MUSEUM CLOSED 1/30-2/2 DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER
WHAT WE SURROUND OURSELVES WITH
FEBRUARY 22 – JULY 31, 2026
KEELER & GASPARRINI GALLERIES
Jim Masterson, Shoulder Brooches, 1992. Copper. On loan from the collection of Jim Masterson.
As the final exhibition at the Metal Museum’s Bluff campus, What We Surround Ourselves With highlights exceptional craftsmanship through the private collection of longtime Metal Museum blacksmith, Jim Masterson. Particularly keen to collect works demonstrating metalsmithing mastery in a range of materials, techniques, and styles, Masterson’s collection is a testament to the transformative power of skill and artistry. What We Surround Ourselves With serves as a ode to the evolution of the craft, the work, and the stories shared through the Museum’s metalsmithing community.
Jim Masterson is the Director of the Metal Studios at the Metal Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. He received his BFA in Metals from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville in 1990 and his MFA from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 1994. Masterson has shown work nationally and internationally and is the 5th boy in a family of 7 kids and always enjoys a good laugh.
“You never stop learning and you never know what you're going to pick up from somebody else.”
–JIM MASTERSON
Possibly Richard T. James, Slinky, about the mid-20th century. On loan from the collection of Jim Masterson.
Sarah Dorau, Little Cat, 2016. Cast aluminum and cast bronze. On loan from the collection of Jim Masterson.
“A lot of my work focuses on growing up in a large family and being a twin. And of course, humor. I'm always trying to make people laugh or have them make me laugh. And so, I like humor in pieces, too, even if it's just subtle things... ”
–JIM MASTERSON
EXHIBITION & PROGRAMMING SUPPORT
Hyde Family Foundation
Windgate Foundation
OPERATING SUPPORT
ARTSmemphis
Tennessee Arts Commission
What We Surround Ourselves With is part of Handwork 2026, Craft in America’s nationwide semiquincentennial collaboration showcasing the importance of the handmade and celebrating the diversity of craft that defines America.
