Self-portrait by Walter Inglis Anderson. (Press-Register file photo)OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi — Walter Anderson Museum of Art will break ground on its long-anticipated expansion project at 9:30 a.m. July 6. U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran and city, county and state officials will attend the free public event that is sponsored by BancorpSouth.
Cochran was the driving force behind the expansion project, obtaining $700,000 approved in 2010 from HUD through Jackson County. The expansion will include a new entry pavilion, a larger museum store/gift shop and two new galleries, according to a museum news release.
“WAMA has invited (Sen. Cochran) as well as other officials and the general public to help us honor him and thank him for his wonderful efforts for the museum and the Gulf Coast,” says board president Morris Strickland.
Others present for the occasion include: John Oropesa of Orocon Construction, contractor for the project; Dennis Cowart of Ocean Springs, lead architect; and Sallye Killebrew of the Mississippi Arts Commission.
After the groundbreaking ceremony, the celebration will continue with refreshments inside the Ocean Springs Community Center, the release states. The National Treasure-designated Walter Anderson murals recently were restored with grants and are valued at more than $30 million.
To celebrate the occasion, the museum will offer free admission until 4:30 p.m.
The museum is dedicated to the art and legacy of Walter Inglis Anderson (1903-65) and his brothers Peter Anderson (1901-84), master potter and founder of Shearwater Pottery, and James McConnell Anderson (1907-98), painter and ceramist.
The brothers were inspired by their mother, artist Annette McConnell Anderson, a graduate of Newcomb College, whose work is also featured in the exhibit. It was Mrs. Anderson’s vision to purchase the land that would eventually house Shearwater Pottery and create an artists colony on the Gulf Coast.
The Walter Anderson Museum of Art expansion will include a new-look entrance and a larger museum store, among other features. (Illustration courtesy of the Walter Anderson Museum of Art)The concept of a museum began in 1974 with the creation of Friends of Walter Anderson. Meetings with architects started in 1987; the building was designed by Jim Eley and Ed Pickard, husband of the artist’s daughter, Mary Anderson Pickard. Construction began in 1990 and the museum was dedicated on May 4, 1991.
Walter Anderson Museum of Art is the only Gulf Coast museum fully accredited by the American Association of Museums, and one of five in Mississippi. WAMA opened its doors in May 1991 and now serves a regional and national audience of more than 29,000 visitors annually.
The museum houses more than 1,000 artworks from the Anderson family of artists and would like to exhibit more art that is currently in storage. The new enclosed courtyard galleries will allow additional works to be shared with the public.
“In general, space is at a premium and is one of the most pressing issues that the expansion of the facility addresses,” says executive director Linda Bloom.
In 2002 the museum received a planning grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission that allowed for a campus development scheme.
Additional funds were received in 2007 to acquire adjacent property needed for expansion. A capital campaign is planned to support facilities operations and maintenance. Details will be released soon.
Information, call 228-872-3164 or go to www.walterandersonmuseum.org.