This Sunday will be the last day of the glorious institution in Overton Park that was brought to life by Bessie Vance Brooks in 1916 and quickly became “the jewel box in the park.”
You can read the story of the Brooks here — how it came about and was an artistic center of the city for more than a century. Mrs. Brooks’ building will close its doors and the contents transferred to a new home renamed the Memphis Art Museum in a new facility Downtown. It will open in December and be a much improved space to handle what a contemporary cultural center requires in a city that demands to be cosmopolitan.
But the stately old museum — whose future is as yet unknown — will retain the memories of exhibitions, activities, and celebrations. Over the years, I’ve taken photographs of big objects and little moments at the Brooks. We’ve taken the kids and grandkids and will continue to do so at what I suppose we’ll all call MAM. But I wanted to share some random images that will always be a reminder of the grand destination that gave us so many moments of wonder.
