The Frances Dancy Hooks Art Award and Exhibition celebrates that “Art = Freedom”
July 15, 2025 ̶ ̶ The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis invites submissions of visual-based artwork(s) from Memphis-area artists for the 2025 Frances Dancy Hooks Art Award and Exhibition. “Art = Freedom,” the theme for 2025, explores creativity as a declaration for ourselves and our empowerment — both personally and collectively.
Artists may submit up to two pieces via the Institute’s digital portal. Artworks may be two- or three-dimensional and can be of any tangible medium. Digital artworks, including AI-generated or augmented pieces, are not accepted at this time. All pieces must weigh under 20 pounds, including any frames or appendages, and cannot be larger than 4ft x 4ft x 4ft. To be eligible, artists must be from the Greater Memphis Area and over the age of 18. There is no submission fee.
The submission form includes space for a title, piece specifications, a brief artist statement and a brief statement on how this piece demonstrates the theme of “Art = Freedom.” Artists of all backgrounds, experience levels and mediums are encouraged to apply.
Ten to 15 works will be chosen for the final exhibition in the Dr. Ralph Faudree Gallery area of the Hooks Institute offices in Wilder Tower on the UofM Central Campus. The Institute will be hosting multiple public events in October, specifically to showcase the exhibit. The winner will receive the Frances Dancy Hooks Art Award and a $700 prize. Artists chosen as finalists will have their work displayed in the public exhibit and will have the option to offer their pieces for sale.
Finalists and the award winner will be chosen by a diverse committee of specialists and experts in the fields of arts and culture and social change, including members of the Hooks Institute staff, the University of Memphis College of Communications and Fine Arts and members of the Memphis art community.
The “Art = Freedom” theme invites participation from artists whose work serves as a journey of self-discovery, healing and affirmation and reflects the human desire to realize one’s fullest potential. At the same time, the exhibition acknowledges that personal empowerment does not exist in isolation; it resonates outward, challenging systems, inspiring communities and amplifying marginalized voices. “Art = Freedom” showcases how the act of creating art becomes an act of liberation — where identity is reclaimed, trauma is processed and purpose is declared.
The award highlights the legacy of civil rights activist, influential leader and educator Frances Dancy Hooks. Hooks served as a trustee of the Memphis College of Art and supported the Memphis Symphony League alongside her well-known work leading the Women in the NAACP and being a national champion for African American and women’s rights.
In 2019, the Hooks Institute established the Frances Dancy Hooks Endowment for the Arts to provide resources to support programming that highlights and promotes the role of the arts and culture in the work of social change. The fund has supported the creation of the “Fayette County, TN Civil Rights, and the Photography of Art Shay” exhibit, on display at the Memphis International Airport, alongside other arts-based programming for the community.
For additional information on the Frances Dancy Hooks Social Change Art Award and Exhibit and how to apply, visit the Hooks Institute website at memphis.edu/benhooks.
About the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change
The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute implements its mission of teaching, studying and promoting civil rights and social change through research, education and direct intervention programs. Institute programs include community outreach; funding faculty research initiatives on community issues; implementing community service projects; hosting conferences, symposiums and lectures; and promoting local and national scholarship on civil and human rights. The Hooks Institute is an interdisciplinary center at the University of Memphis. Contributed revenue for the Hooks Institute, including funding from individuals, corporations and foundations, is administered through the University of Memphis Foundation, a 501c(3) organization. Visit memphis.edu/benhooks for more information.
About Frances Dancy Hooks
Born and raised in Memphis, Frances Dancy Hooks was an educator, activist and church member, and spent her life fighting for racial and gender equality in Memphis and throughout the nation. A graduate of Fisk University, Hooks was among the first African American women to teach at Carver High School in Memphis. As part of her life of perseverance guided by faith, she participated in many of the efforts of the civil rights movement, including the historic march for voting rights from Selma to Montgomery, Ala. When her husband was elected executive director of the NAACP, Hooks took on her own role within the organization, including organizing and leading Women in NAACP (WIN). Through her work with the NAACP and other organizations, she influenced the trajectory of initiatives involving education, poverty and women’s rights, and her work at the intersection of African American and women’s civil rights greatly influenced modern women’s history.
Media Contact:
Amy Ruggaber
Assistant Director, Benjamin L. Hooks Institute of Social Change
University of Memphis
901.678.3655
