Funded by a $100,000 trust from Charleston resident James Shoolbred Gibbes Sr., the city’s main museum opened to the public in 1905. Since then, the original Beaux Arts structure has expanded along with its permanent collection. It collects from all time periods and nations, and also focuses on work by local Lowcountry and Southern artists.
The museum’s colonial, Charleston Renaissance, and contemporary art collections are notable. Highlights from these holdings include Henrietta Johnston’s Judith Du Bose, John Wollaston’s Judith Smith, Alice Smith’s Fields Prepared for Planting and Celestial Figs, and Jonathan Green’s Corene.
Past exhibitions represent these collections and other genres. They have included an installation by Juan Logan and Susan Harbage Page, a retrospective of the painter John Baeder, African origins of American art, and Japonisme in Charleston.
Gibbes Museum of Art Information
- Public Transportation: Accessible via CARTA
- Handicapped Accessibility: Yes
- Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Closed on Mondays and national holidays.
- Admission: $9 for adults, $7 for seniors, students, and military personnel, and $5 for kids 6-12 years old; free admission for children under 6. Discounts available for groups.
- Subscription/Memberships: Memberships start at $45 (only $30 for students). Member benefits include free admission, free/reduced educational programs and special events, 10% discount in the museum store, subscription to bi-annual magazine, and tax deduction.
- Special Events: Tours, classes, lectures, and summer art camp available at the museum.
