Gibbes Museum
MARCH 20, 2012 — Our speaker of the day was Angela Mack, Executive Director and Curator of the Gibbs Museum of Art since 2008. She has an undergraduate degree in art from Vanderbilt University and has done graduate work at the University of Virginia, Tulane, and NYU. She is an author, a lecturer and an expert in museum management.
The Gibbs Museum was completed in 1905, the result of a $100,000 gift to the city to create it. The period from 1880 to 1930 was the age of building museums across the country, including our own Gibbs Museum, which due in part to its longevity has a collection of over 100,000 paintings and art objects.
Angela proudly told us that even with the recession of the past three years, the museum has been in the black. It annually hosts 47,000 visitors, 27,000 of whom are from out of town, presents 54 exhibitions, teaches 10,000 kids, 200 teachers and has 8 interns.
The museum is currently preparing architectural plans for a major addition to the building that will provide more exhibit space and improved storage for the collection. It will appropriately take the museum into the 21st Century with its design and vision.
In answer to the question, “why spend money on art”, she noted that art over the years has provided insight into the lives and cultures of the past, including the place of industry, social changes and wars. Although only 1% of the collection can be seen at any one time, Angela showed us a wonderful cross section of paintings that are at the Gibbs. Charleston is fortunate to both have this wonderful museum and the skills and dedication of Angela Mack.
Reported by Fred Sales, Keyway Committee