The Memphis Art Museum (formerly the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art) has announced it will open its new Herzog & de Meuron-designed mass timber building on the Mississippi riverfront on December 6. The inaugural program includes a major exhibition titled *Making Beauty: Hooks Brothers Studio, 1907-1984*, featuring over 150 photographs from a historic Black-owned studio, presented in partnership with the National Civil Rights Museum. The museum also revealed a free-admission policy for all Shelby County residents in perpetuity, along with 19 capsule presentations from its permanent collection spanning Old Masters to contemporary art.
This opening marks a significant cultural milestone for Memphis, anchoring a $222 million riverfront revitalization project. The new 123,500-square-foot building expands gallery space by 50% and includes a community courtyard and rooftop art garden. By prioritizing free local access and spotlighting a Black-owned photography studio that documented life in the Jim Crow South, the museum positions itself as both a world-class institution and a community-centered space, reinforcing the role of art in telling underrepresented histories and fostering civic pride.