Mission Statement

The Institute of Egyptian Art & Archaeology (hereafter IEAA), founded in 1984 and designated a Tennessee Center of Excellence in 1985, is a component of the Department of Art, a unit of the College of Communication and Fine Arts of the University of Memphis.

The IEAA has four primary obligations. Its first responsibility is to support the University's academic programs. The IEAA faculty and professional staff teach undergraduate, graduate, and Continuing Education classes in Egyptian art, archaeology and language. The second task of the IEAA is to conduct research and disseminate information in the field of Egyptology through the presentation of scholarly papers and the publication of articles and monographs.

The third goal of the IEAA is to care for the Egyptology Library and the collection of Egyptian antiquities in its charge, to preserve and display the collection, and to interpret the objects and share knowledge about them. The current holdings in the IEAA's Egyptology Library total more than 6,000 volumes (many rare and out-of-print). Its permanent collection of over 1,400 Egyptian antiquities, including ancient Egyptian sculpture and relief carving, mummies, and objects of daily life, is the only such collection in the Mid-South. The collection is housed in the Art Museum of the University of Memphis and is free and open to the public.  Guided tours can be scheduled in advance for groups of all ages and interests. In addition, the IEAA sponsors programs and curates temporary exhibitions intended to expand knowledge about all periods of Egyptian art. The IEAA originates and co-sponsors major exhibitions in Memphis on Egyptian culture. Past partners include the Memphis Wonders series and the Memphis Pink Palace Museum. The IEAA also sponsors community programs, such as its annual Family Day in the spring. In addition, its faculty and staff serve as a resource for curriculum enrichment in both public and private schools at the primary and secondary levels. The IEAA also sponsors programs for adults, including lectures, symposia, and tours.

The fourth obligation of the IEAA is to support the fieldwork of faculty and students who participate in excavations and /or epigraphic projects in Egypt. The IEAA conducts excavations at the site of Luxor, Egypt, and helps to train graduate students in Egyptology by sponsoring their work at the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak Temple and elsewhere.