Grants Pass Museum of Art

Exhibits in 2023 included: Open Close6 x 6Faux Fun 17-Jan 18-FebKaren O'Brien 24-Feb 31-MarBest of the Best 6-Apr 27-AprAnne Brooke 2-May 26-MayGabriel Lipper 1-Jun 28-JulSandra Poteet 1-Aug 22-SepReid and Niblack 28-Sep 10-NovMembership Exhibit 17-Nov 21-DecThe Faux Fun part of the exhibit included donated art created as spoofs of classic art.Karen O'Brien is a local Grants Pass artist. Best of the Best exhibit includes ten pieces of art from all of the high schools in Josephine and Jackson Counties. We have this exhibit every third year. Anne Brooke is a Jacksonville watercolor artist.Gabriel Lipper is an Ashland artist.Sandra Poteet is a fiber artist from California. All of her work was in black and white.Ann Reid and Natalie Niblack are from Washington State. Their exhibit was a statement about climate change. The Membership Exhibit is an annual event where museum members can display the art they create. In 2023 we had over 198 pieces of art displayed by 115 artists.The main functions of a museum are to collect, protect, exhibit, and educate. One additional element has been added recently, and that is to entertain. For most of the exhibits, we were able to host the actual artist for a First Friday event. People enjoy meeting the artists and it generally will draw a larger group of attendees. For the Reid and Niblack exhibit, we also had a professor discuss the effects of climate change in Southern Oregon. He is a regular presenter for JPR and was highly appreciated. The American Alliance of Museums states the importance of educating our youth - since they are the ones who will be dealing with the climate consequences in the future. Revenues generated from sales of artwork and fees charged for submission of and to hang exhibits.In addition to having 6-8 exhibits each year, we also include concerts, art films, workshops, and classes as part of our programing. Each of these elements brings people to the museum who might not visit just to see the exhibits.

The museum's retail operations offer for sale artwork which contribute importantly to the achievement of the museum's exempt educational purpose by making works of art familiar to a broader segment of the public. The sale of such artwork contributes importantly to the achievement to the museum's exempt purpose by stimulating and enhancing public awareness, interest and appreciation of art. Moreover, a broader segment of the public may be encouraged to visit the museum itself to share in its functions and programs as a result of seeing the items sold.