MEMPHIS.- The Decorative Arts Trust of the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art will offer a half-day symposium December 4, 2004, in conjunction with the weekend opening of the greatly anticipated exhibition, Memphis Collects: The Glory of Georgian England. The program begins at 10:30 a.m. and speakers will continue through the afternoon, covering a variety of topics relevant to this important period of English history and the development of decorative arts.

Keynote speaker Graham Child will discuss "The Evolution of Furniture in the Georgian Age: Chippendale, Adam, Sheraton, and Hepplewhite." Mr. Child, Director of English Furniture at Sotheby's London for over 20 years, will launch the series of presentations. Child is Expert Advisor to the British Heritage Lottery Fund as well as a consultant to museums, collectors and dealers in Europe and the United States. Additional topics to be covered in the symposium include Georgian painting and porcelain.

All sessions will be held in the Dorothy K. Hohenberg Auditorium of the Brooks. Space is limited to 250 people and registrations must be accompanied by a check or credit card in order to secure admission. Admission on the day of the symposium will be on a first come, first serve basis. The price of admission, which includes lunch in the Brushmark Restaurant, is $45 for members of the Decorative Arts Trust, and $55 for non-members. Guided tours of the exhibition for groups attending the symposim may be arranged by calling the Symposium Chair at 901-761-4948.

Funds raised from the symposium will go to the Decorative Arts Trust and will be used to make acquisitions to the permanent collection of decorative arts at the Brooks as well as to sponsor exhibitions and special events throughout the year. Founded in 1980, the Decorative Arts Trust is a support group of the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and has made significant contributions to the museum's collection. The Brooks is located in Overton Park at 1934 Poplar Avenue, adjacent to the Memphis Zoo.