Montgomery Art Galleries

(Montgomery, Alabama - AL, USA)

The city's rich visual arts scene is overseen by the 'Alabama State Council on the Arts' and Montgomery manages to boast both a renowned art museum and a number of popular retail galleries.

Suiting art lovers visiting the city, the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts resides on the eastern side of the city, being found just off Woodmere Boulevard and most easily reached by taking Interstate I-85 (exit 6). This gallery enjoys an especially tranquil and scenic setting, since it is located within the Wynton M. Blount Cultural Park.

One of the most interesting and unusual artists ever to emerge from Alabama's capital city was Bill Traylor (1854 to 1949), a former slave and self-taught artist. Traylor moved here at the ripe old age of 85 years and began sitting on the sidewalk, where he sketched more than 1,000 images of both passing people and scenes from his past. His simplistic modernist drawings tend to feature bold flat colors and now hold pride of place in art museums in Atlanta and New York, and right here in his beloved Montgomery.

Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA)

Address: 1 Museum Drive, Montgomery, Alabama (AL), 36117, USA
Tel: +1 334 240 4333
Visitors to the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts will be able to admire extensive permanent collections of art works, which include quality American paintings and sculptures from the 19th century onwards, ceramics and glassware. In particular, the paintings comprising the Blount Collection of American Art are very noteworthy. This institution was established in 1930, which makes it the most historic fine arts museum in the whole of Alabama. The gallery currently occupies a purpose-built building, which opened in the late 1980s and has since been extended.
Open hours: Tuesday and Wednesday, Friday and Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Thursday - 10:00 to 21:00, Sunday - 12:00 to 17:00
Admission: free

Society of Arts and Crafts Gallery

Address: 529 South Perry Street, Montgomery, Alabama (AL), 36104, USA
Tel: +1 334 265 9931
Run as a cooperative not-for-profit organization for local artists, the Society of Arts and Crafts Gallery enjoys a fairly central location just off the High Street. The society formed at the end of the 1970s and continues to provide a valuable exhibition space where members can display and sell their paintings, sculptures and other artistic creations, such as photographs, stained-glass pictures, jewelry, pottery and textiles.
Open hours: Tuesday and Thursday - 12:00 to 17:00, also by appointment
Admission: free

Stonehenge Fine Art Gallery

Address: 1041 East Fairview Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama (AL), 36106, USA
Tel: +1 334 262 8256
Standing on the southern side of Montgomery, the Stonehenge Fine Art Gallery is to be found within the city's Garden District and features an interesting mixture of art works, created by artists from both the state capital itself and throughout Alabama. Of note, there are a number of popular attractions and sights worth seeing within close proximity to the gallery, such as the Capri Community Film Society, the Charles Lee Sports Field (part of Huntingdon College), the Cloverdale Playhouse and the Cloverdale Road Park, as well as numerous restaurants and bars.
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 11:00 to 17:00, Saturday - by appointment
Admission: free

Gallery One Fine Art

Address: 423 Cloverdale Road, Montgomery, Alabama (AL), 36106, USA
Tel: +1 334 269 1114
The Gallery One Fine Art offers a useful place to buy paintings and other art works in the Old Cloverdale area of the city center. Sited between Clanton Avenue and the busy thoroughfare that is South Decatur Street, this retail outlet is overflowing with paintings by local artists and is run as a cooperative with up to 35 different artists. There is certainly something here for all budgets, large and small. Exhibitions are changed on a regular basis, often being accompanied by an opening reception. These events usually take place on the second Monday of each month, between the hours of 17:30 and 19:00 in the evening.
Open hours: Tuesday to Friday - 10:00 to 16:00, Saturday - 10:00 to 13:00
Admission: free

Marcia Weber Art Objects

Address: 1050 Woodley Road, Montgomery, Alabama (AL), 36106, USA
Tel: +1 334 262 5349
Marcia Weber Art Objects is an interesting gallery located just down the road from the Huntingdon College. Founded at the beginning of the 1990s, this commercial space has chosen to specialise in unusual one-off art works, which are often paintings created by artists with little or no formal training in their field. Contemporary folk art is a big seller here, with pieces regularly on display and for sale. Visitors are always welcome, although you will need to phone ahead first to book a convenient time.
Open hours: by appointment
Admission: free