portrait of lorraine hansberry looking out of gold frame on red background
portrait of lorraine hansberry looking out of gold frame on red background
Vitus Shell, Lorraine Hansberry; Collection of Hattiloo Theatre
Tanner Henry Ossawa View of the Seine 2018 4 WEB
illustration inside theater program of a silhouette watching a performance onstage
Henri-Gabriel Ibels, "Mirages. Théâtre Libre Programme, 5me Spectacle," 1892; Lithograph on paper; Museum purchase by the Morrie A. Moss Fund, 1990.10
young woman in wide white dress decorated with flowers, wearing a crown and holding a bouquet
still life painting of fruit on a white plate and black vase of white flowers
collection of monkey band porcelain figurines assembled on grey background
painting of a person with long hair working from an easel
impressionist painting of a covered brick arch in city center
smokey black and white painting of the shore of manchester
Atmosphere Study of Manchester from Kersal Moor by William Wyld
two 19th century portraits hung face to face on dark green gallery wall
still life painting of a potted plant and several apples atop a red plaid blanket
impressionist painting of village street lined with trees
Claude Monet, "Village Street," 1869-1871; Oil on canvas; Museum purchase from Cornelia Ritchie and Ritchie Trust No. 4 provided through a gift from the Moss Family Fund, 1996.2.6
Degas Edgar Dancer Adusting Her Shoe 1975 6 HIGH RES JPEG 1
painting of interior dining room, barely lit
John Koch, "Interior – Dining Room," 1956; Oil on canvas; Private collection
abstract painting of squares of striped color crossed with spotlight-shaped colors
rectangular abstract painting, triangular spikes of color in alternating blues, yellows, oranges, and pinks
James Little, "Legacy of Thieves and Pundits," 2009; Oil and wax on canvas
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Main Galleries

Sweet 16

Apr 17, 2022 - Jul 10, 2022

Presented by: The Joe Orgill Family Fund for Exhibitions

Organized by: The Dixon Gallery and Gardens

This spring, come experience something new and exciting at the Dixon! Each of our sixteen gallery spaces will feature an independent, Dixon-organized exhibition. From whimsical Rococo German porcelain to contemporary American abstraction, there’s something for everyone to enjoy and be inspired by in Sweet Sixteen. 

Artful Presence: Portraits from the Hattiloo Theatre Collection 
WILLMOTT GALLERY

This exhibition features a selection of portraits of renowned Black playwrights, actors, and other figures from the collection of Hattiloo Theatre in Memphis. Founded in 2006, Hattiloo is the only freestanding Black repertory theater in the Mid-South and one of only four such theaters in the country. In its fifteenth season, the theater has mounted more than fifty theatrical productions from The Wiz to Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. 

Hattiloo's art collection began in 2008, when Ekundayo Bandele, Hattiloo Director and CEO, began commissioning Black artists in Memphis to create portraits of significant figures from the history of Black theater. The works christened the theater's new building at Overton Square, opened in 2014, and ties Hattiloo to a broader Black arts movement in Memphis. Championed by Bandele, the Hattiloo collection has consistently grown over the years, and is today the only collection of its kind in the United States. This exhibition marks the first time that these portraits have been on view outside of Hattiloo Theatre and celebrates the work of the playwrights and actors who have contributed to the rich history and vibrant contemporary presence of Black theater through the lens of some of the most consequential artists working in Memphis today.

Curator’s Circle: Creating a Culture of Collecting at the Dixon 
On view in the Residence Living Room

Performing Art: Visual and Performing Arts Collaborations in the Dixon Collection
On view in the Wetter Gallery

Quinceañera
On view in the Liz and Tommy Farnsworth Education Building

Carefully Composed: Still Life in the Dixon Collection 
DUNAVANT GALLERY

Orchestrating Fun: Meissen’s Monkey Musicians 
SOUTH FOYER 

Drawing from Life: Sketches by Margaret Oates Dixon
On view in the Residence Library

Kate Roberts: Echoes 
on view in the Wurtzburger Gallery

Calvin Washington Cherry (1821-1861) and Sarah Blount Williamson (1831-1912) 
On view in the Orgill Gallery

Gheorghe Ionescu and Romanian Art in Memphis
On view in the Brinkley Gallery

The Impressionist Landscape
On view in the Crump Gallery

Sketching in Color: Pastels in the Dixon Collection 
On view in the Residence Foyer

John Koch
On view in the Residence Dining Room

Chuck Johnson: Living Off the Grid
On view in the Mallory Gallery

James Little: Homecoming
PLOUGH GALLERY 

Sponsored by: Opus East Memphis

Kate and Michael Buttarazzi, Karen and Preston Dorsett, Theodore W. and Betty J. Eckels Foundation, Andrea and Doug Edwards, Amanda and Nick Goetze, Anne and Mike Keeney, Nancy and Steve Morrow, Irene Orgill, Gwen and Penn Owen, Chris and Dan Richards, Irene and Fred Smith, and Adele Wellford

This project was supported, in part, by a Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant

Painting sponsorship allows appreciators of the arts and friends of the Dixon an opportunity to contribute to each exhibition in a meaningful way. To learn more about how to sponsor a painting, please email Jessie Wiley at jwiley@dixon.org.