Dixon Gallery and Gardens facts for kids
The Dixon Gallery and Gardens
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| Location | 4339 Park Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee |
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| Type | Art museum |
| Public transit access |  MATA |
The Dixon Gallery and Gardens is a special place in Memphis, Tennessee. It's an art museum surrounded by beautiful gardens that cover 17 acres! This amazing spot opened in 1976 and can be found at 4339 Park Avenue.
The museum mainly shows French and American Impressionist art. You can see famous paintings by artists like Monet, Degas, and Renoir. Other artists featured include Pierre Bonnard, Mary Cassatt, Marc Chagall, Honoré Daumier, Henri Fantin-Latour, Paul Gauguin, Henri Matisse, Berthe Morisot, Edvard Munch, Auguste Rodin, and Alfred Sisley. The museum also has a large collection of works by the French Impressionist artist Jean-Louis Forain.
Besides paintings, the Dixon Gallery and Gardens also has the Stout Collection. This collection features nearly 600 pieces of 18th-century German porcelain, including tableware and figures. It is one of the largest collections of its kind in the United States.
The Dixon often hosts new art shows and special garden displays. These can be original exhibits created by the museum or traveling shows from other places.
The museum's grounds include four main outdoor sculpture gardens. These gardens feature Greco-Roman style sculptures. The land was bought by the Dixon family in 1939. They designed the gardens in the English Garden style, which means there are open grassy areas next to smaller, more private garden spaces. The main parts of the gardens are the Cutting Garden, Formal Garden, South Lawn, and Woodland Gardens.
What Art Can You See?
The art collection at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens started with paintings displayed in the Dixon family's home. This original collection focuses on French and American Impressionists, Post-Impressionists, and similar art styles. A famous art expert named John Rewald helped the Dixons choose many of these artworks. The collection also includes British portraits and landscapes from the 1700s and 1800s. These pieces honor Hugo Dixon's English background.
Over the years, the museum has added more works by French Impressionists. These are artists who showed their art in the eight group Impressionist exhibitions. The museum also looks for art by other artists from that time. This includes both Impressionist and Realist artists who might not be as famous as Degas, Monet, or Pissarro. For example, the Dixon recently acquired 56 artworks by the French artist Jean-Louis Forain. This makes the Dixon a very important place to see Forain's art from all over the world.
In 1996, the museum celebrated its 20th anniversary. To mark this special occasion, the Dixon acquired 23 paintings and sculptures. These came from the Montgomery H.W. Ritchie family of Palo Duro, Texas. The Ritchie Collection greatly improved the museum's collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art.
Learning and Fun Programs
The Dixon Education Department helps people learn about art and horticulture (the science of growing plants). They offer many programs for children, adults, and different community groups.
Some popular programs at the Dixon include "Mini Masters" for children. Adults can enjoy the "Munch and Learn" lecture series. There is also a school program called "Art to Grow" that reaches out to students.
See Also
- List of museums in Tennessee
- Index: Gardens in Tennessee
