Tucked away in Greensburg, Pennsylvania is an art museum that exists because a woman nearing the end of her life decided her city needed one.
The Westmoreland Museum of American Art opened in 1959 thanks to a gift from Mary Marchand Woods that established the Woods Marchand Foundation ten years before.
We spent a wonderful Saturday afternoon there admiring artwork but also contemplating the thought and ingenuity that went into using space to tell a story.
They have a permanent collection as well as space that rotates. There is a Chihuly installation in a random stairwell and a permanent collection them at celebrated the industrial and working class origins of Pittsburgh.
Some favorites include this piece of gorgeous stained glass from Tiffany Glass around 1905.
Pieces that celebrate the blue color workers who built Pittsburgh are incredibly moving.
Artwork on baseballs was a fun surprise that I liked. I don’t care about baseball at all but thought these pieces of art created by minor league umpire George Sosnak were pretty great.
That’s the thing about museums. if you go with an open mind, you never know what amazing new favorite thing you will find.
Next up I’ll tell you about a special exhibit that, unfortunately, has ended but that I think you might enjoy hearing about!
Sounds like a museum that I would enjoy! Thanks for your post!
Perhaps you’ll make it there!
This is so true with museums and life, “That’s the thing about museums. if you go with an open mind, you never know what amazing new favorite thing you will find.”
Words to live by!
That’s great that someone with means decided to provide her town with an art museum. I love the Tiffany glass.
I went to an art museum in Roswell, New Mexico, that was privately established. The owner did some painting of his own and had a visiting artist-in-residence program that required a piece be donated to the museum. You would not believe the incredible work in this place! I had to go twice to see it all.
That sounds amazing! We have to be the change we wish to see.