Facebook – Brooks Museum of Art
The Brooks Museum of Art could move from its Overton Park location after the museum’s board of directors recently voted recently to add relocation to a list of its future facility needs.
The announcement came late Tuesday via email in a note to Brooks members. The museum has been in Overton Park since 1916 and is home to “Tennessee’s oldest and largest major collection of world art,” reads the statement, and that “collection continues to grow.”
“However, this growth is revealing some concerning limitations about our current physical plant, which we must address,” said the museum’s executive director Emily Ballew Neff. “Visibility and accessibility are important to us, and we also need to think about how we can continue to attract important art collections to the Brooks. We do that by showing that we are a safe, secure, and worthy place to steward those legacies. We are exploring every possible option to achieve that goal.”
As Brooks officials consider the next move for the museum, they will work closely with stakeholders in Overton Park, the Overton Park Conservancy, and the Memphis City Council, reads the statement.
“The Brooks Museum’s ultimate responsibility is to our collection and the 5,000 years of art that it represents; our supportive members and lovers of art everywhere; and the people of Memphis,” said board president Deborah Craddock. “If and when we elect to relocate, we will do everything in our power to ensure that our current museum facilities enjoy a productive and positive next use that benefits Overton Park and the entire community.”
Here is Neff’s letter:
Dear friends,
Memphis is a vibrant community of people who make, celebrate, love, and learn from art. And for over 100 years, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art has played a central role in nurturing and developing the cultural life of the city we all call home. Our centennial milestone has afforded us a unique opportunity to look back on our achievements, assess the current status of our operations, and contemplate our future.
The Brooks Museum is the oldest and largest art museum in the state of Tennessee. Every year, we welcome tens of thousands of patrons from across the country and the world to experience the illuminating and affirming power of art. Recent improvements to our museum facilities have allowed us to expand exhibition opportunities and educational programs in a way that reach more people from more parts of our metropolitan area than ever, especially such Brooks Outside projects as the RedBall Project, Intrude, the giant, illuminated bunnies that adorned our plaza, and Tape Art; and the free school tours we offer to all Shelby County Schools.
Our collection, which includes works from many continents and more than five millennia, also continues to grow. We are particularly excited about our commitments over the past few decades to African American artists and artists of the African diaspora. Between 2010 and 2016, 92 percent of the artworks we acquired were by African American artists and we have reinstalled or are in the process of reinstalling our galleries of African Art and the Day Foundation Collection of Antiquities.
Every great city deserves a great art museum – but like all art museums, the Brooks is more than a building. Reimagining exactly what an art museum should be in Memphis in the 21st century – and ensuring that we matter to every Memphian – are exciting challenges that we are eager to face.
As part of that work, the Brooks’ Board of Directors recently passed a resolution that adds the option of relocation, outside Overton Park, to our current list of building options for expansion.
The Brooks Museum’s ultimate responsibility is to our collection and the 5,000 years of art that it represents; our supportive members and lovers of art everywhere; and the people of Memphis. Visibility and accessibility are important to us, and we also need to think about how we can continue to attract important art collections to the Brooks, by showing that we are a safe, secure, and worthy place to steward those legacies.
We will work closely with our partners in Overton Park, the Overton Park Conservancy, Mayor Jim Strickland, and the Memphis City Council as we move forward with our decision-making. If and when we elect to relocate, we will do everything in our power to ensure that our current museum facilities enjoy a productive and positive next use that benefits Overton Park and the entire community.
As we enter our second century of service as the city’s museum, we look forward to doing everything we can to be the best possible institution for all Memphians. We are evaluating some interesting possibilities about how best to achieve that goal, and we look forward to keeping you apprised of our progress as we continue this important work.
Should you have any questions, I hope you will let us know.
Sincerely,
Emily Ballew Neff, Ph.D., Executive Director
Deborah Craddock, Board President
