Galleries
All galleries are located on a single level, creating an intuitive, democratic experience with no hierarchy of floors and no wrong place to start.
The permanent collection spans nearly 10,000 works across 5,000 years of global human history.
A New Way to Experience the Collection
Memphis Art Museum's galleries represent a 50% increase in exhibition space over the current museum, with room for more than 20 curatorial concepts on view at any given time. All galleries are located on a single level, creating an intuitive, democratic experience with no hierarchy of floors and no wrong place to start.
Designed for the Art
Ceiling heights vary intentionally throughout the gallery loop. Intimate single-height rooms slow visitors down for quieter works. Dramatic double-height spaces give large-scale pieces room to breathe in ways the current building cannot accommodate. Five galleries feature large windows overlooking either the Mississippi River or the Central Courtyard, keeping visitors connected to the city throughout their visit.
Curatorial Approach
The museum will open in December 2026 with distinct exhibitions organized around concept and lived human experience rather than chronology or geography alone. Chief Curator Dr. Patricia Lee Daigle has described the approach as asking what connects works across time and place — "the answer is always something human."