UofM’s Hooks Institute and the Memphis International Airport’s Exhibit Featuring Fayette County Civil Rights Movement Through the Photographs of Art Shay Open to the Public  

Oct. 20, 2022 — The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis and the Memphis International Airport’s co-hosted exhibit featuring the Fayette County Civil Rights Movement through the photographs of freelance photographer Art Shay is now open to the public.  

The photographs are displayed at the Memphis International Airport between the B and C ticketing lobbies across from the Global Entry Enrollment Center. The exhibit will be on display until October 2023. The public can view the exhibit without purchasing a ticket or going through the TSA security checkpoints.  

The Memphis International Airport and the Hooks Institute announced the launch of the exhibit at a press conference on Thursday.  

“We are honored to partner with the Hooks Institute to display the compelling work of Art Shay,” said Scott Brockman, President and CEO of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority. “We want our airport to reflect the Memphis community, and these photographs highlight the crucial role that this great region played in the civil rights movement.”  

About the Exhibit  

The exhibition features photographs from free-lance photographer Art Shay (1922-2018), who in March 1965 documented the Fayette County, Tennessee, Civil Rights Movement. Shay, a Chicago-based photographer, photographed the rich and famous. His photographs appeared in LIFE Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Time Magazine and other publications. During the 1960s, Shay also photographed America's landmark civil rights movement.  

The Hooks Institute extends its gratitude to Richard Shay (the son of Art Shay) and Jeff Dembo, representatives for the estate of Art Shay, for loaning this photography exhibit to the Hooks Institute.  

CONTACT
Nathaniel Ball | ncball@memphis.edu | 901.678.3655