IAM Indie Artists Market has opened shop in Midtown, adding to the diverse arts scene in the area.

The market, which opened Aug. 7 at 1725 Madison Avenue, offers a variety of items, including paintings, jewelry and vintage wares, as well as rentals, classes and private parties. 

The collective made the move to Midtown after outgrowing its small space in Bartlett. The space was a former music studio with multiple private rooms, which was not ideal for collaborating on projects. Plus, the group said, Midtown is a more suitable place for showcasing their art. 

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“We were supposed to be in Midtown,” said Kari Fleskes, president and co-founder at IAM.

“We were always meant to be in Midtown,” chimed in two of her fellow cohorts, Jeni Harris and Kenneth Dunn. 

The shop is a partnership between the six artists and Rob Coletta, owner of CANVAS of Memphis next door. Their partnership, said Fleskes, goes back to 2011 when Fleskes Jewelry was featured in one of his artist showcase events at Memphis Rehearsal Complex. 

After Coletta sold MRC and opened CANVAS, he began hosting popup holiday market events, where Harris became acquainted with Fleskes and Dunn.

“IAM was kind of birthed there,” said Harris, vice president of the artists market. “So we’re excited that it’s kind of full circle back here.”

The new space is about 2,000 square feet with an open concept floor plan perfect for displaying merchandise, hosting classes and collaborating on projects. 

Inside the newly renovated retail space are the works of the six artists, including vintage clothing and household items collected by Harris, wire-wrapped jewelry and accessories by Fleskes, alternative and holistic self-care items by Crystal Morgan Stewart and paintings and prints by Dunn, Nora Childers and Haylee Hearn.

Dunn’s artwork centers on comics and anime. He also sells accessories for costumes and cosplay. 

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Childers’ and Hearn’s work focuses on experimentation, realism and impressionism. One of Childers’ displayed works (a painting of a trombone, a Gibson Les Paul and other instruments) has been featured on a Musicians for Le Bonheur album. 

The painters’ collective workspace sits within the retail and gallery space and doubles as a classroom, with two large tables and a rack with painting supplies. 

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Each of the artists plan on hosting a variety of classes in this space, including modeling, acting, painting, drawing, mixed media and self-care.

“We aim to teach everything that we do here,” Fleskes said. “The deeper goal is to provide people an opportunity to get inspired in a creative way and to learn what their gifts are and to provide opportunities to discover what their gifts are. Because our society doesn’t necessarily encourage you on your way to adulthood to find those emotional outlets.”

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So far, business has been consistent when the shop is open during afternoons, evenings and weekends. 

“The artists are awake at night,” Harris joked.

Most of their shoppers have included locals walking by to check out the new addition to the neighborhood. Tourists have also taken an interest. 

“People from out of town have come here and said, ‘this really speaks Memphis,’” Childers said.

Although there is only one male on the team, products have attracted the attention of men and women alike. 

“There’s something here to inspire everybody,” Fleskes said.

The artists said they hope upcoming events, including pop-up holiday markets and fashion shows, will gather attention from the community. 

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For instance, one fashion event Dunn said he is excited about is 901 Fantasy Wars, in which models will wear special effects makeup and dress up like creatures, heroes and princesses. 

“I like to call it a Memphis version of Face Off,” he said. 

When artists are not in the shop, they may be pursuing other ways of showcasing their art in the community, including dressing up as superheroes and selling related merchandise (like a “kryptonite” necklace) at fairs and festivals.

“We’re able to collaborate in ways that we wouldn’t necessarily think of on our own,” Fleskes said. “So with the superhero stuff, we wouldn’t necessarily think jewelry design could be involved. But because we’re so motivated to collaborate, it brings out products you wouldn’t normally think of.”

Other collaborative works outside the market include joining forces to put together short films. To make this work, Harris provides prop rentals and set design while Dunn does the filming. Everyone in the collective helps with cosplay, acting and sketch comedy. 

“Creative expression is medicine — mental medicine, emotional medicine, spiritual medicine,” Fleskes said.