Dia de los Muertos: Student Altar Exhibition
October 9 – November 7, 2021
'Dia de los Muertos' (Day of the Dead) is a holiday observed in Mexico, and other Latin American countries, which honors the lives of relatives, friends, and community figures who have passed away. 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. Simply decorate the downloadable monarch template, write the name of a deceased loved one on the wing, cut out the butterfly and bring it to the Education Gallery on the lower level of the museum anytime during regular museum visiting hours from Saturday, October 9—Sunday, November 7, 2021 Share your own creation to be included in the exhibition!
On Christopher Street: Transgender Portraits by Mark Seliger
September 18, 2021 – January 9, 2022
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.
William Eggleston: The Louisiana Project
July 21 – October 24, 2021
Memphis artist William Eggleston, a pioneer of color photography and one of the foremost photographers in the world, is known for his vivid images of everyday life in the South. This exhibition presents selections from his Louisiana Project portfolio (1980-81) that highlight two important characteristics of Eggleston’s work: his careful attention to subject matter and his craftsmanship in carefully framing color and light to create a sense of drama around everyday objects.
Mona Hatoum: Misbah
On view through January 9, 2022
Mona Hatoum (b. 1952, Beirut, Lebanon to Palestinian parents) is considered one of the most significant artists of her generation, and this exhibition is the first time her work has been shown in Tennessee. Hatoum's sculptures and installations often re-imagine everyday objects to engage with issues of gender, race, and conflict. Misbah ("lantern" in Arabic) considers the discordant and dangerous realities around the world of people displaced due to warfare and strikes the ineffable balance between socio-political commentary and sheer beauty. This presentation of Mona Hatoum: Misbah is organized by the American Federation of Arts (AFA), in collaboration with the Rennie Collection. Mona Hatoum: Misbah is part of ArtRoom, an ongoing series of contemporary art installations organized by the AFA.
Power and Absence: Women in Europe, 1500 - 1680
Currently on view
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. Women are represented as untouchable ideals, threatening monsters, enterprising community leaders, ornamental accessories to power, and models of faith. Portraits of men, meanwhile, express their power, talents, or intellect.
Drawing Memory: Essence of Memphis
Victor Ekpuk, a Nigerian American artist, painted a mural for the new African art galleries in March 2017. His art is inspired by nsibidi, a sacred means of communication among male secret societies in southeastern Nigeria.
Carroll Cloar Gallery
In honor of Carroll Cloar and to commemorate the museum’s hundredth anniversary, the Brooks Museum created a gallery dedicated to his art.
Arts of Global Africa
On view through September 26
The arts of Africa are as varied as the continent itself, which encompasses over fifty independent countries and thousands of languages. This diversity is reflected in the exceptional works of art on view, most of which are on long-term loan from the Newark Museum’s extensive African art collection. Bringing together historic and contemporary works in a range of different media, the selection of works presents an expansive vision of Africa’s artistry.