Blog

In honor of Juneteenth, the Brooks asked several black creatives based here in Memphis to share what the holiday means to them, and more broadly, their views on the role of art and cultural institutions at this time. The selected individuals -- categorized as “the collector,” “the arts advocate,” “the artist,” “the curator” and “the leader” -- differ in their perspectives and approaches, but are all united in their belief in the power... Read More

#ColorOurCollections While we've all been practicing social distancing and staying "safer at home," many of us have also picked up or expanded our creative practices – from trying new recipes in the kitchen, to planting a new garden, to writing and making art.  The ability to explore those creative practices is perhaps one of the silver linings in this storm of change and uncertainty.  Perhaps those practices are also things that we should continue to make time... Read More

Still Life Coloring Page In celebration of the Brooks Museum's Still Life Challenge, we're featuring one of the many diverse still life paintings in the museum's permanent collection as a downloadable coloring page. Harriet Cany Peale, (American, 1800 – 1869), Still Life with Lowestoft Bowl , 1857, Oil on canvas, Gift of Mr. Walter Nelson Pharr in honor of his mother, Mrs. Blanche R. Pharr  75.12   In Harriet Cany Peale’s “Still Life... Read More

BROOKS STILL LIFE CHALLENGE The Brooks Museum is challenging you to create a still life using the objects that you have at home! Create and share your still life on social media, and then challenge a friend to make one too!  Don't forget to tag us @brooksmuseum.   ABOUT STILL LIFES One of the principal genres of Western art, the still life can include all sorts of man-made and natural objects, such as cut flowers and plants, fruit, vegetables, glassware, metal... Read More

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