The History and Closure of Memphis College of Art
Memphis College of Art (MCA) was a private art college in Memphis, Tennessee, that played a significant role in shaping the city's cultural landscape and nurturing generations of artists. Located in Overton Park, adjacent to the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, MCA offered Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Arts in Art Education, and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. After 84 years of operation, the college closed its doors in May 2020 due to declining enrollment and mounting debt.
Origins and Early Years
The college was founded in 1936 as the Memphis Academy of Art. Initially, it was housed in the James Lee House in Victorian Village and was funded by the Memphis Art Association as the James Lee Memorial Academy of Art. However, a dispute with the Memphis Art Association's director, Florence M. McIntyre, over the acceptance of modernism led to the academy's declaration of independence.
In 1958, the institution-then the Memphis Academy of Arts-relocated to Overton Park, where architects William Mann and Roy Harrover constructed Rust Hall as its primary facility, which opened in 1959. This modernist structure featured innovative elements like prefabricated components for cost efficiency and was lauded by Architectural Record for its functional elegance. Situated adjacent to the Brooks Museum, the building adapted the park's historic context while emphasizing contemporary aesthetics, allowing seamless integration with surrounding greenery and pathways.
The college demonstrated a commitment to diversity by hiring eleven African American teachers in 1961, despite the prevalence of racial discrimination at the time. In 1976, Dr. Jameson M. Jones was appointed as the first president of the Memphis Academy of Art.
Growth and Development
Under the leadership of John S. Slorp, who became president in 1982, the Memphis Academy of Art merged computer technology with art. The college expanded its offerings with graduate programs in 1987, new student housing in 1992, and a graduate center in 1998. Metz Hall was added, named after Charles B. Metz, thanks to a $1,000,000 donation from his family. In 2010, the Nesin Graduate School was established, offering Master of Arts Education, Master of Arts in Teaching, and Master in Fine Arts programs.
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Curriculum and Experiential Learning
Memphis College of Art distinguished itself through experiential learning programs that immersed students in natural and community environments, fostering creative growth beyond traditional studio work. One of its most enduring initiatives was the annual Horn Island Expeditions, launched in 1985 under Professor Emeritus Bob Riseling (1985-2006) and later Associate Professor Don DuMont (2006-2019), and continuing for 35 years until 2019, ahead of the college's closure in 2020. These 10-day trips took groups of students, faculty, and alumni to the uninhabited barrier island off Mississippi's coast, following the paths of artist Walter Inglis Anderson to inspire nature-based sketching, environmental installations, and personal reflection.
MCA also emphasized community engagement through outreach and educational workshops, partnering with local organizations to extend artistic practice into public spaces. The college's Community Education division offered hands-on sessions, such as mural workshops and artist talks, open to Memphis residents and aimed at democratizing art access. These efforts included youth-oriented programs that encouraged collaborative creation, aligning with MCA's mission to integrate art into civic life. Specialized collaborations further innovated MCA's approach, notably through interdisciplinary exhibits like the annual Art of Science, which paired St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists with local artists for therapeutic and educational displays at MCA's Hyde Gallery.
Exhibition spaces at the college played a central role in showcasing student, faculty, and visiting artist work, fostering a vibrant environment for critique and public engagement. In response to evolving artistic needs, the college integrated digital labs during the 2000s to accommodate multimedia and animation coursework, aligning with its emphasis on contemporary design and digital media programs. Over time, facilities underwent adaptations for improved functionality; in the 1990s, renovations enhanced accessibility across studios and galleries.
Faculty
The Memphis College of Art benefited from a distinguished faculty that shaped its pedagogical approach and artistic output over its 84-year history. Founding members and long-term instructors emphasized technical proficiency and regional influences, mentoring artists who contributed to both local and national scenes. Burton Callicott served as a foundational instructor at MCA, joining the Memphis Academy of Art (its original name) in 1937 shortly after its establishment. Trained at the Cleveland School of Art, he initially taught sculpture and ceramics before expanding to drawing, painting, and calligraphy, influencing generations of students with his regionalist style rooted in Mid-South landscapes. Callicott remained on the faculty until his retirement in 1978, holding emeritus status thereafter, and his mentorship helped establish MCA as Tennessee's first professional art school. As a painter and muralist, he created large-scale works like WPA-commissioned murals depicting Southern landscapes and historical scenes. Richard Prillaman contributed significantly to MCA's reputation in fine arts, serving as a professor and later professor emeritus. Known for his work in metalsmithing and printmaking, he joined the faculty in the mid-20th century and helped build the institution's print program, which gained national recognition through student and faculty exhibitions. Veda Reed emerged as a pioneering figure in fiber arts and painting at MCA, beginning her teaching career there in 1961 after studying at the institution from 1952. Over her 35-year tenure until retirement in 1996, she instructed in textiles and painting, influencing Southern textile design and mentoring countless students in evocative landscape techniques. Administrative leaders also played pivotal roles in MCA's direction. George Oberteuffer, a French-trained artist, co-founded the school in 1936 alongside his wife Henriette Amiard Oberteuffer after withdrawing from a rival academy over disputes on modern art; the city supported their new Memphis Academy of Arts by providing facilities. Oberteuffer's early involvement as instructor and administrator from 1936 into the 1940s helped professionalize art education in the region. Overall, MCA's faculty of more than 20 influential members participated in collective exhibitions, publications, and accrediting bodies, with their works featured in retrospectives like the 2020 Brooks Museum show honoring the school's legacy.
Notable Alumni
The Memphis College of Art produced numerous accomplished artists whose work spans visual arts, design, and performance, reflecting the institution's emphasis on creative innovation and technical mastery. Among its most notable alumni is Blake Nelson Boyd (BFA, 1990s), a multifaceted artist, actor, and comedian whose conceptual installations and paintings explore themes of identity and pop culture. Cynthia Bringle (BFA, Memphis Academy of Art, 1960), a pioneering potter and educator, is renowned for her functional yet sculptural ceramics that evoke natural forms and earthy textures, with pieces held in prestigious collections including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery. Valerie Jaudon (attended 1965), a leading pattern painter and advocate for feminist art, produces ornate, geometric abstractions that challenge decorative hierarchies, with her works featured in the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of Modern Art. Emily Jacir (MFA, 1994) stands out as a conceptual artist and filmmaker whose practice addresses Palestinian displacement and memory through immersive installations and videos, earning her the prestigious Hugo Boss Prize in 2008 for works like Material for a Film. Beyond these figures, MCA alumni have made significant impacts in graphic design, illustration, and related fields. Industrial designer Gere Kavanaugh (BFA, 1952), the third woman to earn an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art, designed innovative furniture and textiles for clients like Knoll Associates, earning induction into the Interior Design Hall of Fame. Illustrators and designers such as Carl E.
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Closure
After 84 years of operation, the Memphis College of Art closed in May 2020. The decision to close was attributed to declining enrollment, overwhelming real estate debt, and the absence of a viable long-term plan for financial stability. Interim President Laura Hine described the closure as "heartbreaking" but expressed pride in the creative energy that MCA artists brought to Memphis.
The college had accumulated a $6.9 million debt after purchasing property along Poplar Avenue and expanding its campus. Although a few dozen freshman would not have enough credits to graduate from MCA by 2020, the college assisted them in transferring to other institutions.
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