Lurlynn Franklin

Lurlynn Franklin is an award-winning art educator, painter, muralist, and published poet, essayist, and playwright. She received the 2023 Emmett O’Ryan Award for Artistic Inspiration in recognition of her community arts advocacy and innovative programming.

Franklin earned a Bachelor of Arts in Art from Minot State University, an MFA in Studio Art (Painting) and a Master’s in Art Education from Memphis College of Art. She is currently a graduate student in the Art History of the African Diaspora program with a concentration in Museum Studies at the University of Memphis, where she also serves as a part-time instructor.

With more than 25 years of experience teaching in charter and public schools, Franklin is deeply committed to arts education and community engagement. An established painter and muralist since age 16, she integrates her studio practice with public and collaborative projects. Her commissioned works include The ArtSee Student/Teacher Public Art Gallery in Frayser, a large-scale collaborative rotunda design at Downtown Elementary School, and the community signage project Welcome to Frayser.

Her work has been exhibited at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Dixon Gallery and Gardens, the University of Tennessee at Martin, the University of Memphis, and Crosstown Arts.