History

The original impetus for the formation of the present Greenville Museum of Art was the first Women's Club Arts Festival in 1935. The enthusiastic community support of this venture inspired the festival leaders to develop an initial momentum that resulted in the formation of a permanent art facility in 1939. Rachel Maxwell Moore contacted the Federal Art Project in Raleigh, which authorized the establishment of a Federal Art Project's Gallery in Greenville.

The building on the northeast corner of Fifth and Cotanche Streets was converted into an art gallery. Miss Hilda Ogburn of Greensboro was hired as the fulltime director of the art center and her duties included scheduling art exhibitions, art classes and art appreciation lectures. Miss Alma Spargue of Mount Airy succeeded Miss Ogburn and served as director for one year.

During these early years of federal sponsorship in the arts, the entire program became an integral part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). In 1943, when Congress made a decision to terminate WPA, the federal government announced a plan for donating one of the numerous small traveling exhibits to local centers meeting certain requirements. A local group was organized under Mrs. Moore's guidance and requested a collection for Greenville. This collection of graphics was granted, as a long-term loan, and formed the nucleus of what is now GMA's collection.

With the closing of the WPA Gallery on Fifth and Cotanche Streets, space for the newly established Community Art Center was furnished by Sheppard Memorial Library with an exhibition area on the second floor and facilities for art classes in the Library's basement.

In 1943, Miss Lucy Cherry Crisp was named as the director of the Community Art Center and served in that capacity for several years until she accepted directorships of the North Carolina Art Society and the State Art Gallery in Raleigh (which subsequently became the North Carolina Museum of Art). Mrs. Moore succeeded Miss Crisp as director of the Community Art Center and served for the time that the Art Center continued to be housed in the Library. Mrs. Moore later became the first director of the Greenville Art Center in its present location. Mrs. Moore served as Director without financial compensation at her request.

On January 5, 1955, a dinner was held to inaugurate the plan to establish extensive support for the arts in eastern North Carolina. Interested people from Pitt County and six neighboring counties were invited and participated in the initial plans. Dr. Robert Lee Humber addressed the group. His enthusiasm stimulated considerable interest and a decision was made at the dinner to create, on the spot, a new, more widely representative organization with a fresh mandate. The old board of the 1943-1955 Community Art Center declared itself dissolved and turned over their resources to the newly established organization. Three weeks later, this new organization chose the name East Carolina Art Society, and proceeded to incorporate as a non-profit group. The Society appointed a committee to locate a building to be used as the Greenville Art Center since the Library needed all of its facility for library purposes.

On December 30, 1959, the Society purchased the Flanagan Home at 802 South Evans Street, which still functions as the headquarters for what is now the Greenville Museum of Art. The inaugural art exhibit opened in May 1960 and was a gala affair. This landmark exhibit was comprised of Old Master paintings loaned from various New York galleries and Mrs. Moore and Dr. Humber coordinated the effort.

Since Mrs. Moore's death in 1964, directors of the Greenville Art Center have been Mrs. Bernard Jackson (Marge), Mrs. O'Brian Edwards and Edith B. Walker.

Mary Anne Pennington was named Executive Director in August 1980 and in the following October the name was changed from the Greenville Art Center to the Greenville Museum of Art. In 1986 the name of the East Carolina Art Society was changed to History of the Greenville Museum of Art

In 1986 the Museum received accreditation by the American Association of Museums, the highest honor that can be bestowed on any museum. (Of the over 1,000 art museums in the U.S. only approximately 278 are accredited by AAM.) Mrs. Pennington served as Director until 1987 when she accepted the directorship of the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art in Laurel, Mississippi.

In 1987, the Flanagan Home was renovated, and exhibition space and Collection storage enhanced. In 1991, the Museum facilities were expanded by a 7,000-space foot addition, which substantially increased exhibition space as well as added a secure vault for its Collection. In 2000 the Museum was re-accredited by the AAM.

In 1988 Nelson Britt was named Executive Director. In 1991 the Museum facilities were expanded by a 7,000 square foot addition. Mr. Britt served as Director until 1992 when he accepted the directorship of the Beech Museum in Manhattan, Kansas. In 1992 Barbour Strickland was named Executive Director, a position he held for a record fourteen years.

Presently the Museum exists as a local attraction to the citizens of Greenville and Pitt County, although visitors from across the state visit the Museum regularly. Gallery talks and openings, tours, art classes and its numerous outreach programs generate a continued interest in the Museum. Participants and visitors range in age from young to old. Annually over 3,000 children participate in programs offered by the Museum and over 12,000 people visit the Museum.