Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, AL

Mobile, Alabama is home to the Mobile Museum of Art. It is encased in a half round structure with glass, brick, and steel. The building is a work of art just like the collections found inside. The building had to be expanded in 2002 due to the ever growing museum collections. It is located in Langan Park and is considered the largest museum along the Gulf Coast from New Orleans to Tampa. The facility is now 95,000 square feet with over 8,000 works of art in the permanent collection. Much of the art will encase two centuries of art work and culture.

Museum hours of operation are Monday through Saturday 10am to 5pm, and Sunday 1pm to 5pm. Individual pricing is $10 for adults and $6 for students. Group prices are $8 for adults. All groups are welcome with advanced notice, including school groups for a special rate. For those who desire education about the collections or art there are classes that are offered. There are also tours one can join at certain times.

As with any museum, the Mobile Museum of Art has permanent and non permanent collections. A few of the non permanent exhibits include Successions and Judith Schaechter. However, the Schaechter collection is leaving soon. It was mostly about glass light boxes and drawings created by Schaechter regarding the boxes. Successions is still on display and will leave in April 2010. This exhibit is 62 works of art. Etchings, monoprint, lithography, linocut, and silkscreen pieces are part of the collection. Artists such as Elizabeth Catlett, David Driskell, and Sam Gilliam works are part of the collection.

The permanent exhibits are just as diverse as visiting exhibitions. The first gallery is the African and Asian section. This collection offers David and Inger Duberman's collection of Chinese Cloisone with many works from Africa, Japan, China, Thailand, and Turkey. The Altmayer Gallery offers a number of American artists' works. Katharine C. Cochrane Gallery of American Fine Art offers paintings, sculptures, and furniture dating from the 19th century to contemporary art. A number of pieces are on display in this gallery that show how America has evolved.

The Maisel European Gallery is another collection of paintings, prints, sculpture, and other art works. As a permanent collection one can view the furniture and paintings at any time when visiting Mobile. The Riddick Glass Gallery is a bit different from the other galleries discussed thus far. In this gallery pieces of glass work including vases are displayed, all with a contemporary appearance. The Smith Crafts Gallery encases works from the 19th and 20th centuries. All of the works are ceramic, glass, silver and wood. Each piece is displayed in a glass case to protect it against dust and aging. The Ann B. Hearin Gallery is another contemporary setting with imaginative sculptures. As the non permanent exhibits do change, one should check with the museum about upcoming offerings. There is usually a new exhibit each year that will fit in the cultural diversity the museum has been built on.