If you look at the underside of Walter Anderson’s boat, you can almost imagine the kilometers of water that the artist once crossed on his many trips to Horn Island. From this fish-like perspective, you’ll take on the perspective of some of the artist’s favorite subjects. Known for his unique depictions of flora and fauna, looking at the works of Walter Anderson can induce the viewer to see the world a little differently.
While the art museums are recovering from 2020, seven art institutions across the state are inviting visitors from Germany and abroad to experience changing perspectives free of charge in August.
Visitors can use the Lauren Rogers Art Museum, The Mathews Sanders Sculpture Garden, Mississippi arts and entertainment experience, Mississippi Art Museum, Museum of the Mississippi Delta, Ohr O’Keefe Art Museum and Walter Anderson Art Museum all for free in August as part of Mississippi Art Museum Month.
Go to visitmississippi.org/artmuseums Get access to all seven institutions. With your free pass, you can visit a museum or experience all seven.
For travelers who want to do it all, here is an example trail with stops at all seven participating facilities:
Start here: Start with a visit to the Walter Anderson Art Museum in Ocean Springs. The museum has a large collection of drawings, paintings and prints by the famous artist, as well as the “Little Room”, which was painted from floor to ceiling by Walter Anderson.
Stop 2: Make the short drive west to Biloxi to see the Ohr O’Keefe Art Museum, which houses ceramics from George Ohr, the “Mad Potter of Biloxi”. The museum campus includes unique buildings designed by architect Frank Gehry and the Pleasant Reed House, a replica of the house built by an emancipated African American in the 1880s and 1890s. The original home was lost in Hurricane Katrina.
Stop 3: After visiting the two coastal museums, head north to Laurel, home of the Lauren Rogers Art Museum and the scene of the HGTV show Home Town.
Mississippi’s first art museum, the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, houses a large collection of Native American baskets, 19th and 20th century paintings, British Georgian silver, and Japanese prints. The museum also hosts exhibitions of contemporary art. Pick up a brochure there for a walking tour of the Laurel Historic District, where you may see some of the houses that have been shown on television.
Stop 4: About an hour’s drive from Laurel, Mississippi arts and entertainment experience, known as “The MAX,” in Meridian, is an interactive, modern museum dedicated to Mississippi’s enduring creative legacy. With digital and hands-on experiences, visitors take a self-directed journey through Mississippi’s creative roots and culture.
Stop 5: Head east towards Jackson to get to the Mississippi Art Museum, the largest art museum in the country. In addition to its sizeable permanent art collection, the museum also has 1.2 acres of green space known as The Art Garden, which includes a splash pad. The museum is currently showing the Mississippi Invitational with the works of 42 Mississippi artists.
Stop 6: Dare to go north to visit the Museum of the Mississippi Delta in Greenwood, where you will learn all about the history of this unique region, its landscape, its agricultural roots and its cultural heritage. The museum is home to a large collection of Native American artifacts, fossils from prehistoric times, local military artifacts, and one of the most extensive collections of regional art in the Delta.
final destination: Take the short drive to Cleveland to see the Mathews Sanders Sculpture Garden on the Delta State University campus. Dozens of sculptures are on display outside the Bologna Performing Arts Center, and others can be seen on the Delta State campus, the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi, and downtown Cleveland.
Whichever way you choose to experience Mississippi’s arts institutions, the art of travel is at your fingertips this August.
Get your free entry here. Campaign partners include the Mississippi Arts Commission and Visit Mississippi.
* Note: Efforts are being made to contain COVID-19 at participating facilities.
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