Swope Art Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1942 |
|---|---|
| Location | Terre Haute, Indiana |
| Type | Art museum |
| Collection size | More than 2,000 works |
The Sheldon Swope Art Museum is an exciting art museum in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States. It was started thanks to a generous gift from Michael Sheldon Swope (1843–1929). He was a veteran of the American Civil War and a jeweler who lived most of his life in Terre Haute.
Planning for the museum began on September 26, 1939. The museum officially opened its doors to the public on March 21, 1942. The museum's goal is to collect, keep safe, and celebrate amazing American art. It offers programs and shows to interest, excite, and teach everyone who visits. The museum helps make the culture of the Greater Wabash Valley stronger and helps the area's economy.
Besides showing many important artworks, the Swope Art Museum also offers art classes for young people. It hosts talks by artists and special art shows. Every May, the museum holds an annual art exhibition for students, a tradition that started in 1967. The best part is, it's free to visit!
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What Art Can You See at the Swope Museum?
The museum's first collection was put together by its first director, John Rogers Cox. It mainly focused on a style called American Regionalism. This style shows everyday life in different parts of America. You can see works by famous artists like Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton, Edward Hopper, Charles Burchfield, and Zoltan Sepeshy.
Modern and Contemporary Art
Over time, the museum has added art from the second half of the 1900s and the early 2000s. This includes pieces by well-known artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Alexander Calder, Robert Motherwell, Robert Indiana, and Eva Hesse.
Indiana Artists and the Hoosier Group
One special gallery at the museum is dedicated to the Hoosier Group and other artists from Indiana. The Hoosier Group was a collection of Indiana painters known for their landscapes.
Local Terre Haute Artists
The Swope collection also features art by talented artists from Terre Haute. These include Ray H. French, James Farrington Gookins, Janet Scudder, Amalia Küssner Coudert, Caroline Peddle Ball, Gilbert Wilson, and Leroy Lamis. The museum also often shows work from local artists like Sister Edith Pfau and John Laska in its temporary exhibitions.
Why is the Swope Art Museum Important?
The Swope Art Museum is recognized as a great place to experience art. In November 2010, the newspaper USA Today named the Swope one of the top ten places to see art in smaller cities. This shows how special and important the museum is, even though it's not in a huge city.
