At the corner of Union and Front Street, the new Memphis Art Museum is just under six months away from its Dec. 6 grand opening.
The project hasn’t been without detractors. Some wanted the historic Brooks Museum to stay where it was in Overton Park. Others went to court to stop what they said was improper use of the civic promenade -- the so-called front porch of Memphis.
But museum officials and donors say Memphis is ready to become a next-level art city. To sweeten that deal for locals, executive director Zoe Kahr announced Wednesday that the museum would be free for Shelby County residents in perpetuity.
An anonymous donor, described as a former AutoZone executive who no longer lives here, contributed the first $10 million to the future free admission fund. Kahr said it's an investment in art appreciation.
"So, come as often as you like, bring those you love, stay as long as you want," she said at a press conference overlooking the construction site. "This museum was built by Memphis for Memphis, and it is ours."
2026 is looking to be a big year for grand artistic endeavors in this city. The immersive Baron Von Opperbean and the River of Time experience on Mud Island opened last month. The Civil Rights Museum just finished its expansion. In September, the new Metal Museum debuts in Overton Park.
And on Dec. 6, the public will finally get to explore the 122,000 square foot, multi-level Memphis Art Museum, with about 50 percent more gallery space than the current Brooks.
City leaders say the millions of public funding toward the project are transformational cultural spending.
"Culture is not something superficial or additive to Memphis," said Mayor Paul Young. "It's foundational to who we actually are."
Free admission, says museum board chair Carl Person, is just one part of getting local culture hooked on art. They’re also thinking in much broader terms.
"What is the impact on the city and the communities around Memphis?" he asked. "It's really what we're trying to focus on, as well."
Reshaping local visual art culture starts with putting a Memphis-spin on old art. Kahr says the new building design does just that.
"All of the galleries flow around the courtyard in a circle," she said. "So we can't use a linear approach to art history."
The art will be organized by ideas and themes, not timelines, she says. Then there are the communal amenities. The interior courtyard , coffee shop and restaurant will be accessible to the public even when the galleries aren’t.
"It's really helped us to rethink how do we best serve our city with the building that we have," she said.
That’s also on the mind of former AutoZone executive Pitt Hyde and his wife Barbara. The Hyde Family Foundation has contributed upwards of $40 million to the $222 million project. Hyde says public art has to keep up with all the other recent growth.
"Between this and Tom Lee Park and the rework of the Civil Rights Museum, we think we can really build some momentum," he said.
But the Hydes also needed some space. They’re big collectors of early Modern American art. And just as the Brooks Museum owes the bulk of its historic artworks to donors, Hyde says there will now be room for some of his pieces.
"Well, I mean ultimately all of them," he said. "It's a great privilege to be able to live with great art like that. And so, the ultimate goal is to be able to share the art that's meant so much to us with the total city."
A city, that by the end of the year, will need a much bigger frame for this new cultural canvas.
