In 1984, Arts in the Park began in Overton Park as a program of Art Today, an organization of the Brooks Museum under the leadership of Richard Wilson Sr. The objective was to bring together the visual and performing arts for a weekend of dance, music, sculpture, song, paintings, fine eating and participation; and a fine arts exhibition. The success of the program led to the formation of a 501(c)3 corporation which came to be the Memphis Arts Festival.  In 2003, the name was changed to Experience Art in Memphis, with the purpose to experience the art, to understand how it came to be, to enjoy all aspects of its creation, and to celebrate its existence.  Since 1984, Memphis Arts Festival, through Arts in the Park, and RiverArtsFest has involved more than 1,000,000 citizens of the community in all its programs. In 2007, RiverArtsFest emerged anew on South Main in the South Main Arts District where it operated successfully in the vibrant district through 2017. In 2018, the festival moved to a new location on Riverside Drive, between the bluffs and the Mississippi River.