Alice Moseley Folk Art and Antique Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 2004 |
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| Location | 1928 Depot Way, 2nd Floor Bay St. Louis, Mississippi |
| Type | Art museum |
The Alice Moseley Folk Art and Antique Museum is a special museum in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. It helps people learn about the amazing folk artist and painter, Alice Moseley.
The museum first opened in the "Blue House." This was Alice Moseley's last home. Her son, Tim, opened it soon after she passed away. Later, the museum moved to the old Bay St. Louis Railroad Depot. This historic building is right across the street from the Blue House. The museum reopened there in March 2013. It's free to visit, which is great!
Who Was Alice Moseley?
Alice Latimer Moseley (1909–2004) was often called "Miss Alice." She was born in Birmingham, Alabama. There, she met and married W. J. Moseley. He was from Batesville, Mississippi.
Her Life and Art Journey
During World War II, Alice and her husband moved to Memphis, Tennessee. For the next 30 years, Miss Alice taught eighth-grade English. She taught in Whitehaven and Memphis.
Alice started painting when she was caring for her mother. Her mother had Alzheimer's. Alice painted her first 40 pictures. Then, she went to a flea market in Nashville with her son. All 40 paintings sold in just 30 minutes! A man named Mr. Barr bought them. He used them to decorate his steakhouses in Kentucky. That day, Alice Moseley became a professional folk artist.
She always used acrylic paints. She said she was impatient and needed paint that would dry fast. Early on, a writer named Jules Pfeiffer called her an "idyllic folk artist." This means her art showed not just what she saw, but what she wanted to see.
Her Success and Style
Alice Moseley became very well-known. She had a successful career while living in Pope, Mississippi. She mostly showed her art in Memphis. After her husband died, she moved to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, in 1989. She was 80 years old then. She said these years in Bay St. Louis were the happiest and most successful of her life.
Moseley's paintings are important because they show country life in the South from long ago. They also tell stories. Her paintings often have humor. They show Alice Latimer Moseley's great understanding of people and her funny side. Some of her famous paintings include:
- Life Is So Daily
- The House Is Blue But the Old Lady Ain't
- Labor Versus Management – This one shows a farmer throwing his hat down in anger. His mule sits on its back legs with a little smile!
Alice Moseley kept painting until she passed away in July 2004. She was 94 years old.
The Museum's Story
Even though her blue house in Bay St. Louis was only half a mile from the beach, Hurricane Katrina did not damage it. After Katrina, in 2006, her son Tim Moseley started the Alice Moseley Folk Art and Antique Museum. It later moved from the blue house to the historic Bay St. Louis train depot.
Visitors to Bay St. Louis love the museum. They enjoy the fun and informative tours given by the museum guides, called docents. The museum is free to enter. It is open Monday through Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM.
