Georgia Museum of Art - Athens

Address:90 Carlton St.
Athens, Georgia
Tel: (706) 542-4662

Located on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, the Georgia Museum of Art first opened in 1948 in the basement of a library on the university campus. Today, it is home to a collection of over 8,000 paintings, sculptures, and other works of art. Showcasing regional, national, and international artists, this museum features globally traveling exhibitions, and is especially strong in early 20th-century paintings. It boasts important works by artists like Stuart Davis, Reginald Marsh, Georgia O'Keeffe, Ben Shahn, Lucy May Stanton, and Andrew Wyeth, as well as a great collection of paper works from the 16th to 20th centuries.

Even if art is not your forte, visitors to the Georgia Museum of Art can explore cool drawings and prints from the 30s and early 40s, as well as other important pieces such as 19th-century European prints, including a very rare set of L'Estampe Originale and William Blake's Book of Job. Japanese prints by such masters as Hokusai and Hiroshige, and the collection of Italian Renaissance paintings, as well as early Italian drawings, are also quite popular points. The museum offers lectures, classes, workshops, and family events for visitors, as well as specially trained volunteers who guide tours of the galleries. If you're visiting with the kids, don't miss Family Days, and be sure to catch the open classroom, which allows visitors to create the art project of the day. Stop by the museum's café for a bite to eat, and some intellectual artsy talk, and top off your day by treating yourself to a souvenir at the museum gift shop.

The Georgia Museum of Art shares the mission of the University of Georgia to support and to promote teaching, research, and service. Specifically, as a repository and educational instrument of the visual arts, the museum exists to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret significant works of art.