This week we found ourselves in Memphis because we went to an excellent comedy show in Southaven, Mississippi this weekend. I found out about the Brooks Museum of Art while following Memphis Travel on Instagram, and I knew we had to go. Can you believe I've lived near Memphis my whole life, but I didn't know about the Brooks Museum? This place is fantastic, and I wanted to chat about this on the blog today because of it.
Fast Facts About The Brooks Museum Of Art
Before we get to why you are here, let's do some quick facts about the museum, so you know a bit more about it.
Location:
1934 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38104
Neighborhood:
Midtown
Hours:
Monday/Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 10 AM – 8 PM
Thursday/Friday: 10 AM – 4 PM
Saturday: 10 AM – 5 PM
Sunday: 11 AM – 5 PM
Admissions Prices:
Check out this table featuring all the information you need to know about pricing. As you can tell, this is not an expensive museum, but these prices are subject to change. These prices are accurate as of 2/26/2019. To get tickets, purchase them here or buy them when you get to the Brooks Museum.
Note: Admission is free every Wednesday, so if you can make it on a Wednesday, that would be a great day to go.
| Type Of Person | Admission Price |
|---|---|
| Adults | $7 |
| Senior Adult (65+) | $6 |
| Students (With A Student ID) | $3 |
| Youth (7 - 17) | $3 |
| Children (6 And Under) | Free |
| Brooks Museum Members | Free |
| ArtsAccess card holders | Free |
| St. Jude patients & family | Free |
| All Teachers | Free |
| All Veterans | Free |
Parking
Parking is a little bit tight at the Brooks Museum. It's in a place called Overton Park near the Memphis Zoo, the Levitt Shell, and a golf course. There is some parking, and it's free, but it's not the most convenient parking. You can park on the street, so try to fit in where you can. If you aren't great at parallel parking, you may want to ride with someone who is.
Photography Policies
Here are the basics: you can take DSLRs in, but you have to turn off your flash. You can't record professional videos in the venue. You can use the camera on your phone, but again, no flash! If you want to learn more about their rules, check their photography policies out here.
Other Information
Do you still need more information to make your decision to go to the Brooks Museum of Art? Check out the Brooks Museum website for a ton of helpful tips and tricks that will help you prepare for your visit.
A Look At The Exhibits
Now that we've gotten some fast facts out of the way let's focus on the art itself. I'm going to run through some of the highlights here because I don't want to give it all away.
This museum is three stories high, and we were in this museum for at least two hours. You will get a ton of inspiration from all the beautiful art that graces the walls of this museum.
Carroll Cloar Gallery
One of the first galleries you see when you enter the second floor is the Carroll Cloar gallery. This museum starts on the second floor, and you can pick which levels you want to tackle from there.
Cloar was born in the Arkansas Delta, and he has created some seriously beautiful paintings. This was my first time seeing his work, and I was blown away by the images I saw. Here is a small sampling, but there are many more portraits in his gallery at the Brooks Museum.
Baroque
After we visited the Carroll Cloar gallery, we spent some time looking at some fantastic baroque art. This exhibit had some stellar paintings in it, but I loved this painting below. The water is so lifelike, and the sky is well done. (Hey, I didn't say you were going to get a Master's level art critique here!)
American/Contemporary
After you looked at some baroque work, it transitioned into a beautiful couple of rooms of American and Contemporary work. I loved the sculptures and paintings featured in the contemporary room. They were all so unique, so it was awesome checking them out while I was at the museum.
Renaissance
One of my favorite parts of the museum was the Renaissance section. Renaissance art is so beautiful, so it was awesome to see it up close and personal this weekend. I loved going through and looking at all the wonderful paintings in ornate frames. It was also cool to see the materials used for a lot of the Renaissance paintings because canvases weren't as popular back then.
Georgia O'Keeffe
I got to go to the Brooks Museum during the last day of their Georgia O'Keeffe Visions Of Hawai'i exhibit. O'Keeffe's work is so stunning that pictures can't quite capture the beautiful colors she paints. You need to see them up close and personal, y'all. Here's one of the beautiful flowers she painted during that time, though:
Arts Of Global Africa
One of my favorite parts of this exhibit was the mural that they commissioned for this exhibit. This picture was a panoramic picture, so it's a tad bit off-centered, but you get the gest. It's a beautiful work of art that you need to see in person.
There were many sculptures from Africa displayed throughout this collection as well.
Ancient Art
One of the coolest rooms in this museum is the ancient art room. This stuff is old; I am talking BCE old. It's so exciting to see things that I usually only see on television within a few feet of me. Most everything in this room is behind a glass case (as it should be), but you can still see every detail of the beautiful work they have on display.
Other Random Art I Saw While At The Brooks Museum Of Art
Last, but not least, I wanted to spend some time chatting about a few other things I saw at the museum. This museum is gigantic and filled with a ton of things to look at and discover. You are never far from a great picture or something different to inspire you here. This museum is honestly three stories of artistic bliss.
These pictures with birds were all apart of a special exhibit they had talking about birds/fish and how they were depicted in paintings.
The tree made with socks is a part of a traveling installation by Federico Uribe that will be available in the rotunda until August 11, 2019.
Conclusion
At just $7 a person, the Brooks Museum is a MUST VISIT if you are ever in Memphis. I am honestly not sure how I ever wasn't aware of this museums existence. It's such a beautiful, serene place that's worth exploring. Please go check it out if you ever have time to spend in Memphis!
