Looking for something to do now that warm spring days are upon us? Look no farther than the host of museums and gardens that offer visitors a wealth of artistic and scenic beauty. Overall the next several weeks, the blog will highlight the best museums, gardens, and parks Memphis has to offer. This week we’ll take a look at two attractions that are only a few blocks away from each other.
The Dixon Gallery and Gardens4339 Park Avenue www.dixon.org
Opened in 1976, the Dixon Gallery and Gardens became available to visitors thanks to Margaret Oates Dixon and Hugo Norton Dixon. Renowned for their philanthropy and community involvement, the Dixons bequeathed their home, gardens, and collection of French Impressionist paintings. The Dixon collection has grown to over 2000 works, specializing in impressionist and Post-Impressionist art.
Divided into four sections, the gardens are nestled beneath an urban forest of native Tennessee woodlands, creating an environment akin to English parks. Besides offering visitors a chance to wander about an idyllic setting, the gardens also offer plenty of learning opportunities for home gardeners. This Friday and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. the Dixon hosts its annual Wildflower Plant Sale. As their website explains, the sale will offer "an exciting, wide range of unique offerings from the difficult-to-find natives to the latest cultivars of wood and herbaceous plants." You can find a complete list of the plants for sale on the website. Throughout the spring, the Dixon will also host a number of workshops and lectures, including the Talks on the Terrace series, which features nationally renowned speakers and a light lunch. The TotT series requires a reservation, but the standard workshops and classes don’t.
This Sunday a new exhibition entitled "Regional Dialect: American Scene Paintings from the John and Susan Horseman Collection" opens in the galleries. Running through June 21st, the exhibition offers 57 works of American Scene painting and its antecedents from the first half of the 20th century. For visitor rates and museum hours, visit the website.
Memphis Botanic Garden 750 Cherry Road www.memphisbotanicgarden.com
Located just a stone’s throw across Park Avenue from the Dixon, Memphis Botanic Garden is a gorgeous 96-acre property containing 23 specialty gardens, including the Japanese Garden of Tranquility and the Little Garden Club Sensory Garden, as well as lakes and woodlands. My two favorites are the Nana’s Garden/Charlotte Sawyer Daffodil Trail and the Michie Magnolia Trail. You can click here for a month-by-month bloom schedule: http://www.memphisbotanicgarden.com/index.cfm?section=4&page=76.The Botanic Garden also offers special programs for kids and adults, including festivals, field trips, and summer camps for younger ages and workshops and classes on a variety of topics—art, gardening, flower arrangement, cooking—for adults. Two new art exhibitions and a family egg hunt are among the many events slated for April. You can find information on all special events this month here: http://www.memphisbotanicgarden.com/index.cfm.