $200M modernization of the convention center that totally transformed the footprint of the space, which now features hotel-quality finishes and amenities throughout. The reimagined facility also showcases an impressive art program featuring all Memphis-based or adjacent artists.
Kong Wee Pang and Jay Crum of Taropop Studio responded with a design that celebrates the city’s rich music history and explores the future of Memphis as the city moves forward into its third century. The mural shows an abstracted future cityscape of Memphis with nods to the Mississippi River and music. Ideas of urban planning merge with local landmarks and natural assets in a whimsical way. Color, pattern and rhythm lead the viewer on a visual tour of this futuristic city of possibility. The artists express that they created the design with a positive message and a vision of hope for the continued success of our unique city.
“As Memphis moves into its third century, it is important to hold on to our unique identity as we adapt and grow. Our design, Urban Flow, depicts the Bluff City as a thriving metropolis with its music history as a foundation.””
about the artists
Kong Wee Pang & Jay Crum - Taropop Studio
Artists Jay Crum and Kong Wee Pang
Kong Wee Pang moved to the United States in 2001 from multi-cultural Malaysia & Singapore. She graduated from Singapore Nanyang Academy of Fine Art. In 2001, she moved to the United States, where she received a degree in Fine Art and Design and an MFA from the Memphis College of Art. She currently works as an Associate Creative Director at the mid-south’s largest ad agency, Archer Malmo. In 2016, she co-founded Taropop Studio, focusing on public art and award-winning branding. She has shown her work in New York’s Times Square, Spain, Italy, Berlin, Atlanta, Memphis, California and Malaysia. Some of her selected clients include Hilton, St. Jude and Planned Parenthood.
Jay Crum is a multi-disciplinary artist from New Orleans, LA where he attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). He received a degree in FineArt and an MFA from Memphis College of Art in 2012. In 2016 he co-founded a creative studio, Taropop, which focuses on public art and award-winning illustration. He has shown his work in Rome, Barcelona and Memphis. He has partnered with brands such as Google, Hilton,Tru by Hilton, St. Jude and The Big Green.
