On Saturday, August 16th, between 12:01 a.m. and 11:59 p.m., the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is asking this city’s citizens of all ages, creeds, and colors to pick up their cameras and start shooting. The goal of “Day in the Life of Memphis” is to capture images of Memphis 2008.
“Day in the Life of Memphis” is the first time the museum has made such a large call for entries. The pictures, divided by age group and amateur and professional photographers, will be judged by a jury, and the winning images will be displayed online and at the museum from September 20th through November 2nd in a show titled “Memphis 8.16.08.” The project was created by the museum’s education department to spark community involvement around the upcoming exhibit “Photographs from the Memphis World, 1949-1964,” which includes pictures from the archives of the late African-American community newspaper Memphis World.
“Day in the Life” begins in the wee hours of August 16th, just as folks at the Candlelight Vigil are making their way through the grounds of Graceland commemorating the anniversary of Elvis’ death. It’s coincidence, according to project assistant Gracie Wright, who says the date was chosen to give the Brooks enough time to get ready for the opening.
Obvious images come to mind: the Pyramid, the bridge. “That’s fantastic, because that is Memphis,” Wright says. “But we’re hoping to get a diverse group of pictures. We’re hoping to get a picture of somebody’s grandma sitting on the porch or of somebody’s dog catching a Frisbee in Overton Park — any or all of that.”
The opening of “Memphis 8.16.08” on September 20th is also Memphis World Community Day, a free event featuring photography-inspired activities for the kids, live entertainment, a panel discussion, and more.
“Day in the Life of Memphis,” Saturday, August 16th, 12:01 a.m.-11:59 p.m. Deadline for Entry is Wednesday, August 27th. For more information or to download an application, go to brooksmuseum.org.