Change is in the air!

With each new year, individuals create new ideas, indulge in new desires, make new resolutions, and find new motivation to get things done. How long does each one of us stick with this "new" attitude? It varies from person to person and with situations and realizations beyond our control. But, every now and then, there are those who take it beyond the first few months of the new year and make changes that affect their entire life. Then, sometimes, people's original plans turn into something completely different, but it was what they really needed in the first place. The Rolling Stones' song comes to mind: You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find....you get what you need! 

So, at this point you are probably asking yourself "What does this have to do with the Dixon Gallery and Gardens in Memphis, TN?". Well - quite a bit! A new overall attitude is what you can expect from the Dixon this year, along with new programs, new faces, and in some cases a new look. We hope that you love them all, but with those you don't love, we hope it leads to something different that we hadn't thought about including. Which, in turn, can give you many more options and opportunities to learn and enjoy at the Dixon. Either way, we know that it is going to be a lot of fun working it out and we can't wait to hear what you think about it all! Art History Courses, Creative Writing and Digital Drawing Workshops are just some of the exciting new programs that are happening in the next few months!

An Erica McCarren's original digital painting

Just as with any other year, changing temporary exhibitions will come and go. This month, however, brings a change in our residence as well. Selections from the Kattner Collection of American Painting will be on view in the galleries that usually house our beloved permanent collection. Selections from our collection will be on view at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky during this time, while we exhibit work from their collection in Rembrandts, Rubens, and the Golden Age of Painting.

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606 -1669)
Portrait of a Forty-Year-OldWoman, possibly MarretjeCornelisdr. van Grotewal, 1634
Oil on panel 27 7/16 x 22 in. Collection of Speed Art Museum

It's always nice to try something new. But we wouldn't be the Dixon if we didn't stick with some of the traditional things that make us who we are. So prepare yourself for change, but also love what makes you you! Join us to experience the old and new Dixon in 2012!