PAINT MEMPHIS TEAM

The Team Helping Bring New and Exciting Art to Memphis

Karen GoLightly

Acting Director
Karen B. Golightly is an assistant professor of English at Christian Brothers University, where she teaches creative writing, Victorian literature, and lots of other courses. She has a PhD in Nineteenth Century British and Irish literature and an MFA in fiction. She founded the organization, so there is no process for selecting her, but she has over six years experience with directing non-profit organizations, ten years of writing grant proposals, and over 20 years of working in fine arts.

Penelope Link

Director of Youth Engagement
Penelope Link is an avid graffiti chaser since the age of 5, Penelope has worked in several volunteer capacities at different events. She helped organize the Grind City IG Meetup, and helped coordinate the entertainment at Paint Memphis in bot 2017 and 2018. She has been a lighting tech for several amateur and professional theatrical productions and volunteers at the Humane Society. She is ready to change the world and build community one wall at a time.

Adarryll Jackson Sr.

Photographer
Adarryll Jackson is a local freelance photographer with 15 years of photographic experience! A graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin with a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts, he aims to capture moments that speaks to the hearts and minds of the viewers!.

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Bella Golightly

Secretary/Social Media Director/Vendor Coordinator
Bella Golightly graduated from the University of Memphis and is a social media manager for local businesses, coordinates and location scouts for film productions in the city, and is now the market coordinator for Paint Memphis. She has been a part of the project from the start, since her mother, the Director, has enlisted her help in visually documenting the event, assisting in distributing materials, and recently she’s been in charge of vendor outreach and organizing the market aspect of Paint Memphis. Check out her & her partner’s booth this year called Curio Creations!
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Vivian Irby Edwards

Treasurer/Numbers Lady
A native Memphis, Vivian has a Bachelors of Business Administration degree from Austin Peay State University, a Masters of Science degree (with a concentration in accounting) from the University of Memphis, and she has a Certified Public Accountants' license. In her free time, she spends quality time with her husband, Corey, and son, Dominic. She is eager to serve on the Board of Paint Memphis with such talented and gifted people!

Brandon Simmers

IT Developer
Brandon Simmers is a native Memphian, graduating from the University of Memphis with a Master's in Electrical and Computer Engineering. As a Memphis musician, he feels passionate about the arts and is excited to put his technical expertise to use in his Memphis community. He is currently the Associate Software Development Engineer for St. Jude Childrens Hospital located in Memphis Tennessee.


Antonio Yates

Digital Art/Events Management
A traditional/digital artist primarily focused on cartoonish styles. I was born and raised in Memphis. This is my home, and sooner or later, a safe slave for Artist to express themselves loudly.

Renee Hodges

Vendors with Bella/Paint/Swag Bags and Art Liker
Renée really likes your art.

A native to Washington state, she’s lived up + down the west coast and forever yearns to dip her toes in the Pacific Ocean. She was raised a garden girl with awe + wonder for all things beautiful, mundane, and in-process under the sun. She’s on a mission to ruin her manicure with ongoing paint + garden projects.

Currently working in clinical research operations at St. Jude Global Pediatric Medicine, Renee has meandered a winding path of creative entrepreneurial + liaison roles. She has a BA in Communication + Fine Arts from the University of Memphis and has called the bluff city home for 20 years.

Renée began volunteering with Paint Memphis in 2015, painting her first wall at the fest in 2018. She has written as sundry blossoms, renesia, and buggy. The organization, contributing artists, activated spaces, and ideas materialized into being through PM are deeply inspiring to her. Go ahead + tell her what you’re up to, she’s interested!


Donnie Gladney

DEI/Community Engagement/Strategic Planning
An advocate for underrepresented communities and a champion for innovative education, I currently serve as a Senior Budget Analyst with Memphis Shelby County Schools. I graduated from the University of Memphis with a Bachelor of Business Administration (concentration in Accounting) and earned my Certified Municipal Finance Officer Certification (CMFO) shortly after. I am also the founder of Plug'd Inc. a mission driven organization that promotes community engagement, through marketing the positive and unique aspects of Memphis from our arts and history to our locally owned businesses. I am excited about the opportunity to bring new creatives to the city and provide more spaces for those that are already here!


Leslie Hester

Volunteer Coordinator/Event Management
Leslie is a lifetime artist - born and raised in Memphis. Having roots in the city of soul fuels her passion for connecting people through art. She is an eclectic artist, always interested in discovering new mediums and always led by a sense of awe and wonderment for things waiting to be found.

As a career Hairstylist (aka, an underpaid therapist) she finds joy in helping her clients feel like the best version of themselves. Leslie is pursuing a degree in Regenerative Organic Agriculture, and is so excited to share her knowledge with the community in order to heal our wounds of food insecurity and isolation.

This is Leslie’s first year involved with Paint Memphis, and is so honored to help showcase how beautiful our city is! You can find her on Instagram @breathndecay to follow her journey.


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Adrienne Kornelson

Children’s area with Betty/Arts Education
Adrienne isfrom Oakland California, has lived in Memphis for a decade. Overall lover of Art , Art history, fashion , music ,books,underground skate culture, all things creepy and mostly loves being a very peculiar mother. Studied Art History and photography at Memphis College of Art. Adrienne is an Art Docent at a local museum, as well as a mixed media artist ,she sales her art at pop up shops, under the store names PeculiarMother901 and Doom and Gloom


Augustin Kure

Graphic Design
Augustin Kure is an accomplished Art Director at Varsity Spirit, bringing over four years of diverse experience in marketing and design. With a BA in Graphic Design from the University of Memphis, where he was honored with the Dean's Creative Achievement Award, Augustin has built a robust portfolio working with notable nonprofits such as the Foundation Fighting Blindness, the Campbell Clinic Foundation, St. Jude, and Youth Villages.

Throughout his career, Augustin has collaborated with Emmy award-winning designers and contributed to small freelance studios, enriching his creative perspective and technical skills. His professional journey reflects a commitment to impactful design and a passion for visual storytelling.

Outside of his professional pursuits, Augustin enjoys playing guitar and spending quality time with his beloved pup, Oliver.



Betty Royce

President/Chairperson of the Board
Betty Royce graduated from Christian Brother University with a major in English and minor in History. She is currently working on a Masters in Special Education at Christian Brother University. Betty has been working in the community for 10 years but new to Paint Memphis. She is excited about helping to bring great artists to Memphis.

Tom Link

Music/Entertainment Coordinator
Tom Link was born and raised in Indiana but has called Memphis home since 1989. Tom moved to Memphis to get a degree and move on, but instead found a permanent place in this amazing community of artists and musicians. He has an M.A. in Jazz Composition and Improvisation from the University of Memphis.

Leah Halteman

Grant writing/ Music coordination/ DJ
Leah is a proud Memphian, born and raised in this vibrant city. A graduate of White Station High School and the University of Memphis, Leah holds a Master of Science degree in Management Information Services. Currently serving as a data analyst at St. Jude, she brings a wealth of analytical expertise to the table. With a deep-rooted love for music, her hometown and a commitment to community enrichment, Leah hopes to make a meaningful impact in fostering art and connection within the Memphis community through Paint Memphis.


Genna Wigginson

Volunteer Coordinator/Events during the week/Swag bags
Memphis based visual artist, Genna Wigginson has been honing her skills throughout her hometown and beyond. Her work is now displayed throughout the country as private investors collect some of her unique pieces.

Genna's passion for art begin in her most early years of life as she recalls the intriguing easels of her very first kindergarten class. She would then go on to study at the well-known and historic Memphis College of Art. In recent years Genna has also lend herself to electrical and structural engineering as she produces technical drawings in architectural design.

Genna’s creativity is known to expanded beyond the surface of the canvas with inspiration from nature, architecture, music, and people. You can expect to see organic methods, textures, and mediums ineach of her pieces. Experiencing her work is to translate it with thy own eyes...

Bill Hesselbein

Videographer/Photographer
Bill spent 25 years as a Senior Systems Architect for Fortune 500 companies and took a right turn when Paint Memphis came into his view. Born and raised in Memphis, he loves what Paint Memphis makes possible for artists and Memphians, and the beautiful footprints that it leaves in a city he loves so much.

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Carlos Valverde

Event Management/Ladders/Scaffolding/Latino Liasion
Carlos is a fine artist and muralist. He’s a long-time Paint Memphis artist.


Bill Simmers

Photographer/Web/Coffee Taster
A founding member of Paint Memphis, Bill brings his 25 years of IT/Internet Development work and photography skills. Bill works as a photographer, graphic artists, web designer, audio/video media consultant. He is an avid cyclist, urbexer, and Memphis lover.