Meridian Museum of Art facts for kids
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Meridian Museum of Art in 2018
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| Established | 1970 |
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| Location | 628 25th Avenue Meridian, Mississippi |
| Type | Art museum |
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Meridian Museum of Art
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| Location | Meridian, Mississippi |
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| Built | February 1884 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| MPS | Meridian MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 79003397 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 18, 1979 |
The Meridian Museum of Art is an art museum located in Meridian, Mississippi. The building itself is quite old and has a rich history. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. This means it's recognized as an important historical place in the United States. In 1985, it was also named a Mississippi Landmark.
The building started its life as the home of the First Presbyterian Church of Meridian. Later, in 1911, the city of Meridian bought it. They turned it into a Carnegie Library in 1913. At that time, Meridian had two Carnegie libraries. One was for white citizens, and the other was for African-Americans. The building that now houses the museum was the library for white citizens. In 1970, the libraries combined and moved to a new spot. The empty building then became the Meridian Museum of Art, which it still is today.
Contents
The Building's Early Days
The land where the museum stands was first owned by Richard McLemore. He was the first person to settle in the Meridian area back in 1831. Later, when the Mobile and Ohio Railroad was being built, Lewis A. Ragsdale bought most of McLemore's land. This included the lot at 25th Avenue and 7th Street.
In 1867, Mr. Ragsdale gave this land to members of the First Presbyterian Church of Meridian. They built a small wooden church there for their services. Sadly, a fire on January 24, 1883, completely destroyed the building. But the church members rebuilt it in the same spot, this time using brick. On September 25, 1911, the church sold the building to the city of Meridian.
Becoming a Carnegie Library
A man named Israel Marks knew Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie was a famous rich person from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He gave money to build many libraries across the country. In 1904, people in Meridian asked Marks to talk to Carnegie about funding a library for their city.
Marks convinced Carnegie to give $38,000 to Meridian. This money was used to build two Carnegie libraries. One was for white citizens, and the other was for African-Americans. The city used some of the money to fix up the old church building. This building, at 25th Avenue and 7th Street, became one of the libraries. The other library for African-Americans was built at 13th Street and 28th Avenue. The land for this second library was given by a local Methodist church.
These two libraries served the city until 1967. At that time, the libraries combined their collections. They moved all their books and materials to a new, bigger Meridian Public Library. The 13th Street library is also a historic building. It is known as the Carnegie Branch Library.
The Museum's Beginning
One of the first art groups in Meridian was The Meridian Art League. It started in February 1933. From 1933 to 1949, they held art exhibitions at the Lamar Hotel in downtown Meridian. In 1949, the group changed its name to Meridian Art Association. They started holding exhibits on the second floor of the Marks-Rothenberg Department Store.
For the next 20 years, art shows were held in many different places around the city. These included the Meridian Public Library, the Strand Theatre, Alex Loeb Department Store, and even Sears.
After the Carnegie library at 25th Avenue and 7th Street closed, the Meridian Art Association had an idea. They talked with the city about turning the empty building into an art museum. This would give them a permanent place to show art. In December 1968, the Meridian Art Association raised $10,000 to start the museum. After a lot of hard work, the grand opening was planned for January 1970. However, a fire on December 22, 1969, delayed the opening. Parts of the building had to be rebuilt first.
The Museum Today
The building finally opened as the Meridian Museum of Art in late 1970. Since then, it has been the main public museum in the region. It features different art shows that change regularly. It also has many educational programs for both students and adults.
The museum offers more free programs than any other museum in the state. It holds over 30 exhibitions every year. These shows include many types of art. You can see traditional decorative arts, art from different cultures, photography, crafts, and sculptures. The museum's own collection includes portraits from the 1700s and 1800s, and photos from the 1900s.
Besides the exhibits, the museum offers special classes and programs. These programs encourage people from Meridian Community College to visit. They also welcome students from city and county schools in Lauderdale County and the surrounding areas.
The museum mainly serves people from Meridian and Lauderdale County. It also welcomes visitors from nearby counties like Kemper, Neshoba, Newton, Jasper, and Clarke in Mississippi. People from Sumter and Choctaw in Alabama also visit.
