“Knowledge Through Beauty”

Located in the culturally rich community of Atlanta, Georgia, the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art distinguishes itself from other area institutions in significant ways.

Devoted to the principle of creating and sponsoring its own exhibits rather than following the custom of engaging traveling shows, our Museum has presented many of the most original and highly acclaimed exhibitions in the city. A dedicated effort has been made to feature those works of art which are historical and representational in form, national and international in origin, and mythological and spiritual in content. The result has been a wealth of originally curated exhibitions ranging from “The Mystical Arts of Tibet Featuring Personal Sacred Objects of the Dalai Lama,” to “The Spirit and the Flesh,” which brought together for the first time the masterful works of contemporary American realist painters D. Jeffrey Mims, Richard Maury, Ben Long and Nelson Shanks.

Responding to its educational—as well as its social—role, our Museum presents lectures by experts, often artists-in-residence at the university. In addition to these lectures, the Museum, in recognition of the continuity and kinship among all the arts, sponsors throughout the year ongoing concerts, poetry readings, as well as general lectures on culture and the arts.

The educational emphasis of our program is enhanced by the Museum's location on the campus of Oglethorpe University. However, the Museum exists in and for the community, and indeed for all those persons beyond the confines of the city who wish to participate. To ensure accessibility to all citizens and to demonstrate the Museum's commitment to a non-elitist orientation, the public is invited to attend all shows free of charge. Voluntary contributions are always welcomed. There are also memberships in the Museum which may be purchased by those individuals desiring to contribute additional support. These memberships allow subscribers opportunities to participate even more fully in the Museum's myriad activities.

For all of its visitors, the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art aspires to provide a cultural center to gratify those deeply human longings which only the arts can satisfy. In this direct and personal way the Museum and its guests can engage in a continuing dialogue which delights the senses, gladdens the heart, and nourishes the mind. In a world where such refreshment is in short supply, our Museum may become, for those who seek it, a true oasis of the spirit.