Inside Art

Inside Art is Tennessee’s only hands-on family art gallery dedicated to visual literacy.

Inside Art is Tennessee’s only family gallery dedicated to visual literacy – the ability to make meaning from the images you see. Teachers, parents, and caregivers alike will love each thoughtful element and its profound learning objectives. Children of all ages will relish in the sounds, sights, and textures as they pose, climb, create, relax, and explore.

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Inside Art
Portal Walls

Portal Walls

Each entrance is an exciting way to literally walk through the art. Then, add color to the line drawings of works from our collection.

Discover

Follow your natural curiosities and open cabinets and doors to see what’s inside and learn more about one of the museum’s most popular paintings. Use a secret decoder to read the hidden messages to learn more.

Create

Experiment with different materials to experience the artistic process yourself. Post photos of your creations and tag us using #Inside Art and #BrooksMuseum.

We have even more ways to learn with the Brooks Museum. See our programs below.

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Art Therapy Access Program

Art therapy is defined by the American Art Therapy Association as a mental health profession in which clients, facilitated by a masters-level art therapist, use art media, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to explore their feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem.

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Homeschool

The Brooks offers free Homeschool Days for homeschool students of all ages and their families. Homeschool Days occur six times a year - three in the fall and three in the spring. Each of these days explores the museum’s permanent collection and special exhibitions through a specific theme.

Learn More

Inside Art

Inside Art is Tennessee’s only family gallery dedicated to visual literacy – the ability to make meaning from the images you see. Teachers, parents, and caregivers alike will love each thoughtful element and its profound learning objectives. Children of all ages will relish in the sounds, sights, and textures as they pose, climb, create, relax, and explore.

Learn More

Virtual Visits

Classes are 40 minutes in length and are available Monday through Friday. All virtual visits must be booked a minimum of two weeks in advance and require at least 10 participants. This is a free program open to all ages and types of groups.

Learn More

Art Therapy Access Program

Art therapy is defined by the American Art Therapy Association as a mental health profession in which clients, facilitated by a masters-level art therapist, use art media, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to explore their feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem.

Learn More

Homeschool

The Brooks offers free Homeschool Days for homeschool students of all ages and their families. Homeschool Days occur six times a year - three in the fall and three in the spring. Each of these days explores the museum’s permanent collection and special exhibitions through a specific theme.

Learn More

Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards

The Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards is an annual juried student art exhibition sponsored by the Brooks Museum League and Pinnacle Financial Partners, with support from Derek Fordjour and the family of Marcia Bicks.

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Tours

School tours are designed to engage students in critical thinking about art, and to support students to develop visual literacy skills. Students of all ages are invited to explore the rich collection of the Brooks Museum on a tour.

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Homeschool Activities

Yarn Landscape

Project Time:

Supplies

  • Cardstock or cardboard
  • Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Different colored yarn

Lesson Plans

Browse our lessons for teachers to connect their students’ museum visit to the classroom.

Lesson plans with objectives based on Bloom’s Taxonomy are available for themed tours of the permanent collection and special exhibitions. They’re designed to provide information about artworks, vocabulary, online resources, suggested curriculum standards, and pre- and post- museum visit activities for the classroom.


The Environment

The Environment

Grades PreK-1 (ages 4-6)

Explore themes from the environment, including seasons, animal habitats, and weather patterns through interactive gallery discussions and art-making activities.

Science - Technology - Engineering - Art - Math

Science - Technology - Engineering - Art - Math

Grades 3-8

Use art from our permanent collection as a launching point to explore STEAM concepts.

Arts of Global Africa

Arts of Global Africa

Grades K-12

An introduction to the rich artistic expressions of Africa, which are as varied as the continent itself.

Lesson Plan Attribution

Gaston Lachaise, United States, born France, 1882-1935, Two Floating Nude Acrobats, 1922, Bronze, 11 1/2 x 2 3/4 x 7 1/2 inches, Private collection, Courtesy of Gerald Peters Gallery © Gaston Lachaise Foundation

Hassan Hajjaj, (b. Larache, Morocco, 1960), Afrikan Boyem, 2012 from the series My Rock Stars Volume 2, Metallic Lambda print on 3mm Dibond in wood frame with Geisha maquereau tins, Courtesy Private Collection

Roger Brown, American, 1941 – 1997, Clouds Over Alabama, 1994, Oil on canvas, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art purchase; funds provided by the Thomas W. Briggs Foundation Community Service Award in honor of Kaywin Feldman, with additional support from Mimi Loeb 2006.22. © School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Brown Family

Thomas Hart Benton, American, 1889 - 1975, Engineer's Dream, 1931, Oil on panel, Eugenia Buxton Whitnel Funds, 75.1. © T.H. Benton and R.P. Benton Testamentary Trusts/ UMB Bank Trustee/VAGA, New York, NY

Carroll Cloar, American (active in Memphis), 1913 - 1993, My Father Was Big as a Tree, c. 1955, Casein tempura on masonite, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art; Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Morrie A. Moss, 55.24. © Estate of the artist

Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal), The Grand Canal from the Campo San Vio, 1730-1735, Oil on canvas, Gift of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, 61.216.

Isaac Soyer, American (b. Russia), 1902 - 1981, Cafeteria, c. 1930, Oil on canvas, Gift of Mr. E. R. Brumley, 45.12. © Estate of the Artist

Chakaia Booker, American, b. 1953, Untitled, 2002, Rubber tire and wood, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art purchase; funds provided by Wil and Sally Hergenrader, 2006.33. © Chakaia Booker

Elizabeth Catlett, American, 1919 - 2012, In Harriet Tubman I Helped Hundreds to Freedom from The Negro Woman, 1946, Linocut, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art; Gift of AutoZone, Inc. 2001.15.1i © Elizabeth Catlett/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

German, Saint Michael, c. 1450-1480, Limewood, polychromed and gilded, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art Purchase with funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. Ben B. Carrick, Dr. and Mrs. Marcus W. Orr, Fr. And Mrs. William F. Outlan, Mr. and Mrs. Downing Pryor, Mr. and Mrs. Richard O. Wilson, Brooks League in memory of Margaret A. Tate, 84.3.

Red Grooms, American, b. 1937, Tennessee S Curve, 2001, Enamel on epoxy on Styrofoam, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art purchase; Morrie A. Moss Acquisition Fund 2001.10. © Red Grooms / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Lesson Plans

Browse our lessons for teachers to connect their students’ museum visit to the classroom.

Lesson plans with objectives based on Bloom’s Taxonomy are available for themed tours of the permanent collection and special exhibitions. They’re designed to provide information about artworks, vocabulary, online resources, suggested curriculum standards, and pre- and post- museum visit activities for the classroom.


The Environment

The Environment

Grades PreK-1 (ages 4-6)

Explore themes from the environment, including seasons, animal habitats, and weather patterns through interactive gallery discussions and art-making activities.

Science - Technology - Engineering - Art - Math

Science - Technology - Engineering - Art - Math

Grades 3-8

Use art from our permanent collection as a launching point to explore STEAM concepts.

Arts of Global Africa

Arts of Global Africa

Grades K-12

An introduction to the rich artistic expressions of Africa, which are as varied as the continent itself.

Lesson Plan Attribution

Gaston Lachaise, United States, born France, 1882-1935, Two Floating Nude Acrobats, 1922, Bronze, 11 1/2 x 2 3/4 x 7 1/2 inches, Private collection, Courtesy of Gerald Peters Gallery © Gaston Lachaise Foundation

Hassan Hajjaj, (b. Larache, Morocco, 1960), Afrikan Boyem, 2012 from the series My Rock Stars Volume 2, Metallic Lambda print on 3mm Dibond in wood frame with Geisha maquereau tins, Courtesy Private Collection

Roger Brown, American, 1941 – 1997, Clouds Over Alabama, 1994, Oil on canvas, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art purchase; funds provided by the Thomas W. Briggs Foundation Community Service Award in honor of Kaywin Feldman, with additional support from Mimi Loeb 2006.22. © School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Brown Family

Thomas Hart Benton, American, 1889 - 1975, Engineer's Dream, 1931, Oil on panel, Eugenia Buxton Whitnel Funds, 75.1. © T.H. Benton and R.P. Benton Testamentary Trusts/ UMB Bank Trustee/VAGA, New York, NY

Carroll Cloar, American (active in Memphis), 1913 - 1993, My Father Was Big as a Tree, c. 1955, Casein tempura on masonite, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art; Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Morrie A. Moss, 55.24. © Estate of the artist

Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal), The Grand Canal from the Campo San Vio, 1730-1735, Oil on canvas, Gift of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, 61.216.

Isaac Soyer, American (b. Russia), 1902 - 1981, Cafeteria, c. 1930, Oil on canvas, Gift of Mr. E. R. Brumley, 45.12. © Estate of the Artist

Chakaia Booker, American, b. 1953, Untitled, 2002, Rubber tire and wood, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art purchase; funds provided by Wil and Sally Hergenrader, 2006.33. © Chakaia Booker

Elizabeth Catlett, American, 1919 - 2012, In Harriet Tubman I Helped Hundreds to Freedom from The Negro Woman, 1946, Linocut, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art; Gift of AutoZone, Inc. 2001.15.1i © Elizabeth Catlett/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

German, Saint Michael, c. 1450-1480, Limewood, polychromed and gilded, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art Purchase with funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. Ben B. Carrick, Dr. and Mrs. Marcus W. Orr, Fr. And Mrs. William F. Outlan, Mr. and Mrs. Downing Pryor, Mr. and Mrs. Richard O. Wilson, Brooks League in memory of Margaret A. Tate, 84.3.

Red Grooms, American, b. 1937, Tennessee S Curve, 2001, Enamel on epoxy on Styrofoam, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art purchase; Morrie A. Moss Acquisition Fund 2001.10. © Red Grooms / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

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