May 8 - October 26 2024
Summer Art Garden: Creatures of Paradise
For the second annual Summer Art Garden on the museum’s plaza, Memphis-based duo Banana Plastik present an environment filled with vibrant and whimsical beings entitled Creatures of Paradise. Oversize bugs and tiny Thumbelinas relax in a fantasy landscape that is equally idyllic and surreal. An ambitious mural is complemented by vivid umbrella designs, surprises hidden in the planters, a botanical intervention on the ground, and more. The artists, Ivy-Jade Edwards and Paige Ellens, were inspired by the abundance of figures, fantastic beasts, and playful proportions of Hieronymous Bosch’s enigmatic painting The Garden of Earthly Delights (ca. 1490-1500, Museo del Prado, Madrid). Ellens and Edwards worked in tandem, passing the work back and forth to create this fever-dream environment filled with curious, feminine deities and fluttering, monstrous insects. Their aim was to create a warm and colorful daydream-like creation where the creatures revel in a safe and comforting community free of societal norms.
Thank you to our sponsors
All exhibitions at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art are underwritten by the MBMA Exhibition Fund.
Major annual support is provided by Mary Lee Copp Formanek and Maggie and Milton Lovell, with generous annual funding from Anonymous, Gloria and Kenneth Boyland, Deborah and Bob Craddock, Michael and Maria Douglass, Harry Goldsmith, Eleanor and William Halliday, Debi and Galen Havner, Buzzy Hussey and Hal Brunt, Jay and Kristen Keegan, Dr. James Patterson, Dr. Rushton Patterson, Carl and Valerie Person, and Bill Townsend.
Become an Art Gardener
As the flowers begin to bloom, we’re excited to invite you to join us as we cultivate something special at Memphis' art museum: our Summer Art Garden! Just like a garden needs nurturing and care, our art community thrives with your support.
Join us today by pledging your support as an Art Gardener for exclusive pins, tumblers, totes, and more!
Exhibition Programs
Summer Art Garden: Creatures of Paradise Opening Celebration
Come party on the plaza with us on May 8th as we celebrate the opening of the 'Summer Art Garden: Creatures of Paradise'!
Free with registration
Artist
Curators
Artist + Curator
Banana Plastik
Comprised of two artists from Memphis, Tennessee, Banana Plastik aims to bring color and vibrancy to walls everywhere. Paige Ellens (she/her) and Ivy-Jade Edwards (she/her) majored in Studio Art at the University of Memphis, graduating in 2020 and 2019, respectively. With Edwards' striking illustrative style and Ellens' attention to color and patterning, the two painters joined forces to collaborate on murals and other public artworks. Both artists are inspired by murals, contemporary art, and pop culture, including anime, film/TV, and music. They’ve exhibited separately and together across the state, and their creative flair in murals can be seen across Memphis.
Banana Plastik
Comprised of two artists from Memphis, Tennessee, Banana Plastik aims to bring color and vibrancy to walls everywhere. Paige Ellens (she/her) and Ivy-Jade Edwards (she/her) majored in Studio Art at the University of Memphis, graduating in 2020 and 2019, respectively. With Edwards' striking illustrative style and Ellens' attention to color and patterning, the two painters joined forces to collaborate on murals and other public artworks. Both artists are inspired by murals, contemporary art, and pop culture, including anime, film/TV, and music. They’ve exhibited separately and together across the state, and their creative flair in murals can be seen across Memphis.
Kristin Pedrozo
Kristin Pedrozo is a double fellow, holding the position of Art Bridges Curatorial Fellow while being an ASU-LACMA fellow at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. Born in the Philippines, and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Kristin received her BFA in studio art at Rhodes College and is now a graduate student studying art history through the ASU-LACMA fellowship, which is a work-while-you study program collaboratively held by Arizona State University and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to culturally diversify the staff and leadership of art museums across the states.
Art Bridges Curatorial Fellow
Kristin Pedrozo
Kristin Pedrozo is a double fellow, holding the position of Art Bridges Curatorial Fellow while being an ASU-LACMA fellow at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. Born in the Philippines, and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Kristin received her BFA in studio art at Rhodes College and is now a graduate student studying art history through the ASU-LACMA fellowship, which is a work-while-you study program collaboratively held by Arizona State University and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to culturally diversify the staff and leadership of art museums across the states.
Program Recordings
Resources
The 901 Black American Portraits Soundtrack
Listen to a soundtrack of Memphis music that exemplifies Black Love, Power, and Joy. The 901 Black American Portraits Soundtrack celebrates the vibrant legacy and future of Black musicians in the city of Memphis. This playlist was curated by Jared “Jay B” Boyd, a Memphis-based multimedia artist, journalist, DJ, and on-air personality.
MCA Exhibition Questionnaire
Help us generate the fullest picture possible of the MCA experience.
Submitting a questionnaire, which includes a request for an image of an artwork, is essential to be considered for part of the exhibition.
Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?
The American art theorist Linda Nochlin (1931-2017) posed this question as the title of a pioneering article in 1971. This essay was considered one of the first major works of Feminist art history, it has become a set text for those who study art internationally, and it is influential in many other fields.