Meridian Museum of Art facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Meridian Museum of Art

Meridian Museum of Art in 2018
Established	1970
Location	628 25th Avenue Meridian, Mississippi
Type	Art museum

The Meridian Museum of Art is an art museum located in Meridian, Mississippi. This special building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It was also named a Mississippi Landmark in 1985.

The building has had many lives! It started as a church. Then, it became a public library. Today, it is a museum where you can explore amazing art.

The Building's History: From Church to Library

The land where the museum stands was first owned by Richard McLemore. He was one of the first people to settle in the Meridian area. Later, in 1867, the land was given to the First Presbyterian Church of Meridian.

First Presbyterian Church of Meridian

The church members built a small wooden building for their services. Sadly, a fire on January 24, 1883, burned it down. But the church quickly rebuilt it using brick. On September 25, 1911, the church sold the building to the city of Meridian.

How It Became a Carnegie Library

A man named Israel Marks knew Andrew Carnegie, a famous helper of communities. In 1904, people in Meridian asked Marks to talk to Carnegie. They wanted money to build a library in their city.

Marks convinced Carnegie to give $38,000 to Meridian. This money was used to build two libraries. One was for white citizens, and the other was for African-Americans. The building that is now the museum became the library for white citizens. Another library was built for African-Americans.

These two libraries served the city until 1967. At that time, the libraries became integrated. This means everyone could use them together. Their book collections were combined. All the books moved to a new, bigger library building. The old library building then became empty.

The Meridian Museum of Art: A New Beginning

After the old library closed, the Meridian Art Association had an idea. They wanted to turn the empty building into a permanent art museum. This would give them a special place to show art.

Early Art Shows in Meridian

Before the museum, art shows happened in many different places. The Meridian Art League started in 1933. They held art shows in the Lamar Hotel. Later, they changed their name to the Meridian Art Association. They showed art in department stores and banks. They even used a movie theater and restaurants!

Opening the Art Museum

In December 1968, the Meridian Art Association raised $10,000. This money helped them start the museum. They worked very hard to get it ready. The grand opening was planned for January 1970.

However, a fire on December 22, 1969, caused a delay. Some parts of the building had to be fixed. But finally, the building opened as the Meridian Museum of Art in late 1970.

What You Can See and Do Today

The Meridian Museum of Art is a very important museum in the region. It always has new art shows. It also offers many fun and educational programs. These programs are for students and adults.

Exhibits and Collections

The museum offers more free programs than any other museum in Mississippi. It holds over 30 art shows every year! These shows feature many types of art, including:

• Traditional decorative arts
• Art from different cultures
• Photography
• Crafts
• Sculptures

The museum's own collection includes portraits from the 1700s and 1800s. It also has photographs from the 1900s.

Programs and Community Reach

Besides the art shows, the museum has special classes. They work with Meridian Community College. They also work with schools in Lauderdale County and nearby areas.

The museum mostly serves people from Meridian and Lauderdale County. It also welcomes visitors from surrounding counties in Mississippi. These include Kemper, Neshoba, Newton, Jasper, and Clarke. People from nearby counties in Alabama also visit. These are Sumter and Choctaw counties.

Images for kids

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  Postcard of the museum when it was one of Meridian's Carnegie public libraries