Westmoreland Museum
of American Art
Celebrated 50 Years
by Karen Fetter
2009 marked the 50th anniversary of the Westmoreland Museum of American Art,
located along North Main Street in Greensburg.
The Museum is nationally recognized for its collection of southwestern
Pennsylvania art. This collection has grown from one woman's desire and love of
art into a museum that is filled with exquisite authentic American pieces. The
museum began life as the Woods Marchand Foundation in 1949, at the bequest of
Mary Marchand Woods, a resident of Greensburg devoted to the arts. Mary
bequeathed her entire estate in order for the Museum facility to be built, a
process that would take a decade.
During all of 2009, the museum was filled with exhibitions and events to
celebrate this special occasion. You can learn more by visiting the website at
www.wmuseumaa.org.
"Over the last 50 years, the Westmoreland Museum of American Art has assembled a
comprehensive collection of American art and is nationally recognized for its
focus on the art of southwestern Pennsylvania," said Judy Linsz Ross, director
of marketing and visitor services for the museum, "so we wanted to kickoff our
festivities with an exhibition featuring landscape and still life paintings by
artists of the Scalp Level School. This exhibition is dedicated to the memory of
founding director Dr. Paul Chew, who started this museum without a collection
and helped it grow into what it is today."
The Museum is also targeting children and families with a program entitled
'Image Nation.' This new program is designed to help parents make visiting the
Museum a quality experience for the kids.
"We want to provide parents and grandparents with the tools that will make
visiting our Museum or any museum a great experience for their family," said
Ross.
Children can tour with 'Discover Backpacks' that are color-coded and have
material inside to engage a child as they are guided through the museum. There
are three adventures to choose from: Still Life, Portrait, and Landscape. The
goal is to make learning about art fun and exciting for both the child and the
adult.
Help celebrate this monumental year.
Participate in viewing an exhibition
or attend an event at the Museum today!
To learn more
about the Westmoreland Museum of
American Art, please visit the website at
www.wmuseumaa.org or call 724-837-1500.