Shop Local: Arrow Creative

I popped in recently to speak to some of their team members and get a peek at everything the facility has to offer.

Why Cooper-Young for this location?

We wanted a central location of our city that people were familiar with and needed space to spread out and grow. A few different locations were considered but our space in Cooper-Young ended up making the most sense given the area's love of the arts and small businesses.

What inspired the concept of Arrow Creative?

Arrow was born out of the need for economic support for artists in the area. The biggest barrier to a creative career is often cost, whether that be studios, supplies, equipment, education, etc. By providing work space (studios & creative labs) at below market rate prices, we can support the first steps in an artist's creative career. We are looking forward to growing our Continuing Art Education programming in 2025.

What do you feel sets Arrow Creative apart from other local art nonprofits/community gift shops?

Our retail shop carries about 98% Memphis made goods. The other products we carry are from artists who used to call Memphis home. We are so proud that we can say we are the largest purveyor of Memphis made goods in the city.

What’s your favorite part about being a part of Arrow Creative?

We love the people we get to collaborate with! Whether it's the amazing members of our staff, the artists who sell with us, or our gallery collabs; it's abundantly clear that the best part about Memphis is the people. There is no shortage of talent in this city, and it is so fun to have a front row seat to what people are creating.

Any fun upcoming events or programming we should know about?

We have two galleries coming up thanks to generous support from First Horizon and ArtsMemphis. Outliers will open on September 5th and Chromatic will open on October 3rd.
We also have a variety of Creative Community Classes in different mediums taught by local artists over the next few months. These classes are meant to engage the community in creative practices. They are great for those who have experience creating, or for those just starting out!

How can people shop with you/keep up with what’s happening with Arrow Creative?

Follow along on Instagram and Facebook, join our email list (on our website), or follow along on Eventbrite. We post all our classes and any ticketed events there.