Charles Boyd's Blogger: Indoor Summer Fun: The Art Of Video Games At The Brooks

Today I discovered something fun to do this summer when it's way too hot to be outside: head to the air-conditioned Brooks Museum to see their latest exhibit, The Art of Video Games.

The Art of Video Games is all about the history of video games, with a focus on the most popular and influential games and consoles, from the Atari to the Wii and everything in between. It's funny to see something that was released when I was a kid – the N64 for example, displayed behind glass in a museum.

Did you know that the 1983 game "Attack of the Mutant Camels" was inspired by Star Wars AT-AT walkers? Nerd alert!

You can watch video clips and learn about dozens of games, and yes, play some of them. Pac-Man, Super Mario Brothers, The Secret of Monkey Island, Myst, and Flower are all set up for you to try out.

The Art of Video Games is a must for gaming fans, and I think that kids or folks with only a general interest in video games will still find the exhibit engaging and enjoy giving the playable games a try. In my opinion, it's worth going just to see the Birdcap + Nosey mural collaboration at the end of the exhibit. These two artists have really outdone themselves this time.

The mural covers all four walls of a big room and featured tricked-out, wacky, fantasy versions of well-known game characters. Everything from Pikachu to MegaMan to Angry Birds is included, and I'm sure I didn't recognize everything. It's delightful.

You'll want to check out some of the events that going along with The Art of Video Games, like the guided tour this Saturday (June 27) at 2 p.m., a field trip to the Rec Room on July 9, and a Video Game Block Party on July 18. See more events here.

The Brooks is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and from 11 a.m to 5 p.m. on Sundays. On Thursdays, the galleries stay open until 8 p.m. The museum is closed on Monday and Tuesday.

In the interactive "game room" can draw your favorite video game character to display, or make your own, like this person did.

Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, and $3 for students with ID or for kids age 7-17. Kids under 6 get in free. Wednesdays are pay-what-you-can, and the website also has a $1 off coupon you can print here.

The Art of Video Games exhibit will be on display until September 13, 2015.

Go there:

The Art of Video Games
Open through September 13

Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
1934 Poplar Avenue
Memphis, Tennessee 38104

(901) 544-6200
brooksmuseum.org

Looks like the Memphis Knit Mafia has been to the Brooks.