CELEBRATE: Beaujolais Nouveau Release Party

Thursday, November 19 | 6pm – 8 pm
Vive le Beaujolais!

Come party like the French as the Brooks celebrates this annual wine drinking event, the Beaujolais Nouveau Release Party, where we’ll tap a barrel of Beaujolais to be enjoyed by all!

The third Thursday of November is the date when the year’s new vintage of Beaujolais is released and celebrated the world over.  Beaujolais is a very young wine — the grapes are harvested, fermented, and bottled within a few short months in order to meet the midnight-hour release time in late November.

Beaujolais is easy on the palette with its fair-bodied flavor and fruity accents.  It is made from the Gamay grape.  This wine is so unique, it is considered to be from its own singular region even though it is next door to several other established regions.

More interesting facts about Beaujolais Nouveau…

Complimenting the playfulness of the wine it celebrates, the Brooks event will take on a Parisian street fair atmosphere.  See la vie en rose as you stroll through the Brushmark to the tunes of Edith Piaf, sampling French food by Chefs Wally Joe and Andrew Adams.  Menu highlights include brie crêpes, smoked beef and gruyere baguettes, crawfish pastries, not to mention an assortment of desserts like nutella-strawberry crêpes or warm beignets.  All this while sipping on an abundance of the new Beaujolais – poured straight from the barrel!

Click here for more information and to purchase tickets ($25 for members; $30 for non-members, which is inclusive of  food, drink, tax & gratuity — can you beat that price!?).

After the party, Beaujolais revelers are also invited to visit the featured exhibition Masterpieces from Museo de Arte de Ponce while they are here; and to attend the 7:30 pm performance of Sartre’s No Exit, presented by University of Memphis Department of Theatre and Dance, free of charge.

FREE:European VacationFamily Day at the Brooks!

Saturday, November 14 | 10 am – 1 pm
Enjoy Free Admisson and Activities! Open to the public!

Set off on a wonderful European vacation that’s both relaxing for the parents and exhilarating for your children! Travel all over Europe and see the wonderful Masterpieces from Spain, France, and more!

Create your own passport and take an adventurous journey through the galleries! Then, enjoy a scavenger hunt as you search for clues in the artwork to take you to your next destination. Relax and take in a show in our auditorium as Playhouse on the Square performs several excerpts from Narnia!

Make memories and have your photo taken in front of ancient Roman ruins, eating in a French café, or lounging in an Impressionist landscape. Then, decorate a personalized frame with gemstones and sparkles to preserve your fun trip!

Make a postcard to mail to your grandparents, teachers, or even a pen pal! Your kids can draw whatever they want on a pre-prepared card! There’s something for everyone…there will be complimentary family guides for anyone who wants to go on their own through the galleries!

Schedule of Events
10 am -1 pm Activities in the Rotunda and Gallery
11:30 pm Narnia in the Auditorium presented by Playhouse on the Square

The Brooks takes a Field Trip

From time to time, some of the Brooks staffers like to take a long lunch and go on a field trip. Who doesn’t like a field trip?  Last week we went to visit our friends over at the Dixon to see their new shows Lichtenstein in Process and Carry Me! Lucite Handbags from the Caryn Scheidt Collection.

Attending our excursion was Lindsey (head of Art of Good Taste fundraising events), Bob (grant writer), Heather (graphic designer), Erica (visitor services and social media guru), and myself (film programmer and sometimes blogger).

It was a gorgeous day – a nice break from the rain – so we had a brown bag lunch in the gardens.  Then we went in to see the exhibits.  We started with Lichtenstein, a collection of the Pop artist’s studies, drawings, and collages.  I found it fascinating to see how the artist begins to compose the colors, shapes, and forms that eventually became his final work.  We also enjoyed picking out the various materials he used – colored tape, carefully cut and painted paper, even tinfoil!

Private Collection © Estate of Roy Lichtenstein

Then we headed in to Carry Me, a beautiful collection of Lucite handbags from the 1940s to the 60s.  These smooth, glossy, almost futuristic shapes come speckled with rhinestones, metal confetti, gold netting, and lace.  I loved how they glittered and shone in light. 

Collection of Caryn Scheidt.

Both shows definitely worth checking out.  All in all a wonderful lunch break – I encourage you all to take a long lunch (go on, your boss won’t mind) and check out some of the great museums around town… Tomorrow we’re headed to the Metal Museum for the Elizabeth Brim show!

Essential Art House Cinema at the Brooks!

Don’t miss our next two films!

Thursday, November 5 | 1 pm and 7:30pm
La Strada

Directed by the famous Frederico Fellini, La Strada, meaning “The Road”, is a film about a young girl who is sold out of poverty by her family to an evil man who uses and abuses her while she works as his helper.

Made in 1954, and winner of the Academy Award for Best Film in 1956, La Strada is a tale about struggle, family, true love, and tragedy.

Enjoy this rare opportunity to see this drama at the Brooks!

Thursday, November 12 | 7:30 pm
Rashomon
*At Malco’s Studio on the Square

 
Directed by original Akira Kurosawa in 1950, Rashomon is a film about one crime and four seperate, and different, accounts of it. A woodcutter, widow, dead man, and possible murderer all tell the story of who-done-it and why. Follow the story through flashbacks, allegory, and oral tradition.

Laiden with modern art references, cinematography, symbolism, and philosophy, Rashomon puts the viewer in a unique position where they act as the jury trying to determine the guilty.

This film classic is known to be one of the first influences of Japanese culture on Western society, and was eventually re-made into the 1964 Western, The Outrage.

Winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and the Academy Honorary Award at the 24th Annual Academy Awards, this film is a must see!

To read more about the restoration process of these films click here.

From the School of Myatt

We’ve got a new show up this week.  From the School of Myatt: Benton Moss and Kathleen Studebaker is being put on in conjunction with Greely Myatt: And Exactly Twenty Years (also known affectionately as ”Greelypalooza”).

Greely, for those of you who aren’t familiar with the man, is a sculptor and University of Memphis professor, whose work and commitment to the arts in Memphis is being celebrated with an unprecedented city-wide exhibition (besides the Brooks, there are seven other venues that participated) — an effort conceived and organized by Hamlett Dobbins (Clough-hansen, Material).

During his nearly twenty-year tenure as a professor at The University of Memphis, Greely has influenced and inspired many students, two of whom are highlighted in this new show: Benton Moss and Kathleen Studebaker.  These two artists both explore worlds of fantasy through their use of line, form, and color. 

Kathleen has several sculptures and paintings in the show, while Benton’s is a floor to ceiling installations that covers two walls.  Come by to take a look.  (Included in regular museum admission fee; free on Wednesdays.)

Benton Moss. Twenty-seven-B-stroke-six, 2009. Mixed media. Collection of the artist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kathleen Studebaker. Untitled Broken Pane #3, 2006. Wood. Collection of the artist.

From the School of Myatt: Benton Moss and Kathleen Studebaker is on view through December 6, 2009.  This exhibition is supported by a Jeniam Foundation Grant administered through ArtsMemphis.

Masterpieces: Dinner and Tour with featured speaker Jed Jackson

Come hear an artists’ point of view of European masterpieces!
Thursday, October 15th | 6pm

 

 

 

Cafe, 2002
oil on wood
20 x 26″
Collection of the Memphis
Brooks Museum of Art

 

Jed Jackson, a local artist and professor, creates controversial and politically charged paintings. Department Chair at the University of Memphis and painting professor for almost 30 years, Jackson will be giving a guided tour of our new Masterpieces exhibit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eld Marshal Bush, 2003
16 x 20″
gouache on paper

 
Jackson has exhibited his work all over the world and received twelve fellowships from several institutions. His paintings are social commentary seen through his unique perspective. Sometimes heavy with political imagery, always laiden with a unique creative outlook, Jackson’s work is a sight to be seen.  Check out more of Jackson’s work here.

After the tour, chat about your new perspectives over a drink and some tapas in the Brushmark Restaurant.

Opening Weekend Celebration:Masterpieces

Thank you to everyone who supported the Brooks this weekend at our Opening Weekend Celebration for an amazing and fascinating new exhibit, Masterpieces from Museo de Arte de Ponce. Catch this re-cap from our Exclusive Members’ Reception Friday night, where guests enjoyed wine and appetizers and received a first-hand view of the new European paintings.

Over the weekend, lunch guests enjoyed a live piano player as they dined while our volunteers were absolutley amazing, as usual, as they assisted visitors with their Ponce audio guides which you can hear through your phone! Artists sprinkled the galleries with their sketchbooks as they drew from the inspiring French, Italian, and Spanish paintings.

Native Spanish speakers and students listened as Jenna Jauchler, our Events Manager, gave a Spanish guided tour. There were so many people, Jenna kindly stayed and gave a second tour! In addition, there were sold out English and French tours on Sunday!

New Masterpieces Installation Video

Check out our newest installation video by local talent Joshua Beckmeyer:

Book Reading: Museum Legs: Fatigue and Hope in the Face of Art

This Thursday, October 1 at 6 pm, the Brooks is very pleased to welcome author Amy Whitaker as she talks about her book Museum Legs: Fatigue and Hope in the Face of Art, a collection of essays about political and economic questions around museums, approached at a human scale for a generalist reader, in an irreverent and engaging way.

The evening will be a relaxed, light-hearted reading from her book and discussion on museum culture.  Admission to the event is $5 for members, $10 for non-members, and includes a glass of wine.  Call 544.6208 for details.

FROM THE BACK COVER:
“If you’ve ever considered going to an art museum and then thought, errr, I’ll do something else… If you’ve ever arrived at one and left a little glazed and confused…  Then this is your story.

Museum Legs—taken from a term for “art fatigue”—starts with a question: Why do people get bored and tired in art museums and why does that matter?  As Whitaker writes in this humorous and incisive collection of essays, museums matter for reasons that have less to do with art as we know it and more to do with business, politics, and the age-old question of how to live.”

REVIEWS:
Whitaker is the perfect docent—wise, wry, and engaging.  Her essays are as captivating as the artworks they describe.

Daniel Gilbert
Professor of Psychology, Harvard University
Author of Stumbling on Happiness

Whitaker writes with such wit and style—I was completely absorbed and laughed and nodded in equal measure. Really, I loved it.

Sophie Howarth
Director, The School of Life

Whitaker’s thoughtful and intriguing essays are a reminder of the gifts of moments of reflection, insight, and pleasure that museums can offer to society, and the missed opportunities if we aren’t ever mindful of what museums can accomplish.

Gail C. Andrews
Director, Birmingham Museum of Art

Amy Whitaker has an M.B.A. from Yale and an M.F.A in painting from the Slade School of Fine Art in London. She has worked in art museums including the Guggenheim, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Tate, and for a well-known artist and a well-known hedge fund.  This is her first book.

Read more at about the book at  www.museumlegs.com.

Big Day for the Masterpieces Installation

Such a great day on the Masterpieces installation front.  The rest of the crates for the show arrived, and it turned out to be some of the gorgeous Pre-Raphaelites.  I was curious why they arrived separately from the others, so I tracked down Museo de Arte de Ponce’s Associate Curator Richard Aste, who couriered the paintings here to Memphis.  He tells me that the major British works from the Museo (like their signature piece Leighton’s Flaming June) are actually travelling through Europe only.   For example, the paintings we received today have been at the Prado in Milan, then the Hague.  He just accompanied June, and several other works from the exhibition in Hague to Staatsgalerie Stuttgart for an exhibition dedicated to the Pre-Raphaelite painted Edward Burne-Jones.  BUT a few of the works were selected to come from Hague right here to Memphis, so we are even luckier than I realized to be getting these pieces!

So that’s a little background information.  Now, on to the show.  Today I got to watch them uncrate the paintings from the Burne-Jones Briar Rose series.

Here you can see the Brooks Preparators and the Collections Manager as they uncrate the paintings and then carefully examine them:

 

The next video shows the preparators uncrating this beautiful Rossetti painting:

While they are doing that, you will notice in the background, the Collections Manager and Ponce’s Curator examine the immense van Roestraten composition trying to get a better look at what is reflected in the dangling mirrored orb.  I believe it was decided that it is a depiction of the artist in his studio — a similar device as that used by fellow Dutch painter Jan van Eyck in his much earlier work The Arnolfini Marriage… But I digress.  Here’s the video:

The exhibition opens ONE WEEK from today with a special sneak preview for our members.  Not a member?  It’s easy to become one, and you will enjoy it, I promise.  Memberships start as low as $25 for students.  Click here for details.

[Many thanks to Museo de Arte de Ponce for the use of the following images.]
Sir Edward Burne-Jones (British, 1833- 1898).  The Prince Enters the Woods, from the Briar Rose series, 1871. Oil on canvas.  Collection Museo de Arte de Ponce. Fundacio’n Luis A. Ferre’, Inc.  Ponce, Puerto Rico.//Sir Edward Burne-Jones (British, 1833- 1898).  The King and His Court, from the Briar Rose series, 1871. Oil on canvas.  Collection Museo de Arte de Ponce. Fundacio’n Luis A. Ferre’, Inc.  Ponce, Puerto Rico.//Sir Edward Burne-Jones (British, 1833- 1898).  The Sleeping Beauty, from the Briar Rose series, 1871. Oil on canvas.  Collection Museo de Arte de Ponce. Fundacio’n Luis A. Ferre’, Inc.  Ponce, Puerto Rico.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, (British, 1828 – 1882). Roman Widow, 1874. Oil on canvas. Collection Museo de Arte de Ponce. Fundacio’n Luis A. Ferre’, Inc. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 60.0149

Pieter Gerritsz. van Roestraten (Dutch 1629/30 – 1700). Vanitas, 1678. Oil on canvas. Collection   Museo de Arte de Ponce. Fundacio’n Luis A. Ferre’, Inc. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 67.0621