Asheville Art Museum facts for kids
The Asheville Art Museum is a special place in Western North Carolina (WNC) where you can see amazing visual art. It's a non-profit organization, which means it's not run for money, but for the community. The museum is officially recognized by the American Alliance of Museums, showing it meets high standards. You can find it right in the center of downtown Asheville, at 2 South Pack Square.
The museum often shows art from its own collection, which includes American art from the 1900s and 2000s. They also feature special exhibits by artists from the region and across the country. You'll see art that's important to Western North Carolina's culture, like Studio Craft pieces, works from Black Mountain College, and art by Cherokee artists. The museum also offers fun and educational programs for both kids and adults.
History of the Museum
The Asheville Art Museum started in 1948. Its first home was a small three-room building on Charlotte Street. Soon, the museum began collecting art. The collection grew so fast that the museum needed a bigger space!
It moved to the 15th floor of the Northwestern Bank Building. Later, it bought its own property at 152 Pearson Drive. Here, the museum started focusing more on art from the local region. More people visited, and more programs were offered.
In 1976, the museum moved into a new, larger space inside the Asheville Civic Center. This new facility was about 9,000 square feet. In 1984, the Asheville Art Museum earned a special honor: it became one of the few museums of its size to be accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. This means it's a high-quality museum.
In 1992, the museum moved again to a beautiful building from 1925. This building used to be the Pack Memorial Library. It's part of the Pack Place Education, Arts & Science Center in downtown Asheville. This new space gave the museum 12,000 square feet to work with.
A few years later, in 1999, the museum expanded even more. They added new classrooms, art studios, an art library, and a special area for teachers. This expansion brought the museum's total size to 24,400 square feet.
Between 2016 and 2019, the museum had a huge expansion, growing to 54,000 square feet! During this time, its collection of art grew to more than 8,000 pieces. The museum officially reopened on November 14, 2019. Outside, you can see a cool glass sculpture called "Reflections on Unity" by artist Henry Richardson.
In June 2022, the Asheville Art Museum received a very important award. It was one of only three museums in the country to get the 2022 National Medal for Museum and Library Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This award celebrates museums that make a big difference in their communities.
Museum Leaders
The museum was started by local artists in 1948. Its first full-time director was James E. Neumann, who started in 1965. He helped the museum move from Charlotte Street to the bank building. After him, F. Edward Barnwell became director in 1966.
In 1970, Richard Van Kleeck took over and helped with the move to the Montford District. Walter B. Elcock III was hired as director in 1971.
Thomas (Tom) Gilmartin became director in 1973. After him, Mary Alice Young became the museum's first female director in 1977.
In 1980, Edwin (Ed) Ritts, Jr. became director. During his time, the museum earned its accreditation, started showing art from beyond the local area, and moved to Pack Place. The staff also grew bigger. Since December 1995, Pamela L. Myers has been the museum's director.
