Congratulations to Gina Von Dee! Our fashion winner in the Brooks African-Print Design Challenge. In celebration of our current exhibition, African-Print Fashion Now! A Story of Taste, Globalization, and Style , we partnered with Spoonflower to hold a two-part African-Print Design Challenge that incorporates the repeating design style of African print.   The first part of the challenge invited creatives to design a textile that highlights the dynamic traditions of... Read More

Guest blog post by Kate Renner, Brooks School Programs Coordinator. On Thursday, April 5, Brooks completed our final museum visits of this year’s Art Builds Creativity (ABC) program … and we sure are going to miss these Fourth Graders over the summer! During their final visit students enjoyed a tour of our special exhibition – African-Print Fashion Now! – followed by a language arts activity and art-making session in our studio classroom. A huge... Read More

Guest blog written by Brooks Chief Curator Marina Pacini. Edwin Jeffery was born in Memphis in 1949 and was among the first generation of African Americans to attend the city’s integrated high schools. He enlisted in the Memphis Fire Department in 1973 and retired as a lieutenant in 2001. Even though his father was a carpenter, Jeffery’s interest in woodcarving wasn’t inspired until 1975 when he was given a book on the craft. Self-taught, he subsequently began... Read More

As 2017 comes to a close, we are focused on the future – for Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and for our entire community. This has been one of the most significant seasons in the Brooks’ 101-year history. For decades, we have been grappling with many troublesome issues in our current facilities, and earlier this year, we took action. Our decisions were driven by a single question: how can we best serve our patrons and visitors from around the world, the many world-class artists... Read More

If you’re still searching for those last few holiday gifts, consider these thoughtful gifts that support Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and the arts in Tennessee. Brooks Museum Gift Membership There’s no better gift for the arts lover in your life than a Brooks Museum membership. Current Brooks members receive a $10 discount on gift memberships. New this year, every gift membership (purchased in-person at the Brooks) includes a poster of Carroll Cloar's popular... Read More

In celebration of our upcoming exhibition, African-Print Fashion Now! A Story of Taste, Globalization, and Style , the Brooks is partnering with Spoonflower to hold a two-part African-Print Design Challenge that incorporates the repeating design style of African print. Above: Inge van Lierop, designer (b. the Netherlands), Vlisco, the Netherlands, Dress, “Hommage à L’Art” collection, 2013, Vlisco wax print, Courtesy Vlisco Museum, Foundation Pieter Fentener van... Read More

Dear Brooks Friends,   As we shared with you last month, the Board of Directors of Memphis Brooks Museum of Art has known for more than two decades that significant parts of our current physical plant are inadequate. The portion of the museum that was added in the mid-1970s is a prefabricated building that is not seismically sound, has proven very difficult to keep climate controlled, and does not provide us with enough storage or exhibition space for our ample and growing permanent... Read More

Guest blog from the Tape Art Crew, Michael Townsend and Leah Smith. September 13, 2017: The Orpheum Theatre: Lobster Piñata The sponsor requested some public art downtown, so a drawing of a legendary large lobster piñata it is! The pageantry of this piñata unfolds with a line of youths excited to participate in its destruction. As we come upon the scene a young boy has already tasted the sweet victory of candy spilling from the pinatas overhead. The... Read More

Guest blog from Kate Renner, Brooks Tours & School Programs Coordinator The Brooks education team has been hard at work this summer gearing up for another amazing year of school tours. Whether you’re a teacher who’s brought your class many times before, or a teacher scheduling a visit for the first time, here’s the scoop on what’s new this year at the Brooks! Did you know? Tours at the Brooks scheduled at least two weeks in advance are FREE of... Read More

Dear friends,   Memphis is a vibrant community of people who make, celebrate, love, and learn from art. And for over 100 years,  Memphis Brooks Museum of Art has played a central role in nurturing and developing the cultural life of the city we all call home. Our centennial milestone has afforded us a unique opportunity to look back on our achievements, assess the current status of our operations, and contemplate our future. The Brooks Museum is the oldest and largest art... Read More