Patricia Lee Daigle Appointed Chief Curator of Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (October 29, 2025) – The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art today announced the appointment of Dr. Patricia Lee Daigle as its Chief Curator. Daigle will lead curatorial vision for the institution at a pivotal time in its 109-year history as it will open a new, state-of-the-art cultural campus overlooking the Mississippi River in 2026, marking its next chapter as the Memphis Art Museum.
Since joining the museum team in 2021 as Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Daigle has organized several acclaimed exhibitions including Harmonia Rosales: Master Narrative, In the Moment: Art from the 1950s to Now, and Tommy Kha: Eye is Another. She also served as site curator for major traveling exhibitions such as Christian Siriano: People Are People (organized by SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film) and Black American Portraits (organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art), among others. Most recently, Daigle curated Navigating Knowledge, an exhibition of modern and contemporary works that explores vessels and navigation as metaphors for the containment and transmission of knowledge.
Daigle succeeds Dr. Rosamund Garrett, who left the museum after seven years of dedicated service to become Head of Collections at the Chester Beatty in Dublin, Ireland. Under Garrett’s leadership, the curatorial department secured major acquisitions, several of which will be on view to the public for the first time in the new Memphis Art Museum in 2026, and organized important new exhibitions, several of which won awards and traveled nationally.
Building on that strong foundation, Daigle will guide the museum’s curatorial vision as it enters this next phase of growth and transformation.
“Patricia brings thoughtful curatorial insight and an expansive vision for what a museum can be,” said Zoe Kahr, Executive Director of the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. “Since joining the team, she has shaped exhibitions that connect global perspectives with the heart of Memphis. Her depth of knowledge and collaborative spirit make her an incredible partner as we move downtown and expand how we connect art and people.”
Daigle previously served as Director of The Martha and Robert Fogelman Galleries of Contemporary Art at The University of Memphis, and has held curatorial positions at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens and at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. She has written for numerous exhibition catalogues and other publications, and is a member of the Association of Art Museum Curators and its Professional Alliance for Curators of Color. She holds a Ph.D. in the History of Art and Architecture from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
“It’s an incredible honor to step into this role at such a defining moment for the museum,” said Daigle. “Having been part of the team for several years, I’ve seen firsthand how our work connects people through art and how deeply this museum matters to Memphis. My background in art history and teaching has always centered on helping others see the world in new ways, and I’m excited to carry that forward as we prepare to open downtown. This move isn’t just about a new building—it’s about expanding our reach, deepening our relationships, and continuing to serve as a place where art and community meet.”
To hear more about Daigle’s vision, read her interview here.
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About Memphis Brooks Museum of Art / Memphis Art Museum
Located at 1934 Poplar Avenue in historic Overton Park, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is one of the leading art museums in the American South. Over 10,000 works make up Memphis’ art collection at the museum including ancient works from Greece, Rome, and the Ancient Americas; Renaissance masterpieces from Italy; English portraiture; American painting and decorative arts; contemporary art; and African Diasporic art.
In December 2026, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art will open its new home as Memphis Art Museum: a state-of-the-art, 122,000-square-foot facility at the heart of downtown Memphis. For more information on the current programming and future plans for Memphis’ art museum, call (901) 544-6200 or visit brooksmuseum.org / memphisartmuseum.org.
About Dr. Patricia Lee Daigle
Patricia Lee Daigle is Chief Curator at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art (MBMA), where she leads the curatorial department and specializes in modern and contemporary art. Prior to this role, she served as MBMA Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art between 2021 and 2025. At MBMA, she has curated numerous exhibitions including Suchitra Mattai: with abundance we meet (2025), Harmonia Rosales: Master Narrative(2023), and Tommy Kha: Eye is Another (2023). She has also served as site curator for traveling exhibitions such as Christian Siriano: People Are People (organized by SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film) and Black American Portraits (organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art).
From 2015-2020, Patricia was Director of The Martha and Robert Fogelman Galleries of Contemporary Art at The University of Memphis, organizing solo exhibitions featuring the work of Virginia Overton, Jefferson Pinder, Umar Rashid, and others. She has also held curatorial positions at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Patricia has written for numerous exhibition catalogues and other publications. She holds a Ph.D. in the History of Art and Architecture from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a specialization in race and representation in twentieth-century American art.
For full press release, please refer to the downloadable PDF.