Beale St, Memphis TN

Next to my hotel

From the Dixon gallery on the East side of Memphis my next destination was practically on the Mississippi River. I had a hotel room overlooking Beale St, the home of the blues and a source of non stop music. Fortunately the hotel includes a parking garage since Beale St parking is difficult to find except for the very expensive parking garages.

On the street despite the daylight there was a crowd, plenty of beer and blues music.

Big Ass Beer & Music

BB Kings club

Street Music was as plentiful as the beer. Every 50 feet or so music was being made on the street.

Street Blues Music. Great stuff!!!

November 6th Street!!!

Statue of Elvis corner of Nov 6th and Beale

I'm glad to see at least one city on my journey has a street honoring this most important date. Yes, the corner of Nov 6th and Beale even has an Elvis sculpture. Hail to all those born Nov 6th, may they live long and prosper well.

Dixon Gardens and Gallery, Memphis TN

Dixon Art Gallery, Memphis TN

West Nashville is only 172 miles from Memphis. This is the total extent of my travels for today but speed is of the utmost essence. I want to get to Dixon Gardens and Gallery, a Botanical garden and museum with art of the European Impressionists. The rush is because Dixon is free on Saturdays between 10 AM and Noon. Luck was with me and I arrived at Dixon around 10:30. It's not a botanical garden outside the city on acreage but instead is right there in Memphis surrounded by city streets.

The Dixon formal gardens

Since it was July and this is Memphis in the deep south, the temperature and humidity were up there. It was hot but enjoyable. After touring the formal gardens I took a nice walk in the woods of the Woodlands Gardens surrounding the Art Museum. One of the themes was art in the garden and featured sculpture on exhibit in the garden. The sculpture was all garden related and was everywhere, even in the woodland garden although more of it was featured in the formal areas.

One of the traveling Art shows in the Gallery was a new artist for me, Helen Turner. I really enjoyed her art. Looking at the birth date and death dates of Ms Turner, 1858-1958, I realized this woman lived to be 100. Her art resembles that of the European Impressionists which is probably why this show is at the Dixon. The Dixon mission is to collect high quality artwork of the European Impressionists. While inside I saw two Renoirs that I have never seen before, art of Monet, Degas and others. The quantity is low but the quality is very high. The subjects of Helen Turner's paintings are women, flowers and women in the garden.

The Woodland Gardens, Dixon Gallery

Dixon formal planting