5 Visual Artists to Check Out This Summer 

By: Elise Herron Lately, Memphis visual artists have been featured on countless national platforms. But there are still plenty of places to see their art around town. Here are a few stops to make this summer.  Kellie Romany   Kellie Romany creates drawings, paintings, and ceramics that […]

 

This Season is Springloaded! – Catch Up with Maxx Reed

On April 9th and 10th at the Halloran Centre,  New Ballet Ensemble will be hosting its annual Springloaded production. The show features a diverse repertoire choreographed by international artists, including Memphis-raised alumni, Maxx Reed and Briana Brown. They both trained at New Ballet […]

Memphis has one of the richest, most diverse, and cultured art environments in the world. Our city is home to world-class theaters, ballet performers, museums, orchestras and artists of all types.

The Memphis arts scene

We’ve heard some rumors that other art scenes around the country are a bit, well… pretentious. They may not be all that friendly to new faces or art world newcomers, and they sometimes engage in what’s known as “artspeak”—something that can be a bit intimidating to people who are simply interested in appreciating a good painting or some outstanding opera. In those settings, it can seem as if finding out about art shows and performances requires knowing someone who knows someone who knows the guy who knows the secret handshake.

That’s not us.

Everyone is welcome to join the arts in Memphis!

Bring your questions. Bring your curiosity. Bring your kids. Heck, bring your own brushes! All we care about is that you bring your interest in art to one of our many museums, theaters, galleries or playhouses.

Art galleries and exhibits

What type of art gets your mind going? Is it painting, sculpture, photography, modern or something you can’t quite define? Maybe it’s all of the above, or a mix and match. Whatever it is, you are sure to find extraordinary exhibitions that pique your interest in Memphis.

We’ve got professionally curated exhibits. We’ve got exhibits of work done by local students and rising stars. And we’ve got exhibits that include world-famous masterpieces.

See for yourself what our art galleries and exhibits are currently showing by scrolling down, where we have coverage of Memphis art events.

Performing arts in Memphis

Great performances can be found all over Memphis. Beyond world famous Beale Street, many can be found down on Wolf River Parkway, South Main Street and South Cooper Street.

That’s where you’ll find Opera Memphis, the Orpheum Theatre and Hattiloo Theatre, all of which are home to some of the finest productions and performing artists in the country.

You may not know that the Memphis performing arts community rivals those of New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. In fact, many of the best voices in Bluff City are opera singers, Broadway stars and thespians.

But it doesn’t end there. Right down the street from the Hattiloo Theatre is our nationally known ballet company, Ballet Memphis. Memphis is like that – there’s something for everyone around every corner.

If you appreciate the performing arts, you’ll find something to fall in love with here in Memphis.

Memphis museums

It’s been said that museums are places to look at, learn about, absorb and appreciate the past in order to build a brighter future.

We agree.

That’s why Memphis is proud to house an array of museums focused on everything from art to observatories, and history to popular culture. Our city has played an important role in shaping the country’s civic and cultural landscapes, and many of its contributions have been memorialized at the National Civil Rights Museum, the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum and Graceland.

Memphis is also home to the Brooks Museum of Art, which was founded in 1916 and is the oldest and largest art museum in the state of Tennessee. The Brooks Museum features impressive galleries of paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs and much more, while also engaging the community through creative programming, such as Yoga Thursdays and free film screenings.

We also have a deep appreciation for the arts, which is why we have museums dedicated to works by world-famous artists, up-and-comers and others who make their voices heard by creating.

If you’re the type of person who loves to look, learn, absorb and appreciate, be sure to check out some of our many Memphis museums.

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra puts on performances throughout the year at three different locations, bringing to life works written by the masters.

Our orchestra also presents special performances by other groups, such as the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club.

We’re proud of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and hope that you’ll enjoy our world-class musicians as much as we do.

Learn more about our orchestra.

The art and soul of Memphis

Now you know more about all that the Memphis arts scene has to offer, you probably can’t wait to book your flight to the Bluff City.

And when you get here, we’ll be waiting with an array of artistic, theatrical, operatic, balletic and orchestral offerings for you to enjoy.

Arts

 

Honoring Creatives in Memphis This Black History Month

Memphis is a city heavily intertwined with its own Black history. It’s important to us here at We Are Memphis to share ways to support and give back to the 901, so this Black History Month we want to showcase the creatives who are already making history. And who knows? Maybe you’ll be the next […]

 

NutRemix, a Memphis-Centric Holiday Tradition, Celebrates 20 Years of Performances

Since first combining R&B and country to create rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950s, Memphians have a long and proud tradition of “remixing” disparate artforms into a unified whole. For the past 20 years, the New Ballet Ensemble has continued this tradition by reimagining Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s holiday […]

 

The Latest: May 23

Given the sheer volume of action and stories coming out of the Memphis music scene over the past several weeks, this week’s news actually looks pretty tame in comparison. That said, there were still plenty of notable moments worth mentioning and undoubtedly many more headed our way as we […]

 

At the Brooks: On Christopher Street: Transgender Portraits by Mark Seliger

Pride Month may have been earlier this summer, but there are so many opportunities to plug into our local LGBTQIA+ community and support the many perspectives and voices across Memphis and the world! The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is adding to the conversation by presenting their latest […]

 

5 Women in the 901 Representing in Film & Television

Women have been directing films from the beginning of cinema — and have continued to break new cinematic ground since.  Earlier on women sometimes had a good shot at participating, but as the studio system took shape, men largely muscled women out of directing, producing, show running and other […]

 

Five Questions with Kendrick P

Kendrick P is a busy guy – between getting his music featured on BET and MTV to releasing his first album to advocating for gun safety, we managed to get him to slow down long enough to answer five questions for We Are Memphis Music.  Tell us about your album WYAF – how long have you been […]

 

10 Memphis Podcasts to Check out in 2021

Everyone a good story – The truth is however that NOT everyone loves to read them. Memphis’ ubiquitous stories and experiences NEED to be told, and considering the diversity and culture of Bluff City, there will never be a shortage of tales to be told, opinions to be expressed, and advice […]

 

10 Attractions Reopening in Memphis in 2023

Memphis is finally beginning to reopen many of the famous locations and attractions found around town after nearly a year of being closed due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Memphians and tourists alike have missed visiting the historical and beautiful attractions around Bluff City, and finally, as […]

 

Memphis Music Year in Review 2020

2020 was a roller coaster of a year for many of us, to say the least. However, there’s no doubt that Bluff City is resilient, inspired, and always grinding. Even during a PANDEMIC, our artists have still shown up, and never stopped doing what they love, reinforcing our spirits and hope […]

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5 Places in Memphis to See Live Jazz

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WAMM Recommends: Week of March 27

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5 Questions with McKenzii Webster

By Jayne Ellen White The music industry has traditionally lacked female creative minds. In fact, women represent percentages in the single digits in most sectors of the music industry, and seeing more examples of women thriving in the space in Memphis is a testament to our growing music culture […]

 

Business Spotlight – Schedule a Stop at Central Station Hotel

We like to say that Memphis exists at the intersection of cultures – a kind of metaphorical train station in which people of different backgrounds, ideologies, dreams, and mindsets intersect with one another. The Central Station Hotel embodies that intersection like almost no other place […]