Episode 140

Ep.140 features Elliot Perry. He is a native Memphian… graduate of Treadwell High School (1987) and the University of Memphis (1991) where he also played basketball. After graduating with a degree in marketing in 1991, Perry was drafted in the second round of the 1991 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers and went on to play 10 years. After retirement, Elliot served as a player representative with the NBA Players Association in (2004). On October 8th, 2005 he began a new chapter in his life when he joined the Memphis Grizzlies ownership team. Elliot lives in Germantown, TN with his wife, Kimberly and daughter Morgan. He enjoys golf and spending time with his mentees.

Perry is currently working for the Poplar Foundation which support educational opportunities for underserved communities in Memphis, as well as; serving as the board chair of the Memphis Grizzlies Charitable Foundation, which provides mentorship opportunities for Memphis youth. He also serves on several other boards including National Civil Rights Museum (NCRM), Memphis Athletic Ministries (MAM), and New Hope Christian Academy. Elliot and his wife are avid art collectors and have amassed one of the top contemporary collections of African American and African artist in the country. They have been collecting for over twenty (20) and continue to support not only artists but arts organizations that are helping build a stronger and more diverse arts community in Memphis. Their collection has been written about extensively and exhibited several times and in 2014 showed at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and the Flint Institute of Arts. In 2022 he was honored by MoMa and the Blacks Arts Council. Perry said “The mission of our collection is to encourage dialogue, while also creating a platform for inquiry and exploration. All the artists within our collection have the common denominator of being some of the most powerful and visually impactful voices of their generation. As collectors, we aim to compile works that allow for the convergence of these voices and the conversations they instigate. Our enthusiasm is not just simply about a collection; it is in some way our attempt at documenting and preserving African American culture and history for the next generation”.

Elliot Perry Foundation https://www.elliotperry.org/

MoMA Black Arts Council Gala https://press.moma.org/news/momas-2022-black-arts-council-benefit/

Artsy https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-black-collectors-shaping-future-art

NBA https://www.nba.com/grizzlies/mikecheck-elliot-perry-showcases-extensive-passion-african-american-art-grizzlies-players-lounge

Hyperallergic https://hyperallergic.com/509611/sondra-perry-offers-viewers-a-drone-perspective/

Vanity Fair https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/05/meghan-and-harry-tyler-perry-art-collection

Fort Wayne Museum of Art https://fwmoa.blog/2022/08/03/what-were-reading-playing-to-the-gallery-by-grayson-perry/

Andy Warhol Foundation https://warholfoundation.org/2022/06/07/current-art-fund-2022-application-now-open/

Tri-Star Arts https://tristararts.org/current-art-fund

Larry’s List http://www.larryslist.com/artmarket/the-talks/former-nba-star-on-why-the-work-of-artist-of-color-is-vital-to-art-institutions/

Andscape https://andscape.com/features/next-chapter-retired-nba-player-elliot-perry/

C& https://contemporaryand.com/magazines/the-elliot-and-kimberly-perry-collection/