To Kenneth Wayne Alexander, Memphis artists deserve a seat at the table — that table being recognition from the rest of the world.
At Cafe Lit, Alexander is gearing up to build the table himself.
In late 2019, Hulsey Britt and Frankey Anderson approached Alexander with a proposition: to curate a combined art space, restaurant, and entertainment venue dedicated to Black culture and Black excellence.
“A business partner of mine connected me with Hulsey. We met at the space, signed a contract, and we’ve been building the idea ever since,” Alexander said.
The 3-story, 7,000-square-foot space at 111 Madison Ave. leaves a lot of room for imagination for Alexander, who will be creating most of the art himself.
“I’ve always been enamored by art,” said Alexander, who has been drawing since he was 4 years old. “I used to draw cartoons and video game characters, like Street Fighter and Ninja Turtles.”
Alexander grew up in South Memphis until 1999, then Hickory Hill. He took his first art class in seventh grade at Kirby Middle School, which led him to apply to and enroll in the Creative and Performing Arts program (CAPA) at Overton High School when he entered ninth grade.
“I was exposed to a lot different techniques and theorems. (CAPA) allowed me to learn a lot about perseverance, triumph and expression in a different realm,” he said.
But, it wasn’t until Alexander got his hands on a computer that he was able to fully actualize his artistic identity.
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