Current Exhibitions

Curated by Jenny Hornby, Assistant Curator of Education

In 1938, Louis Siegriest was hired by the Works Progress Administration to design posters for the Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco, California.  The set of eight he produced highlighted the Indian Court exhibition, which aimed to celebrate the artistic talents of various Native American tribes while educating the public on their traditional cultures and settlements.  The posters were distributed across the United States to various public institutions including libraries, universities, and museums. This exhibition explores the history of the posters and how they came to the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.

Louis Siegriest
American, 1899-1989
APACHE DEVIL DANCER FROM AN INDIAN PAINTING, ARIZONA, 1939
Silkscreen poster
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art; Gift of the Office of Indian Affairs, Dept. of the Interior 39.18.5

Curated by Stanton Thomas, Curator of European and Decorative Art
Sponsored by the Memphis in May International Festival

Remarkable for their rich coloring and bold designs, hand-woven textiles are an important part of the long, varied cultural heritage of The Philippines, Memphis in May’s honored country for 2012. This exhibition includes beautiful examples of historic cloth from Ilocos Norte, a province located in the northwest part of Luzon Island. Weavers in this area have long been famous for their fine cotton textiles, particularly their damasks made with the floating warp technique or those woven with multiple heddles—the needle-like elements of looms which lift and separate the thread. The exhibition offers a rare opportunity to see these rare and fragile weavings outside The Philippines.

Ilocos, Northwestern Luzon,
BLANKET “SINAN-BULONG, PAKO-PAKO (PALM OR TOBACCO LEAF) PATTERN,” early 1900S,
Hand-spun cotton, brocade woven,
Museum Ilocos Norte, A. M. Valenciano Collection BA-B-00063-10