2025 Tea Box Art Unveiling
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 22, 2025
Contact: Mike Carpenter (901) 331-0153
5th Annual Tea Box Art Unveiling Features Work of Che’ryiah Sunshine
ORANGE MOUND – My Cup of Tea (MCOT) an Orange Mound-based social enterprise that provides jobs packaging and selling tea, officially unveiled its newest limited-edition tea box at their Orange Mound location. This will be the fifth tea box to feature the artwork of a local, Black artist.
“When we started this contest, we hoped to support a local Black artist and offer a special gift for the holidays,” said MCOT founder and CEO, Carey Moore. “Five years later, we’ve highlighted the work of five amazing artists, and among our customers and supporters, it’s become the most anticipated event of the year.”
The box unveiling is the culmination of a selection process in which My Cup of Tea partnered with the Orange Mound Arts Council (OMAC). Regions Bank is the sponsor—the first time in its 5-year history the contest has been sponsored. Regions’ investment allowed MCOT to expand the contest to both amateurs and professionals, increase awareness of the opportunity, and double the award for the selected artist.
“For decades, Regions Bank has worked with community partners across Memphis, Shelby County, and the Mid-South to connect more people from all backgrounds with new opportunities for prosperity and success,” said David May, Mid America Commercial Banking leader and Memphis market executive. “Our work with My Cup of Tea is an important component of our broader community engagement strategy. This is a nonprofit that’s empowering more people to grow and thrive – financially, professionally, and personally. The results are incredible, and we’re proud to support the life-changing work this organization is doing every day.”
Che’ryiah Sunshine, the selected artist, is unique when compared to the previous winners, her work features materials like washi tape, duct tape, acrylic paints, and found materials. The artwork for the MCOT tea box depicts a young woman kneeling to help an older woman with her shoe. Simultaneously, the older woman is sheltering the younger woman from the elements with her umbrella. The piece is called “Acts.”
“I’m truly honored to have been selected among so many talented artists in our community,” said Sunshine. “My piece, Acts, was inspired by the care I witness every day. The ways people show up for one another and honor the help they’ve received in return. The strength of this community, especially its roots in faith, reminded me of the Book of Acts in the Bible, which felt like the perfect title for this work.”
As the selected artist, Sunshine received $2,000 in compensation for the box design, and her photo, biography, and contact information are featured on the back of the box. The design has been printed on 500 limited-edition boxes, and Sunshine will retain ownership of the original artwork.
Besides unveiling the new box, My Cup of Tea announced the flavor of tea to be included in each box. For the first time, the featured tea is a green tea called Winter Pine. The tea is blended with premium Japanese Sencha, planed almonds, dried orange, and pink peppercorns. Guests at the announcement sampled the tea, viewed the box, and purchased it.
The new tea is also available in the My Cup of Tea online store at www.shopmycupoftea.com. It retails for $15, and all proceeds go back into the nonprofit to support the women who work there.
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About My Cup of Tea
In 2015, Carey and Rick Moore purchased the tea business and began the process to convert it to a nonprofit ministry serving women of Orange Mound. Marketing over 70 varieties of specialty tea from all over the world, My Cup of Tea (MCOT) has served more than 100 women, provided $2 million in wages, offered 125,000 hours of dignified work, and served more than 25,000 volunteer-prepared meals. Customers order tea by phone (901) 614-9769 or through the website at www.shopmycupoftea.com.