Tennessee's Memphis Art Museum (formerly the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art) will reopen on December 6 in a new 123,500-square-foot campus designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architects Herzog & de Meuron. The expansion increases gallery space by half and offers six times more free public space, including a rooftop art garden, outdoor amphitheater, and pedestrian plaza. The project was initially budgeted at $180 million, with $30 million from the City of Memphis and $12 million from the State of Tennessee. The opening exhibition, "Making Beauty: Hooks Brothers Studio, 1907–1984," features over 150 photographs by Henry A. Hooks Sr. and Robert B. Hooks, presented in partnership with the National Civil Rights Museum.
This reopening marks a major cultural milestone for the American South, transforming a historic city-owned institution founded in 1916 into a world-class destination with iconic architecture and expanded public access. The museum's shift to a private institution and its renaming in 2023 reflect strategic fundraising, including a $40 million lead gift from the Hyde Foundation. By centering its inaugural exhibition on Black photographers and integrating works by African American and African diasporic artists, the museum signals a commitment to diversifying its collection and engaging with local history, while offering free admission to Shelby County residents ensures broad community access.