by The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art (in Memphis, Tennessee, naturally) is a relatively small museum, but it had a handful of items we wanted to see, so, yes, another art museum by us. It had the added bonus of being located in Overton Park, which was a “birding hotspot”, so it was like a two-for-one.
The museum was founded in 1916 after Bessie Vance Brooks donated $100,000 to the City of Memphis in honor of late husband; this makes it the oldest art museum in the state of Tennessee. I was surprised to read it’s also the largest in the state, which doesn’t say much for Tennessee’s interest in art, in my humble opinion. Since 1989 it has been a private institution, though the city still retains ownership of the building.
We thought the museum had a nice mix of paintings, furniture-as-art, glass, and porcelain/ceramics/pottery. I particularly enjoyed their current exhibit, Christian Siriano: People are People, a vibrant collection showcasing some of his contributions to fashion over his 15-year career.
The cover photo is Reading by the Brook, Winslow Homer, 1879.
