Members of the new Make Me a MoCA met Sunday to discuss turning the Pyramid into a museum of contemporary art and community center.
“The Pyramid is a Memphis icon,” said Whitney Hubbard, an MCA graduate who, along with U of M student James Inscho, is the group’s founder. “It should be used as a monument to our progressive, diverse culture.”
The Pyramid is currently being leased by Bass Pro Shops while the company does its due diligence on a future location at the site. But Hubbard and Inscho would like to see something that would bring in art lovers from around the world.
“[Memphis’ existing museums] have a lot of regional appeal, but people don’t pilgrimage here for art. They pilgrimage here for Elvis,” Inscho says.
They suggest the idea would attract new artists to the area, as well as motivate artists already in town. Make Me a MoCa also thinks an art museum would benefit downtown in ways the outdoors store could not.
“With retail, people come in and then they leave,” Inscho says. “An art museum draws people in, they become enamored with the environment, and they stay.”
