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In 2008, We Celebrated Our 50th Year!

MISSION STATEMENT

The Longview Museum of Fine Arts is a non-profit  organization which seeks to create interest in, and promote knowledge of, the visual arts throughout the City of Longview  and vicinity by exhibiting, interpreting and preserving works of art and providing educational opportunities to a diverse audience.

LMFA Gallery

The Longview Museum of Fine Arts was begun by the Junior Service League of Longview in 1958, and held its first yearly Invitational Exhibit in 1959. Jerry Bywaters, Director of the Dallas Museum of Art, acted as consultant to the League and juror for that event. The staff of Nicholson Memorial Library sustained the Museum. In 1970, a Museum charter was issued by the State of Texas and the League's collection was place on permanent loan. The Museum has been located in five different locations since 1958. The present location on Tyler Street was renovated in 1997. The inaugural exhibit was held on January 17, 1998, with an opening and workshop by world renowned photographers, Ruth Bernhard & Michael Kenna. In 2005, Ann Lowman donated property at the corner of Tyler and Fredonia Streets to begin a Sculpture Garden, with a piece donated by Steel & Pipe Co., Inc. Charlotte & John Wrather also donated their property toward this space.

Today the Museum displays its permanent collection in the Wrather Gallery, the main gallery inside the front doors. The Premier I and II Galleries adjoining host traveling exhibits six times per year, with private members' receptions the weekend before opening to the public. The Judge J.T. Smith Sculpture Garden rotates exhibits annually.

LMFA has a permanent collection of over 300 paintings, etchings, woodcuts, photographs, works on paper, lithographs, serigraphs, collages and pieces of sculpture that are rotated from the vault on a regular basis. It is our privilege, and honor, to share these works with the community, making Longview a better place to live and visit.

HISTORY:
1958 -

The Junior Service League of Longview initiated and promoted development of an art museum.

1959 -

The First Annual Invitational was held in April, and the Junior Service League began its collection with the first purchase award.

1959-71 -

The collection the League acquired through the annual invitational was housed in the Nicholson Memorial Library.

1970 - The Museum was issued a charter from the State of Texas.
1971 -

The inaugural Exhibition opened in the McWilliams Annex, made available by Mr. Robert Cargill, at this time the League's collection was put on permanent loan to the Museum.

1971 - The Museum hired its first full-time Director.
1971 - The Longview Museum Guild was formed.
1973 -

The Museum moved to the Perkins building on the corner of Green and Tyler Street.

1974 - The "Day at the Museum" program started, with local schools bringing students to visit the museum for a day.
1976 - The Museum purchased and moved to the Northcutt Furniture Building at 102 W. College.
1997 - The Museum purchased the present building on Tyler Street with funding from the Junior League, Neiman Marcus, Mr and Mrs. John Wrather, and many other contributors.
1999 - The Museum purchased the Fisher -Sessums building next door to the Museum to increase classroom space.
2005 - Ann Lowman donated a lot at 137 E. Tyler Street for the purpose of placing sculpture as an extension of LMFA. The plot will be called the J.T. Smith Sculpture Garden, after her ancestor who was a Gregg County Judge.
2008 - Longview Museum of Fine Arts celebrates its 50th Anniversary.

About Wrather Gallery

Board of Trustees

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