Huntsville Museum of Art facts for kids
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| Established | 1970 |
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| Location | 300 Church Street Southwest Huntsville, Alabama, USA |
| Type | Art museum |
The Huntsville Museum of Art (HMA) is a super cool place in Huntsville, Alabama. It's a museum where you can see amazing art! You'll find it right in the middle of Downtown Huntsville, in a beautiful spot called Big Spring Park. It's a hub for all sorts of fun and creative things to do.
Contents
How the Museum Started
Early Days and Big Dreams
Back in 1957, a group called the Huntsville Art League and Museum Association (HALMA) was formed. Their big dream was to help art grow in Huntsville. They also hoped to have a real art museum one day.
Opening Its Doors
The Huntsville Museum of Art officially opened on August 13, 1970. The city of Huntsville helped make this happen. The museum had its very first art show in 1973. Then, in 1975, it moved into its first permanent home. This was at the Von Braun Center.
Growing Bigger and Better
In 1998, the museum moved to its current building. This new home is in Big Spring Park. It started with seven galleries where art was displayed.
In 2010, the museum got even bigger! They added the Davidson Center. This new part brought seven more art galleries. It also added special rooms for learning and events. Now, the museum has fourteen galleries. That's a lot of space for art!
What You Can See: The Art Collection
A World of Art
The Huntsville Museum of Art has a huge collection. It holds more than 3,000 pieces of art! About 200 of these artworks are on display each year. The rest are kept safe in special storage rooms.
Art from America and Beyond
The museum's art is split into two main groups. One group is American art and works by artists from the local area. The other group includes art from Asia, Africa, and Europe. These older artworks often inspired American artists.
Famous Artists and Local Talent
You can see cool drawings and prints by famous artists. These include James McNeill Whistler and Andy Warhol. The museum also shows art by talented people from Alabama. These artists include Richmond Burton and Stephen Rolfe Powell. There's also a special collection of over 200 photographs from the Southern United States.
Special Huntsville Art
Some artworks are extra special to Huntsville. For example, there are watercolors by Renato Moncini. He worked for NASA as an illustrator. He drew Huntsville and the Marshall Space Flight Center. You can also see Moonwalk by Andy Warhol. This piece is very important to Huntsville's space history.
The museum also has art from other parts of the world. You can find European and Japanese prints. There are also Chinese glass items and African sculptures.
Unique Collections
The museum is famous for its collection of animal figures made from silver. It's the largest collection of its kind in the world! They also have beautiful Italian jewelry. This jewelry was made by Gianmaria Buccellati.
Awards and Recognition
The Huntsville Museum of Art has won many awards. Alabama Magazine has called it the "Best Art Museum" in the state. It won this award in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2022. This shows how much people love visiting the museum!
See also
- Panoply Arts Festival – A fun art festival in Huntsville, Alabama.
