Merrick Art Gallery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Merrick Art Gallery
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Entrance
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | 5th Ave. and 11th St., New Brighton, Pennsylvania |
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| Area | 0.4 acres (0.16 ha) |
| Built | 1850 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 83002215 |
| Added to NRHP | August 5, 1983 |
The Merrick Art Gallery is a special art museum in western Pennsylvania. It was started by a businessman named Edward Dempster Merrick in 1880. He opened it in an old railroad station in New Brighton, Pennsylvania. This museum grew to have two connected buildings. It holds 240 pieces of art and is still open today. The best part is, it's completely free to visit! Because of its history, the gallery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. This means it's an important historical site.
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Discovering the Merrick Art Gallery
The Merrick Art Gallery is a unique place. It lets you step back in time to see art. It's not just about paintings. It also shows how museums used to be.
Who Was Edward Dempster Merrick?
Edward Dempster Merrick (1832–1911) was the person who created this amazing gallery. He moved to New Brighton from New York when he was a child. Edward had many jobs. He worked as a telegraph operator. He also helped in his father's business. Later, he joined his brothers in a foundry business. A foundry is a place where metal is melted and shaped.
In 1885, he made a smart choice. He invested in a company that made horseshoe nails. This investment helped him and his museum for the rest of his life. It allowed him to buy art and keep the gallery open.
From Train Station to Art Museum
The building that houses the gallery has an interesting past. It was built around 1850 as a railroad station. In 1880, Edward Merrick bought this one-story building. By 1885, he had changed it into a two-story art gallery. A second building was added around 1901. This expansion made room for even more art.
What Art Can You See?
The gallery is filled with beautiful paintings. Most of them are from the 18th and 19th centuries. You can see art from France, Germany, England, and America. The paintings show different styles. Some are romantic, some are realistic, and others are impressionistic.
Famous artists like Pierre-Paul Prud'hon and Gustave Courbet have art here. You can also find works by Thomas Sully and Charles Courtney Curran. The museum also has a collection from the Hudson River School. This was a group of American landscape painters. Their works include paintings by Asher Brown Durand and Thomas Moran.
More Than Just Paintings
The paintings are hung close together. This was a common way to display art in the 1800s. The gallery also has other cool exhibits. You can see displays about geology (rocks and earth) and zoology (animals). These kinds of exhibits were also popular in museums long ago.
One very special item is a piano. It was once played by the famous American songwriter Stephen Foster. He wrote songs like "Oh! Susanna." The gallery also has modern art. There's a library from the 19th century. Plus, you can see items from the New Brighton Historical Society. These items tell the story of the local area.
Edward Merrick bought many paintings for his gallery. By 1901, he had bought 200 paintings. He spent about $20,000 in total. He also painted 220 of his own pictures. However, these paintings disappeared after he passed away.
