From MCA to Art Now, Memphis Art Museum is powered by Memphis artists
Memphis and art have always been intertwined. This city has long been shaped by artists, designers, and makers whose influence reaches far beyond its borders.
That creative legacy is something the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art takes seriously, not only by honoring the artists who helped define Memphis, but by creating meaningful ways to support the ones shaping it now. Local artists are embedded in what the museum presents year-round, from major exhibitions to Memphis Art & Fashion Week, with ongoing pathways to connect with the community.
This spring, the museum is inviting Memphis into that story through a season of programs that celebrate local art, honor artistic legacy, and spotlight the people shaping the city’s creative future.
At the heart of this work is the Art Now Collective, the museum’s donor community dedicated to supporting emerging local and regional artists. Art Now brings together artists, collectors, and curious newcomers who want to engage more directly with Memphis’ contemporary arts scene.
Members enjoy private gallery tours, artist talks, and curated events that offer deeper connections to the artists and ideas defining the region today. The Collective also helps support exhibitions and programs that elevate local voices and expand their visibility.
“Memphis is such a compelling arts destination because of the connection between artists and the people who champion their work,” said Alexandra Schrack. “By bringing artists, audiences, and supporters together, Art Now helps create the vibrant cultural energy that sets Memphis apart.”
That mission feels especially timely alongside the museum’s current major exhibition, Memphis College of Art, 1936–2020: An Enduring Legacy. On view through September, the exhibition brings together 90 works by alumni of one of the South’s most influential independent art schools, many of whom went on to build careers represented in museums and collections across the country.
Similarly, the 2026 Summer Art Garden titled Wax Print Wonderland, is a vibrant new installation by Memphis-based artist and designer Samilia Pelshak. A Nigerian-American artist and Memphis College of Art alumna, Pelshak transforms the museum plaza into a surreal landscape inspired by African wax print textiles, cultural heritage, and childhood imagination. Pelshak's exhibition is on view now.
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Here are some of the ways you can join us in honoring the artists that make our city great:
Raise a glass to local art
On April 19, the Art Now Collective hosts A Toast to Local Art, a brunch-time gathering designed for anyone curious about the Memphis arts scene, whether they are longtime supporters or simply looking for a place to begin. The morning includes mimosas and light bites, tunes from a jazz duo, and conversations with local gallerists about what it means to start, grow, or deepen a personal art collection.
The day continues with Art & Aperitifs: Remembering the Memphis College of Art, part of the museum’s signature artist talk series. Four MCA alumni — Kong Wee Pang, Amy Hutcheson, Lurlynn Franklin, and Sharon Havelka — join former professor Fred Burton for a conversation about their first impressions of Memphis’ art scene and the ways MCA’s creative community continues to shape their work.
A seat at the table
Later in the spring, the museum will again honor the legacy art school with a three-part dinner series handcrafted by chef and MCA alumna Karen Carrier, whose own work is included in the exhibition. With menus inspired by different chapters in the school’s history, guests can expect an immersive, elegant, and nostalgic evening, with each detail thoughtfully curated to honor the school’s lasting impact and the artists who continue to carry its spirit into new work and new places.
An upgraded VIP experience offers an intimate tour of the exhibition, led by a curator and artist featured in the show.
How to be a part of it
Membership in the Art Now Collective is open to anyone, whether you are just beginning to explore Memphis’ arts community or have supported local artists for years. You can learn more at thebrooks.org/artnow or attend A Toast to Local Art for a welcoming introduction.
However you choose to engage, you are helping build a community that shows up for Memphis artists through participation, connection, and sustained support.
