The Memphis Art Museum, previously recognized as the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, is poised to unveil its impressive new facility on December 6. This expansive 123,500-square-foot campus, a creation of the renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron, signifies a major enhancement for the American South's cultural landscape. The project substantially increases the museum's exhibition areas by 50 percent and offers a remarkable sixfold increase in public spaces dedicated to art. The initial estimated cost for this state-of-the-art expansion was $180 million, though actual expenditures are anticipated to be higher, with significant contributions from the City of Memphis ($30 million) and the State of Tennessee ($12 million). Notably, residents of Shelby County, which includes Memphis, will benefit from complimentary admission.
Situated on a two-acre site alongside a reimagined bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, the museum's design integrates a 10,000-square-foot courtyard, a vast 50,000-square-foot rooftop art garden, an outdoor amphitheater providing river vistas, a spacious pedestrian plaza, and well-lit educational facilities. Zoe Kahr, the museum's director, expressed enthusiasm for the new institution, emphasizing its potential to merge world-class art with iconic architecture and the city's vibrant creative spirit, fostering inspiration, connection, and discovery for future generations. This ambitious project also overcame legal challenges, as a lawsuit filed in September 2023 by a group of Memphians, who argued that the promenade land belonged to the citizens and construction would violate their property rights, was dismissed by a Shelby County judge in March.
With a collection exceeding 10,000 artworks spanning five millennia, the museum showcases particular strengths in Old Masters, 19th and 20th-century American art, contemporary art, and photography. It plans to integrate recent acquisitions, including works by African American and African diasporic artists, decorative arts, and Asian art, into its displays. The opening exhibition, "Making Beauty: Hooks Brothers Studio, 1907–1984," will feature over 150 photographs by the acclaimed Memphis artists Henry A. Hooks Sr. and Robert B. Hooks, highlighting their philosophy of "making beauty" as a form of Black resistance. This exhibition, a collaboration with the National Civil Rights Museum, will also contextualize their work alongside contemporaries like Harlem Renaissance photographer James Van Der Zee. Additionally, 30,000 square feet of gallery space will host a collection exhibition titled "19 short stories," which will deviate from traditional chronological or geographical arrangements, utilizing the unique courtyard-centric layout to create diverse entry points and unexpected narratives. The display will include works by contemporary artists such as Cecily Brown, Jordan Casteel, Torkwase Dyson, Elizabeth Murray, and Dyani White Hawk, alongside historical figures like Francesco Botticini and Arthur Dove. Furthermore, commissioned pieces by artists Jordan Ann Craig, Yunhee Min, Carlos Rosales Silva, and local graphic designer Eso Tolson will be unveiled across the campus.
This new cultural landmark represents a profound commitment to artistic expression and community engagement. By providing an expanded and thoughtfully designed space for art and education, the Memphis Art Museum is poised to become a beacon of inspiration, fostering creativity and dialogue for all who visit, thereby enriching the cultural tapestry of Memphis and beyond.