Memphis Brooks Museum to receive $12.5 million for new Downtown facility

By Wendy Guzmán – Reporter, Memphis Business Journal

April 29, 2024

The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art has received a multimillion-dollar commitment from the State of Tennessee for its new Downtown facility. With the move, the institution will be renamed the Memphis Art Museum.

The state included a $12.5 million contribution to the project in its fiscal year 2025 budget.

“On behalf of everyone in Memphis, we would like to thank the members of the Tennessee General Assembly and the leadership of Speaker Cameron Sexton and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally for making this very significant investment in our city and our art museum,” said Zoe Kahr, executive director, in a statement.

Located at the corner of Union Avenue and Front Street, the 122,000-square-foot museum broke ground in July 2023 and is expected to open in 2026.

The project is nearing its $180 million fundraising goal, with the capital campaign now more than 89% complete following the state’s contribution.

A special advisory council — including prominent Memphis leaders such as Cato Johnson, Dorsey Hopson, Kevin Woods, Larry Jensen, Billy Orgel, Pitt and Barbara Hyde, Teresa Sloyan, David McKinney, and Jim Strickland — helped advocate for the funding.

The new museum will feature 50% more gallery space and significantly expanded areas for art compared to the current facility in Overton Park.

Plans also include a 10,000-square-foot courtyard, a shared pedestrian plaza with the Cossitt Library, and a rooftop with views of the Mississippi River and Downtown Memphis.

The project is being designed by Herzog & de Meuron, in collaboration with Memphis-based archimania.

“The new Memphis Art Museum is key to making our Downtown one of the most dynamic and inviting cultural centers in the country,” said Memphis Mayor Paul Young. “This is a win for Memphis.”