The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, set to be renamed the Memphis Art Museum when it opens its new 122,000-square-foot downtown facility in late 2026, has a rich history of showcasing a variety of artistic styles and traditions. Founded in 1916, the museum houses over 10,000 works of art, with notable strengths in European painting, American photography, and contemporary African diasporic art.
Building on a legacy of cultural exchange, the Memphis Art Museum has announced a new partnership with the Arts Council Korea (ARKO). This marks a significant step in international collaboration between Memphis and Seoul. The initiative kicks off with the exhibition "Hooks Brothers Studio: Framing Memphis's Black Sound," which highlights Memphis's crucial role in American music history. Accompanying the exhibition is a curated soundtrack by the Memphis Listening Lab, providing an immersive experience for visitors.
The exhibition opens on October 16, 2025, and runs through October 31, 2025, at the ARKO Art Center in Seoul. It will feature the first international display of selected images from the Hooks Brothers Studio archive, which contains roughly 75,000 photographs.
Founded on Beale Street, Hooks Brothers Studio's archive was acquired and entrusted to the Memphis Art Museum and the National Civil Rights Museum by trustees Andrea and Rodney Herenton.
This collection features legends such as Billie Holiday, B.B. King, Count Basie, W.C. Handy, Mahalia Jackson, Al Green, and Nat D. Williams, documenting music from 1920 to 1979.
It not only documents celebrated performers but also captures the lives of everyday Memphians, illustrating "Black life, excellence, and joy in the American South" during a time when such representations were seldom seen in mainstream media. Over more than seven decades, the studio produced what the Memphis Art Museum describes as "a rich and nuanced portrait of Memphis."
Following its debut in Seoul, the "Hooks Brothers Studio: Framing Memphis's Black Sound" exhibition will travel to another venue in Asia, to be announced later.
Dr. Zoe Kahr, Executive Director of Memphis Art Museum, described the international showcase as a milestone moment. "We are thrilled to share these remarkable works—powerful testaments to American musical and photographic history—on a global stage," she said. "This partnership with Arts Council Korea marks the beginning of a long-term cultural exchange that will build lasting connections, showcase Memphis to the world, and welcome the world to Memphis."
The show is organized by the Memphis Art Museum and curated by Assistant Curator of Photography C. Rose Smith. A larger exhibition from the collection will be included in the museum's inaugural program when its new downtown facility opens in 2026.
The Arts Council Korea (ARKO) was established in 1973 as part of South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. It manages several of the country's leading arts and cultural venues, including the ARKO Art Center and the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Through these partnerships, ARKO aims to promote cultural exchange and broaden access to the arts on a global scale.
Dr. Byoung Gug Choung, Chairperson of Arts Council Korea, emphasized the partnership's cultural significance. "This partnership between Arts Council Korea and Memphis Art Museum will connect two communities with deep artistic traditions," he said. "We are building new pathways for audiences to experience an exchange of culture—through exhibitions, special events, educational programs—and expanding this work to a region of the United States that is not as well known to many Koreans, but of critical importance to the deep friendship between South Korea and the United States."
In addition to the exhibition, both institutions will create a three-year curatorial exchange program. This initiative will bring emerging Korean curators to the southeastern United States to explore nearby museums, collections, and cultural institutions.
The Memphis Art Museum describes the partnership as part of a broader strategy to position Memphis as a center of global cultural dialogue.
Supported by the museum's Global Council, the initiative brings together leaders from around the world to strengthen cross-cultural ties and highlight Memphis's artistic legacy.
The Memphis Art Museum will host each curator and design a research itinerary that could extend beyond Tennessee to neighboring states like Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, or North Carolina.
Byungeun Yoo, Director of International Relations and Partnerships for Arts Council Korea, said the collaboration aims to expand mutual understanding through creative exchange. "We are thrilled to launch this curatorial exchange between Arts Council Korea and Memphis Art Museum," Yoo said. "The Southeast is a dynamic cultural region and ARKO is excited to support Korean curators who will both share Korean culture, and bring back the rich culture of this important U.S. region to Korea."
As "Hooks Brothers Studio: Framing Memphis's Black Sound" prepares to open in Seoul, it signifies more than just an exhibition. It acts as a bridge between two cultures, united by a mission to share art, culture, and history with the world.