Meet Vive le Brooks!
It’s the newly rebranded Memphis Wine + Food Series for 2019 for Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.
Twenty-seven years ago, the Art of Good Taste series began and later became the Memphis Wine + Food Series. The fund-raising success of the series has grown over the years. It surpassed all records in 2018 with its guests chefs, winemakers, and artists.
But it was time for a change.
The museum is slated to move from Overton Park to Downtown in five years. “As we set our sights on the bluff and the building project, we just want to have a cohesive, recognizable identity for the fund-raising event,” says Brooks major gifts officer Lindsey Hedgepeth.
The new branding will “ensure the longevity” of the series, she says.
“We’re excited to refresh the series and rebrand as it gets bigger, better and continues to break records,” says Brooks executive director Emily Ballew Neff.
Meet the Winemaker, which will be held March 28th at Brooks, will kick off the series. Following a happy hour, guests will sit down to a dinner prepared by Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman. The food will be paired with hand-selected wines from the 2019 Vive le Smash (formerly Brooks Uncorked) winemaker Jesse Katz, a rising star in the Napa Valley with three labels: Aperture, Devil Proof, and The Setting.
The North Berkeley luncheon will be held May 17th at Catherine & Mary’s, one of the restaurants owned by Ticer and Hudman. Courses will be specially paired with hand-selected wines from Billy Weiss’ portfolio of North Berkeley imports.
The Grand Artisan’s Dinner will take place the same night on the terrace at Brooks. It will include a five-course dinner prepared by Hudman and Ticer that will feature select wines from Heitz Family Cellars, which has been one of the dominant producers in Napa Valley for the last 55 years. Guest chefs will include Ryan Prewitt of New Orleans restaurant Peche Seafood Grill.
The Grand Auction, which will be held May 18th at Brooks, will include a happy hour before bidding takes place on more than 50 live auction lots. These will include rare and high profile wines, exotic trips, jewelry, fine art, private dinners, and tastings. Ticer and Hudman will create the cuisine. Wine will be provided by the featured vintners Katz and Heitz Family Cellars. Charlie Hanavich will be the featured artist.
Vive le Que! – the popular fall barbecue event – will return in the fall. More info to come.
VIve le Brooks! Is the premier fund-raising endeavor of the Brooks. Proceeds will make the arts accessible to children and adults across the Mid-South. The series contributed more than $5 million in net revenue to Brooks over the past 27 years. The money directly supports the museum’s educational and community-outreach programs.
David and Sarah Thompson and Bradley and Emily Rice are the 2019 Vive le Brooks! chairs.
