William King Museum of Art
Coordinates: 36°42′34.5″N 81°59′13.2″W / 36.709583°N 81.987000°W
 | This article relies too much on references to primary sources. (July 2010) |
William King Museum of Art, located in Abingdon, Virginia, serves the Tri-Cities/Abingdon/Bristol, Tennessee and Virginia areas. Located in an historic 1913 building that is a fully renovated former school, the William King Museum of Art features galleries showcasing art of the region and of the world, both contemporary and historic. The museum also features resident artist studios, an outdoor sculpture garden and the VanGogh Educational Outreach Program.
The William King Museum of Art is a partner of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and a member of the American Alliance of Museums, the Virginia Association of Museums, and the Southeastern Museums Conference.
The museum[]
About[]
William King Museum of Art is an ever-changing gallery and gathering space in the vibrant arts and cultural community of Abingdon, VA. Our exhibitions range from contemporary art made right here in our Appalachian region to fine art from all around the world.
WKMA is also home to the Betsy K. White Cultural Heritage Research Archive, one of the most thorough documentations of the rich decorative arts legacy of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee in existence. This research is reflected in our two cultural heritage galleries, which celebrate that legacy.
Mission[]
William King Museum of Art (WKMA) is a visual arts and cultural heritage museum serving residents of Southwest Virginia & Northeast Tennessee as well as visitors to the area. The museum’s mission is to provide arts education, exhibit fine art, and preserve the region’s cultural heritage. WKMA will maintain its historic facility and accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums.
Artist studios[]
The museum's studio artist program is open to visual artists working in all media. While taking advantage of large, well-lit studios, artists provide opportunities for school and public audiences to observe art in process.
Library[]
Serving the entire southwest Virginia region as well as northeast Tennessee, western North Carolina and southeastern Kentucky, William King's library is the only one west of Roanoke whose primary objective is arts and culture education. As such, it is the museum's mission to bolster the region–whose roots have long been planted in the cultural arts–with awareness and respect.
To meet this goal, the library intends to accommodate specific areas of education. These include cultural heritage, exhibition history, curatorial records, and general arts based collections of books. Because the books cover such a large range of time and culture, a project that is currently underway will soon allow visitors to browse the library electronically.
The Print Archive is one of the most recent additions to the library. Upon completion, visitors will be able to access all print materials affiliated with the museum, including gallery guides, newsletters, education materials, special events, and much more.
Ultimately, the library will provide a dedicated environment of arts based literature focusing on both the immediate region and across the world. The library space is technologically equipped for projection purposes and the physical space is available upon request to host classes, discussions or lectures.
It is with hope and hard work that one day William King Museum's library will not only be another open door in the community, but a gateway into the world.
Research archives[]
The Cultural Heritage Archive is the research and data center for the Betsy K. White Cultural Heritage Project, a program of William King Museum. Since 1994, the project has documented and photographed over 200 objects made by hand in southwest Virginia and northeast Tennessee prior to 1940. The goal of the archive is to provide a lasting record of the region's contribution to American decorative arts, including furniture, textiles, pottery, metalwork, musical instruments, art and other forms of material culture.
Sculpture garden[]
Weather permitting, the permanent collection of outdoor sculpture can be viewed on the museum's grounds. Several pieces are on view from the museum's most recent outdoor sculpture competition, held biennially. An additional work is here on extended loan. In August 2016 the Museum unveiled 3 new sculptures as part of the Out in the Open: Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition.
Education programs[]
Classes in the visual and performing arts are offered year-round for both children and adults, and school programs are available both on-site and directly in the schools through our outreach program.
Van Gogh Outreach[]
VanGogh Outreach takes the art room directly into the second grade public school classroom four times a year with SOL-based lessons and an emphasis on the visual arts using the study of China, Egypt and Native American Indians. Classes are 90 minutes in length with a 30-minute lecture and a 60-minute art project.
Heritage Express[]
An SOL-based program for fourth grade Virginia history students which focuses on the region's rich cultural heritage. The 3.5-hour program offers opportunities to enrich and reinforce students' classroom learning experiences through guided tours of the cultural heritage galleries at the museum and the Fields-Penn 1860 House Museum and a hands-on art project.
Tour Plus[]
Hands-on art activities and a museum tour tailored to students in grades preK-12 focusing on a selected topic.
Learning Families[]
Discover new art, find inspiration, and ignite your imaginations with WKMA’s family program; Learning Families. Learn the power of art to open up windows to new worlds, new ideas, and infinite possibilities as you explore the galleries on a scavenger hunt, enjoy lively discussion over one of our family gallery guides, or work together to make a masterpiece of your own at a Learning Families workshop hosted at the museum.
Art Lab & Digital Lab[]
WKMA also offers an exciting variety of educational opportunities for learners of any age, skill, and interest level through the Art lab and Digital Lab. Art Lab is a hub for learning where students, makers, educators, and the public can connect, exchange knowledge and ideas, and hone their skills. Equipped with painting, drawing, printmaking, and clay studios; a darkroom; and digital and 3D labs, it’s a space where critical thinking is engaged and creativity flourishes. Digital Lab, as part of WKMA’s Art Lab, is a center for anyone in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee to access, learn and use digital tools for art, design and life. Whether guests are looking for a creative way to spend an afternoon or an in-depth workshop to help hone their skills, visitors are sure to find something in our rotating lineup of classes.
Summer art camps[]
Offers week-long day camps at the museum, area schools, and other off-site locations for students in grades preK-12. Instructors lead campers in a variety of projects exploring both visual and performing arts.
Student gallery[]
Provides regional art teachers the opportunity to showcase their students' art; the department hosts an opening reception for these exceptional student artists.
Teacher workshops[]
Custom designed in-service opportunities utilizing art methods to enhance core curricula.
Visitor information[]
The museum is located at 415 Academy Drive (off West Main Street or Russell Road) in Abingdon, Virginia. From Interstate 81, take Exit 17 to Cummings Street, left onto West Main Street, right onto Academy Drive just past Abingdon Police Station. Highway directional signs mark this route. From Highway 19, drivers should turn left onto Russell Road, then right onto Academy Drive.
External links[]
- Art museums and galleries in Virginia
- Institutions accredited by the American Alliance of Museums
- Museums in Washington County, Virginia