History
The Canton Museum of Art traces its roots to the Little Civic Art Gallery founded in the Canton Public Library in 1935. A year later, the organization became known as the Canton Art Institute and an active program of exhibits and educational programs flourished throughout the late 1930s. In 1941, a Richardsonian building known as the Case Mansion was donated and renovated to become the home of the Institute. During the next thirty years, CAI became a focal point for the arts in Canton, supporting affiliate organizations such as Canton Fine Arts Associates. It provided a home for the offices of the Canton Symphony, and facilities for the Madrigal Singers, Canton Chamber Music Society and the Players’ Guild.
All the arts in Canton were centralized when the Cultural Center for the Arts was established in 1970. The Institute began a program of expanded exhibits and art classes. Educational initiatives, such as the Humanities program with the Canton City Schools, were begun and new affiliate organizations, including the Museum Guild, the Players’ Guild Theatre, and the Potter's Guild were founded.
During the 1980s, the Board of Trustees and CMA Staff began to clarify the goals and direction of the Museum. In 1989, a unique focus for the Permanent Collection:
- 19th and 20th Century American works on paper and
- American ceramics, 1950s and forward,
was approved by the CMC and Board of Trustees.
1980s CAI shows including a Goya exhibit, two successful exhibitions of Ohio’s quilts and a commemoration of the Statue of Liberty’s centennial. In the 1990s, the museum presented a broad variety of exhibits, including innovative projects such as Ubu Roi and The Power of If involving students, teachers and area artists. A CMA original exhibit, "Ultra-Realistic Sculpture by Mark Sijan," presented here in 1992, went on an extended national tour. The museum's educational efforts included Outreach programs and Art Experience Days.
CMA celebrated its 60th Anniversary in 1995 and assumed a new identity as The Canton Museum of Art. In 1997-98, the Museum presented "Norman Rockwell’s America," the most successful exhibit in the Museum’s history and hosted a touring exhibition from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, "The Nazi Olympics—Berlin 1936." In 2004, the Museum presented the prestigious "Andrew Wyeth: The Helga Pictures" exhibit to over 12,000 patrons in six weeks.
Read more about this topic: Canton Museum Of Art (Ohio)
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