MEMPHIS, TN.- The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is proud to present Around Tennessee , 1820 – 1920, an exhibition of objects that celebrate the region’s cultural history, which is on view from July 5 to September 7, 2008.

Organized by Associate Curator Stanton Thomas, Around Tennessee showcases fine furniture, textiles, and evocative paintings from throughout the Mid-South. The exhibition will highlight the museum’s permanent holdings, as well as remarkable objects on loan from private collections, such as rare antebellum silver made in Memphis .

“This exhibition is unique,” says Thomas, “because many of these works have never been exhibited publicly before, and present an extraordinary opportunity to learn about and experience the rich material culture of the Mid-South.”

Among the objects on display are five Sugar Chests – one of the most distinctive and recognizable forms of Southern furniture. Around Tennessee will also include a selection of Carl Gutherz’s immensely popular paintings and examples of Nonconnah pottery made in Shelby County . In addition, the exhibition will offer visitors a chance to see works from Wolfe Bequest, which brought an extraordinary group of early Mississippi quilts into the museum’s collection.

For a behind-the-scenes look at Around Tennessee , 1820 – 1920, visit the Brooks’ blog at: www.beyondtheframe.wordpress.com. Around Tennessee is a part of regular museum admission. Call 901-544-6200 or visit brooksmuseum.org for tickets more information.