MEMPHIS, TENN.- Memphis Brooks Museum of Art recently accepted several works by a range of diverse artists for inclusion within its permanent collection. With well over 8,000 works, the Brooks is continually seeking to expand its collection, reflecting the art of antiquity through the present.

Four works by the late Burton Callicott were donated to the Brooks by Baird Callicott and Alice Callicott, two members of the artist's family. An esteemed artist and teacher, Callicott was influential in fostering modern art in Memphis. The four oil on canvas works entitled Morning Mist, Sunset Over the Mississippi, Moon, and Road at Sunset were produced between 1933 and 1941. They represent important examples of Callicott's developmental progress toward a mature practice. He considered ROAD AT SUNSET his first "real" painting.

A new outdoor sculpture graces the west lawn in front of the museum. Jim Buchman's 1982 granite and steel sculpture, FOIL, stands six feet tall. Buchman, a local artist, never actually shapes the granite. Rather, he is interested in the way it breaks and follows its natural forms. Here, the granite represents the wings of a bird or the muscle of a man's arm while the straight steel leg anchors the sculpture. FOIL was purchased by the Brooks with funds provided by friends in memory of Annie Rose and Leslie Buchman, the artist's parents.

DEMIE TASSE, a new decorative arts acquisition, is a 21-piece tea set by the American artist, Arman. Arman is known for taking random items such as coffeepots and slicing them in half so that their insides are visible, revealing the poetry implicit in ordinary things. DEMIE TASSE, produced in 1990, is a wonderful example of this technique. Arman's work can be found in major museums including the Metropolitan and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. DEMIE TASSE was purchased with funds provided by Mahnaz and Sia Shahriari, Ph.D, M.D.

In anticipation of its upcoming exhibition, The Quilts of Gee's Bend, the Brooks has acquired a handcrafted quilt by one of the original quilters featured in the show. The Brooks's quilt, LAZY GAL VARIATION, was made by Loretta Pettway, who learned the craft from her grandmother. It is typical of the "Lazy Gal" pattern and is made from discarded remnants of family members' and neighbors' work clothes. LAZY GAL VARIATION was a partial gift of the Tinwood Alliance and Loretta Pettway. It was purchased with funds provided by Decorative Arts Trust, Memphis Cotton Patchers, and John and Tina McWorter. All of the recent acquisitions are now on display in the museum.