Provenance Research

Provenance Research Project

The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is participating in the nationwide effort to identify works of art that may have been illegally confiscated from their rightful owners by the Nazi regime during World War II. Committed to the responsible stewardship of its collection, the museum is conducting in-depth provenance research on a number of paintings in the permanent collection, in compliance with the guidelines issued by the American Association of Museums in 1999 and 2001.

Of Salt and Spirit: Black Quilters in the American South
The Summer Art Garden: A Flash of Sun
Navigating Knowledge
Suchitra Mattai: with abundance we meet
In the Moment: Art from the 1950s to Now
Memphis on the Mississippi (Ode to Tom Lee)
Art of the African Diaspora
Power & Absence: Women in Europe, 1500 – 1680
2025 Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards
Art Builds Creativity 2023 - 2024
2024 Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards
Inspired Aging: Wellness and Creative Courage
Memphis College of Art, 1936-2020: An Enduring Legacy
David Uzochukwu: Bodies of Water
Who You See and Who We Are: A reflection on teenage identity, culture, and change
Calida Rawles: Away with the Tides
Thomas Jackson: Chaotic Equilibrium
Starry, Starry, Winter Garden
Beyond the Surface: The Art of Handmade Paper
List of paintings
Provenance Research ProjectProvenance Research Project
'Balthazar, from an altarpiece depicting the Adoration of the Magi,' Unknown Artist (Netherlandish (probably Antwerp), ca. 1515

Provenance Research

Provenance Research Project

The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is participating in the nationwide effort to identify works of art that may have been illegally confiscated from their rightful owners by the Nazi regime during World War II. Committed to the responsible stewardship of its collection, the museum is conducting in-depth provenance research on a number of paintings in the permanent collection, in compliance with the guidelines issued by the American Association of Museums in 1999 and 2001.

Of Salt and Spirit: Black Quilters in the American South
The Summer Art Garden: A Flash of Sun
Navigating Knowledge
Suchitra Mattai: with abundance we meet
In the Moment: Art from the 1950s to Now
Memphis on the Mississippi (Ode to Tom Lee)
Art of the African Diaspora
Power & Absence: Women in Europe, 1500 – 1680
David Uzochukwu: Bodies of Water
Memphis College of Art, 1936-2020: An Enduring Legacy
Who You See and Who We Are: A reflection on teenage identity, culture, and change
Thomas Jackson: Chaotic Equilibrium
Starry, Starry, Winter Garden
Calida Rawles: Away with the Tides
Beyond the Surface: The Art of Handmade Paper
Summer Art Garden: Creatures of Paradise
China Blues: The World in Blue and White
Andrea Morales: Roll Down Like Water
Christian Siriano: People Are People
Thomas Jackson: Chaotic Equilibrium
Sense-ational!: The Art of the Five Senses
Art Builds Creativity 2022 - 2023
Black American Portraits
Tommy Kha: Eye is Another
2023 Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards
The Human Zoo by Kent Monkman
Drawing the Curtain: Maurice Sendak's Designs for Opera and Ballet
Harmonia Rosales: Master Narrative
Persevere and Resist: The Strong Black Women of Elizabeth Catlett
Ofrendas: Día de los Muertos Altars
Brooks Outside: Evanescent
Another Dimension: Digital Art in Memphis
Henry Ossawa Tanner: The Thankful Poor
Decorative Arts Trust: A 35th Anniversary Exhibition
Hassan Hajjaj: My Rock Stars
Brooks Outside: RedBall Memphis
Wonder, Whimsy, Wild: Folk Art in America
Rotunda Projects: Yinka Shonibare MBE
Veda Reed: Day into Night
Red Grooms: Traveling Correspondent
2017 Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards
Brooks Outside: Tape Art
A Feast for the Eyes: 200 Years of American Still-Life Painting from the Hevrdejs Collection
100 Gifts for 100 Years
Coming to America: Lachaise, Laurent, Nadelman, and Zorach, 1914 - 1945
Georgia O'Keeffe: Visions of Hawai'i
2019 Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards
American Haiku: The Woodcuts of Ted Faiers
Bouguereau & America
Rotunda Projects: Federico Uribe
Painted Words: Poets and Painters in Print, 1869 – 1967
Natural Curiosity: Beth Van Hoesen
Renditions with Terry Adkins: Native Son (Circus)
Play Station
Ernest C. Withers: Baseball Photographs
Albrecht Dürer's "Small Passion" Series
Photography in Memphis
Claire Van Vliet: Illustrating Babel
2020 Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards
Native Voices, 1950s to Now: Art for a New Understanding
A Journey Towards Self-Definition: African American Artists in the Permanent Collection
Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition 2021
Brooks Outside: Pour Me Another
Faig Ahmed: Secret Garden
Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards and Exhibition
Rotunda Projects: Monika Grzymala
Paradise Lost: Albrecht Dürer's Stolen Eden
Ke Francis and Hoopsnake Press
Andy Warhol's Little Red Book
Memphis Artists in Real Time
Andy Warhol: Silver Clouds
Dia de los Muertos: Student Altar Exhibition
Mona Hatoum: Misbah
On Christopher Street: Transgender Portraits by Mark Seliger
List of paintings
Provenance Research Project
'Balthazar, from an altarpiece depicting the Adoration of the Magi,' Unknown Artist (Netherlandish (probably Antwerp), ca. 1515

October 1st, 2025 to January 4th, 2026

Of Salt and Spirit: Black Quilters in the American South

Curated by Dr. Sharbreon Plummer, this exhibition and the accompanying publication seek to illuminate the processes and practices of Black Southern quilters while celebrating the enduring impact of quilting on communities and generations. ‍

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Roland L. Freeman (1936–2023), Catherine Gill, Classy Blaylock, Decatur, MS, 1993. Color print, 24 in. x 36 ½ inches. Collection of the Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, Gift of the Kohler Foundation, Inc., 2022.9.162. Photo: Gib Ford
Roland L. Freeman (1936–2023), Catherine Gill, Classy Blaylock, Decatur, MS, 1993. Color print, 24 in. x 36 ½ inches. Collection of the Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, Gift of the Kohler Foundation, Inc., 2022.9.162. Photo: Gib Ford

July 23, 2025 - October 2026

Navigating Knowledge

This exhibition explores vessels and navigation as metaphors for the containment and transmission of knowledge. From religious doctrine and scientific theories to historical narratives and ancient philosophies, the works presented consider how ideas spread to the far reaches of the world through migration and other journeys.

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Harmonia Rosales, 'Migration of the Gods', 2021. Oil with iron oxide and 24 karat gold leaf on Belgian linen mounted on wood panel. Museum purchase with funds provided by the Blackmon Perry Endowment Fund, 2022.2
Harmonia Rosales, 'Migration of the Gods', 2021. Oil with iron oxide and 24 karat gold leaf on Belgian linen mounted on wood panel. Museum purchase with funds provided by the Blackmon Perry Endowment Fund, 2022.2

May 22, 2025

Suchitra Mattai: with abundance we meet

'with abundance we meet' is an installation made of ‘fruit’ ('phala' in Hindi) sculptures by the artist Suchitra Mattai that are ripe with possibilities, conjuring wombs and fertility spirits.

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Suchitra Mattai, 'phala' (fruit), 2023. 15 components comprised of vintage saris, rope, and chain, dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist and Roberts Projects, Los Angeles, California; Photo: Robert Wedemeyer.
Suchitra Mattai, 'phala' (fruit), 2023. 15 components comprised of vintage saris, rope, and chain, dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist and Roberts Projects, Los Angeles, California; Photo: Robert Wedemeyer.

April 17 - November 17

Summer Art Garden: A Flash of Sun

Memphis-based artist and designer Khara Woods presents A Flash of Sun, an installation of sun-drenched shades, dazzling patterns, and geometric sculptures.

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Axis, 2021, Spray Paint on Wood Panel, 30x40 in
Axis, 2021, Spray Paint on Wood Panel, 30x40 in

Ongoing

In the Moment: Art from the 1950s to Now

Contemporary art can capture the political and cultural essence of our time while contemplating and transcending our everyday realities. As time passes, this art connects us with the defining spirit of an era, becoming a visual record of a moment.

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Rashid Johnson, 'Seascape "Milestones"', 2022 Oil on linen; 95 × 122 in. From the collection of Pitt and Barbara Hyde
Rashid Johnson, 'Seascape "Milestones"', 2022 Oil on linen; 95 × 122 in. From the collection of Pitt and Barbara Hyde

Ongoing

Memphis on the Mississippi (Ode to Tom Lee)

To further build Memphis' Art Collection, the Brooks has commissioned the Memphis-based artist Carl E. Moore to create a work inspired by our soon-to-be new location Downtown on the banks of the Mississippi River.

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Carl E. Moore, 'Memphis on the Mississippi (Ode to Tom Lee)', 2022. Acrylic on canvas.
Carl E. Moore, 'Memphis on the Mississippi (Ode to Tom Lee)', 2022. Acrylic on canvas.

Ongoing

Art of the African Diaspora

As conversations around the African Diaspora shift and evolve, so too will this display, aided by the museum actively acquiring works that reflect these varied, global experiences.

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Ongoing

Power & Absence: Women in Europe, 1500 – 1680

This reimagining of the Schilling Gallery explores the representation of women in Europe from around 1500 to 1680, known as the Renaissance and Early Baroque period. Most of the works in this room have been made by men.

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Sofonisba Anguissola, 'Self-Portrait', 1560, oil on wood panel, Memphis Park Commission Purchase, 43.11
Sofonisba Anguissola, 'Self-Portrait', 1560, oil on wood panel, Memphis Park Commission Purchase, 43.11
No exhibitions were found

February 4 - May 15

Andy Warhol: Silver Clouds

Created in 1966, Warhol’s Silver Clouds consists of a room full of floating metallic balloons. The balloons are inflated with a proprietary mixture of air and pure helium, enabling them to float mesmerizingly in the space between the floor and the ceiling.

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Silver Clouds, 1966. Andy Warhol, Mixed Media Installation.
Silver Clouds, 1966. Andy Warhol, Mixed Media Installation.

January 22 - February 20, 2022

Mid-South Scholastic

Since 1989, the Brooks has been proud to partner with the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the national non-profit organization which organizes the nation’s oldest and largest student art competition, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, to host the regional competition and exhibition for Memphis and Mid-South area.

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Adele Ferguson, 'Pax'
Adele Ferguson, 'Pax'

October 9 – November 7, 2021

Dia de los Muertos: Student Altar Exhibition

This month-long exhibition in the education gallery features ofrendas (altars) designed by Mid-South students, a Monarch butterfly collaborative art-making activity, and stories behind some of the iconic symbols that represent this celebration of life.

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September 18, 2021 – January 9, 2022

On Christopher Street

Mark Seliger, a well-known photographer, has captured striking portraits of some of the transgender residents of New York City’s famed Christopher Street. This will be the first time this body of work will be shown in a museum, and it is the first transgender-focused art exhibition the Brooks has ever organized.

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Portrait by Mark Seliger
Portrait by Mark Seliger

On view through January 9, 2022

Mona Hatoum: Misbah

Mona Hatoum (b. 1952, Beirut, Lebanon to Palestinian parents) is considered one of the most significant artists of her generation. Hatoum's sculptures and installations often re-imagine everyday objects to engage with issues of gender, race, and conflict.

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June 5 - August 29, 2021

Persevere and Resist

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Elizabeth Catlett, 'I am the Black Woman', 1947
Elizabeth Catlett, 'I am the Black Woman', 1947

April 16 - May 2 2021

Brooks Outside: Pour Me Another

Operating in a territory between architecture, art and industrial design, LA-based Ball-Nogues Studio brings you 'Brooks Outside: Pour Me Another.'

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Ball-Nogues Studio
Ball-Nogues Studio

January 27 through June 27, 2021

Memphis Artists in Real Time

These pictorial accounts reveal both the acute distress on our community and moments of deep humanity that offer hope for the future. What Martin and Morales capture, how they capture it, and what they are thinking as they capture it, is examined here and in their own words.

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Photograph by Johnathan “Malik” Martin
Photograph by Johnathan “Malik” Martin

Febuary 25 - September 2026

Memphis College of Art, 1936-2020: An Enduring Legacy

For eighty-four years, the Memphis College of Art offered a rigorous arts education to students from across the country and around the world. Through this exhibition of ninety faculty, administrators, and graduates, 'Memphis College of Art, 1936-2020: An Enduring Legacy' reflects on the school’s historical impact and celebrates its continued legacy regionally and beyond.

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June 10, 2026 - Sept. 2026

David Uzochukwu: Bodies of Water

David Uzochukwu: Bodies of Water is a poetic meditation on identity, migration, and belonging. In his first solo museum exhibition, Uzochukwu presents hybrid beings—part human, part animal—who inhabit surreal, dreamlike landscapes. His use of nonhuman features amplifies, rather than diminishes, the strength and dignity of his subjects.‍

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David Uzochukwu, Gurgle, 2020. Archival inkjet print, 40 x 60 in. Courtesy of the artist. © 2025 David Uzochukwu. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Gomis.
David Uzochukwu, Gurgle, 2020. Archival inkjet print, 40 x 60 in. Courtesy of the artist. © 2025 David Uzochukwu. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Gomis.

Nazi-Era Research

Between 1933 and 1945, the Nazi Party systemically persecuted and stripped Jewish people from Nazi-occupied Europe of their possessions. These objects were looted, sold, dispersed, or destroyed. The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art began Nazi-Era provenance research in 2002, focusing on all European paintings in the permanent collection that transferred ownership or have gaps in their provenance from 1933 to 1945.

Although we cannot conclude that a work of art was looted or appropriated by the Nazis simply because it has incomplete or unverified information in its provenance, gaps do indicate that more robust research must be conducted. Many times, these gaps in provenance are the result of lost or destroyed gallery records, or the requested anonymity of a past owner. Several of the museum’s paintings have been researched and their provenance has been established, while others continue to be investigated.

The American Association of Museums has developed a Nazi-Era Provenance Internet Portal which provides a searchable registry of objects in United States museum collections that fit the criteria discussed above.

In allowing public access, we join with the international art museum community in the diligent search for items seized or looted during the Nazi era. If you have any inquiries or information about these items, please contact the museum at provresearch@brooksmuseum.org.

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Colonial-Era Research

Throughout history, many works of art from around the world were stolen, forcibly sold, or taken without consent as the direct result of Colonialism. The communities whose objects were taken experienced trauma, violence, and loss. Looting is not just an issue of the past. These problems persist globally due to war, riot, shifts in government, organized crime, terrorism, and natural disasters and, unfortunately, looted objects emerge on the art market to this day.

The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is committed to not only investigating the history of objects in our collection with possible links to Colonialism, but also to ensuring that all incoming acquisitions and gifts have a verified past that align with our ethical obligations.

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Interior with Soldiers
Provenance Research Paintings
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