Memphis' Visual Art Scene

Brooks Museum of Art: The Brooks is the oldest and largest art museum in Memphis and Tennessee. It may be over a century old, but its collection ranges from African masks, Renaissance paintings, 18th-century furniture and textile arts to contemporary sculpture and pop art. In late 2026, the museum is moving downtown to a new space on the Mississippi Riverfront. Rebranding as Memphis Art Museum, the new space will feature classrooms, a theatre, a large community courtyard, a rooftop sculpture garden and event space, flexible galleries, an on-site restaurant and the shaded River Window, offering unbelievable views of the Mighty Mississippi. 

Belz Museum of Asian & Judaic Art: This hidden gem off of Downtown Memphis' Main Street reveals a trove of more than 600 jade sculptures, intricate ivory carvings and other treasures created for Chinese nobility during the Quink (Ch’ing) Dynasty. The collection of Judaica features works from contemporary Israeli artists, including 32 bronze sculptures that illustrate the entire Bible. The Holocaust Memorial Gallery tells the somber stories of survivors who settled in Memphis.

Dixon Gallery & Gardens: Memphis philanthropists Hugo and Margaret Dixon bequeathed their home, gardens and art collection to the city of Memphis. Inside the home, European and American Impressionist paintings make a statement and contrast with changing contemporary exhibits. Outside, stroll the nearly 20-acre oasis featuring formal gardens and a certified arboretum. This free museum is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026 with an exhibit dedicated to its founders.

The Withers Collection: Ernest Withers was the most prolific photographer of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. He was also the house photographer for Memphis' Stax Records. His black-and-white documentation of the era is alternately arresting and entertaining.