Origins

In 1930, art found a home in Montgomery, Alabama. Established under the name The Alabama Society of Fine Arts, the Museum leased its first home from the City of Montgomery for “$1.00 per year,” and its first acquisition was an “old shoe.” Since that time, the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts has evolved into a showcase for the visual arts and art education in central Alabama. In celebration of the Museum’s twenty-fifth anniversary in the Blount Cultural Park, we will exhibit some highlights of the first twenty-five years of the museum’s acquisitions, including “the old shoe.” A large number of early acquisitions were works by local and regional artists—which was appropriate as artists such as J. Kelly Fitzpatrick and his students were the earliest participants in and beneficiaries of the MMFA programs. From its earliest days, the Museum has played a central role in the nurturing of appreciation for fine art in the community.