Blog

Confessions of a Graphic Designer

Just thinking about Helvetica makes me want to get down and party!

Five Questions with David Appleby

Last Thursday night, The Brooks screened At the River I Stand, a documentary by University of Memphis Professor David Appleby. The film features rare interviews and news footage by local and national stations during the 1968 sanitation workers' strike and the days leading up to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s death.

ARTPOCALYPSE: A Manifesto

I was recently talking to Jerre Dye of Voices of the South. He attended a conference last year at which a speaker was discussing the fact that we are exhibiting the signs of being on the verge of an arts renaissance.

Ryan Rowlett: Flew the Coop

Ryan Rowlett, who interned for Brooks' Exhibitions Department this semester, sat down with me to discuss interactive media, LA flight, communal functions and his upcoming project at Odessa this Friday. Below is the flyer Rowlett designed for the installation.

Community Mural Program

In March, students at Sherwood Elementary School and Campus School were excited to complete a Community Mural Program. The mural at Sherwood Elementary School was painted by a group of fifth-grade students, and the mural at Campus School was completed by students from the sixth-grade.

Sacred Oysters, Holy Toast: Vik Muniz and the Art of the Miraculous

On a chilly spring morning in 2004, a modest shrine began to grow in the shadow of Chicago’s Kennedy Expressway. Local faithfuls swarmed to the grimy wall of the underpass, where the Virgin Mary had supposedly materialized in the form of a ghostly gray stain. In a matter of days, the phenomenon had drawn the attention of flashbulbs and live video feeds, and suddenly this largish salt deposit was national news.

An Education in Rock

Tucked away somewhere in my closet is a t-shirt designed with " The Clash " logo. But, I have to be honest that until doing research for our upcoming "rockumentary" film about The Clash frontman Joe Strummer, I knew nothing about the band. I suppose this proves that not only am I pathetically devoted to fashion trends, but I am also a lot less cool than I would like to think.

Rare Works on Display in Around TN

Around Tennessee, 1820 - 1920, a new exhibition of rare works from the Midsouth, is opening on Saturday at the Brooks. I got a chance to go behind the scenes to see the installation of it yesterday. There are some really beautiful pieces in there, including fine furniture, paintings, quilts, and early silver.

Botero at the Brooks

In a little over a week, the Brooks will be opening a new exhibition of paintings, drawings, and sculptures by Fernando Botero. It's going to be a really exciting exhibition, and we hope that you'll come out! If you have never seen Botero's work, imagine if Velasquez painted in the style of Diego Rivera. He takes the human form and exaggerates its proportions to the point of absurdity.

FILM: Visioneers

If you're into supporting Indie Memphis and the Brooks Museum, then you'll love our next film. Visioneers, a movie about exploding people, demands of its viewers a certain experience in the common workplace.

Brooks Blogs