Meridian Museum of Art: Continues mission to promote art, artists of East Mississippi and West Alabama

Part of Profile 2016

Throughout its 45-year history, Meridian Museum of Art has remained true to its mission to promote and support the art and artists of East Mississippi and West Alabama.

“We have accomplished this by consistently featuring high-quality exhibitions, educational programs for youths and adults, and through special events,” MMA Executive Director Kate Cherry said.

In 2015, the museum set two goals. The first:

— To provide exhibitions of high-quality artwork with a focus on regional art and artists.

— To promote the visual arts, to encourage and reward regional art and artists.

— To show art from a wide range of media, styles, and artistic and cultural backgrounds.

According to Cherry, these goals were executed through MMA’s three annual exhibits:

— Membership Exhibit – Gives museum members the chance to show off their artistic talents.

— The People’s Choice – Held each summer, the exhibit is opened to the public to showcase their works. Ballots select favorites and a final reception is held to announce the Best of Show and other awards.

— Bi-State Art Competition – First held in 1974, the Bi-State Competition is recognized as the oldest juried competition in the region and still remains as the cornerstone of exhibition programs. The competition features the finest artists in Mississippi and Alabama.

Invitational exhibits were also instrumental to achieving the museum’s first goal in 2015. They included exhibits by Michael Swann, Best of Show winner of the 40th Annual Bi-State Art Competition, Anne O’Hara – 41st Annual Bi-State Award Winner and the exhibit “A Family Affair” for the Nawrocki Family.

Cherry said a second goal for MMA in 2015 was to support and promote the visual arts through educational programs and services designed to increase knowledge, awareness and interest in the creative visual arts.

Annual events, workshops and classes included:

—  Art for Hearts Valentine, Halloween and Merry Museum youth workshops.

—  Threefoot Festival and Exhibit

— Local schools and Museum School of Art exhibits

— Museum School of Art summer, fall and spring sessions

— Summer classes held in the mediums of drawing, painting, pottery, cartooning, art book, clay sculpture, jewelry making, origami, papier mache, sculpture, mask making, mixed media and printmaking

History

Meridian Museum of Art’s beginnings can be said to go back to 1933, when the Meridian Art League was founded.  

The League had its first exhibition at the Meridian Civic Center in February 1933. In 1949, the League changed its name to the Meridian Art Association and held its first exhibit on the second floor of the Marks Rothenberg Company, which is now the MSU Riley Center.  

Through the years, exhibitions were held in banks, stores, shopping centers, theaters, the public library, and in the city’s historic restaurant, Weidmann’s. The association established the Meridian Painters Group in 1956, and that same year began planning for a permanent building.   

In January 1968, the Association began discussing plans of renovating the Carnegie Library into a permanent home for their organization. In December 1968, the first director was hired for the newly planned museum. With seed money from the association’s membership and bond money from the city of Meridian, the newly renovated building was officially to be opened in January 1970. However, a devastating fire on Dec. 23, 1969, did severe damage to the facility and forced postponement of the opening. After holding exhibits temporarily at the First National Bank and the Buckingham Building, the official opening was held Oct. 16, 1970.  

In 1971, the main gallery upstairs was dedicated to Henry Weidmann, who so generously allowed the association to exhibit in the 1870 Room at the restaurant. The East Gallery was renamed the Burdette Gallery, honoring Anna Burdette for her longtime support of the arts and the museum. In 2006, the north gallery was named the Marty and Linda Davidson Gallery, for their generous donation to an Endowment Fund with The Community Foundation of East Mississippi. The fund’s yearly proceeds are placed in the operating budget to help continue programs.

The building was built in 1912-13 in the Italianate style and served the community as one of its libraries. The builder/architect is unknown; however, the building architect was a friend of Andrew Carnegie, who financed the construction of the building. It was designated a Mississippi Landmark in 1965 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Looking ahead

Art education is a major focus, with adult and youth classes held at the museum, Cherry said. In June and July, classes are held for 4- to 17-year-olds in various art mediums.  

In 2016, classes in drawing, painting, pottery, cartooning, art book, clay sculpture, jewelry making, origami, paper mache sculpture and mask making, mixed media and printmaking techniques will be offered. An exhibit of selected works from the classes concludes the summer program.  

An after-school program is available Thursday afternoons – from September-November and from February-April – for K-12th grades.

Adult members may join the Artist Group, which meets monthly, usually the third Saturday at 9 a.m.  

“This group conducts lectures, demonstrations, goes on field trips and has studio sessions,” Cherry said.

A weekly group meets Thursday evenings for fellowship and to paint or draw.

Meridian Museum of Art also has planned what Cherry describes as “excitingly diverse exhibits, featuring the finest artists in the Southeast, mainly Mississippi and Alabama, in solo and group shoes, invitational exhibits and two competitions.”

Invitational exhibits for the year include Art Around Mississippi featuring Diane Williams, Neil Hatten and Randall Andrews an exhibit by Daniel Piersol, 42nd Annual Bi-State Award Winner.

The museum’s Permanent Collection, which is rotated throughout the year, contains more than 500 works of arts, including paintings, sculptures, etchings, silk-screens, block prints, drawings, mixed media, photographs and pottery.

Special events are held during the year to help raise funds for projects and activities. Community favorites have been ARTinis at the Museum and ART for Meridian. The museum is also available for wedding receptions, parties and meetings rentals.  

Meridian Museum of Art’s gallery hours are Wednesday-Saturday, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; the museum is also available by appointment. For more information, call 601-693-1501; email, meridianmuseum@bellsouth.net; or view the website www.meridianmuseum.org.

— Meridian Museum of Art is supported through memberships and donations and by granting agencies – the Mississippi Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts, The Phil Hardin Foundation, The Riley Foundation and the Community Foundation of East Mississippi – and receives support from the city of Meridian through a subsidy and use of the building.  Rea, Shaw, Giffin and Stuart CPA firm has donated accounting services since the museum’s inception.