Allentown Art Museum

Allentown Art Museum of the Lehigh Valley is a regional art museum located in Center City, Allentown. The museum features exhibitions and collections of American and European modern and contemporary artists such as Auguste Rodin, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Wassily Kandinsky.

The mission of the Allentown Art Museum is to support and promote community interest in visual arts through:

• Collecting and exhibiting works by historical and contemporary artists;

• Educating the public about the visual arts;

• Providing access to visual resources through both traditional mediums (i.e., painting) and new media (i.e., video, computer technology).

The Allentown Art Museum is an independent institution that was established in 1932. The American Alliance of Museums has accredited it since 1985. The museum’s collection comprises more than 3,000 objects, including paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints.

Allentown Art Museum began as the “Art League” in 1931. Its founders were Mary Schenley Kaul, Mrs. Lester W. Kauffman, and Mrs. C Etta Wharton Shockey. They were originally three local art teachers who hoped to improve their ability to provide art education for children living in the Lehigh Valley by creating a school-museum facility where training and exhibits would take place under one roof.

The three initial founders found a large building called The Allen Home for Funerals which took up an entire city block at the corner of Seventh and Turner streets, Allentown. This building included fourteen galleries to display artworks. Upon its opening on November 16, 1932, the Art League School-Museum became only the second museum in Pennsylvania owned by a woman’s club. The first was the Phillips Memorial Museum, also located in Allentown. It was established seven years before as part of the Lehigh County Historical Society.


 

Business Information: 
Werley Heating & Air Conditioning
1820 W Fairview St., Allentown, PA 18104, United States
(610) 821-8414