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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. |
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1958 |
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The Junior
Service League of Longview
initiated and promoted
development of an art museum. |
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1959 |
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The First
Annual Invitational was held in
April, and the Junior Service
League began its collection with
the first purchase award. |
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1959-71 |
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The
collection the League acquired
through the annual invitational
was housed in the Nicholson
Memorial Library. |
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1970 |
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The Museum
was issued a charter from the
State of Texas. |
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1971 |
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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. |
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1971 |
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The Museum
hired its first full-time
Director. |
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1971 |
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The Longview
Museum Guild was formed. |
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1973 |
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The Museum
moved to the Perkins building on
the corner of Green and Tyler
Street. |
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1974 |
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The
"Day at the Museum"
program started, with local
schools bringing students to
visit the museum for a day. |
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1976 |
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The Museum
purchased and moved to the
Northcutt Furniture Building at
102 W. College. |
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1997 |
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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. |
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1999 |
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The Museum
purchased the Fisher -Sessums
building next door to the Museum
to increase classroom space. |
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2005 |
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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. |
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2008 |
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Longview
Museum of Fine Arts celebrates
its 50th Anniversary. |
About
Wrather Gallery
Board of
Trustees
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