Daily Memphian staff photographers Patrick Lantrip and Mark Weber take a look back at their work from 2021, and picked these photos to show what the year looked like through their lenses.

The Daily Memphian highlights philanthropists, entrepreneurs, educators, artists and business owners who are no longer with us.

“My goal is to be a part of the revitalization of Whitehaven,” owner Yulonda Ewing said.

The piece, entitled “Subterranean River,” stretches 161 feet and 80 feet on each side, featuring symbols that portray the Mississippi River as a passage for commerce. LED lights shine on the shimmering sequins to mimic the movement of water. 

Shelby County Schools library media specialist Alice Faye Duncan examines two critical points in both Tennessee and American history in her newest books “Evicted,” and “Opal Lee and What it Means to be Free.” 

We’re all about Christmas. But this is Memphis, so we’ve also got Griizzlies and barbecue. Vote for your favorite image.

It is hard not to think about loss this Christmas. Here’s to those who help us find joy in the midst of it all. 

‘We can do green, we can do pink, we can do red, we can really do anything,’ Shane Soefker said of Clark Tower’s new lights. ‘We’ll have lots of opportunity to do different things with different holidays and initiatives.’

Pianist who survived being shot five times holds recitals in hopes of inspiring people to see something positive beyond the violence in the city. 

Where are some of the best holiday displays in Shelby County? We’ve got a map. 

Brown Missionary Baptist Church, which is based in DeSoto County, is hosting a Gas Up for Blessings event in Frayser, Saturday, Dec. 18.

The company will become the leading sponsor of women’s athletics at 10 schools.

Alex Lomax once was the child receiving Christmas toys at a community center. Now he’s the one passing them out. “This means a lot to me, being from Memphis and being able to give back toys to the kids,” he said.

Memphians make beautiful music, and maybe more so together. This months playlist showcases collaboration, with a bonus mix of Memphis Christmas music. 

The awards show dedicated to honoring Memphis Black men and their accomplishments will be held Dec. 9 at the National Civil Rights Museum.

Santa has a very serious job, and Rick Jamison understands that. 

Seventeen thousand runners, including cancer survivors and some running in memory of loved ones, were part of the throng trotting through Downtown and Midtown streets.

Team of teens from Memphis neighborhoods counter “pay-to-play” youth sports machine with Play Where You Stay.

Following a shooting at Cummings K-8, community members decided to show up for the neighborhood kids every morning.

With a few hundred guests, Jim’s Place celebrated 100 years. And the memories? Untold thousands.

Kinsey Thompson has seen opportunities where other people might see the impossible. But restoring a 110-year-old building is his biggest project yet.

Bala’s Bistro has reopened in a much larger space, the menu has expanded and now you don’t have to decide because you can buy food from a cafeteria line by the pound.

To honor lives lost, nearly two dozen people affected by pancreatic cancer gathered at Cancer Survivor’s Park on World Pancreatic Cancer Day.

On March 26, 2020, 20 days after his retirement party, Kenneth Bradshaw died. He was 64. Now a summer camp scholarship will honor his memory.