The Fitchburg Art Museum (FAM) is a regional

art museum An art museum or art gallery is a building or space for the display of art, usually from the museum's own Collection (artwork), collection. It might be in public or private ownership, be accessible to all, or have restrictions in place. Although ...

based in Fitchburg, Worcester County,

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, United States.

Description

The Fitchburg Art Museum serves the cities of Fitchburg and Leominster, as well as the surrounding communities in North Central Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire. FAM was founded in 1925 through a bequest of artist, collector, and educator Eleanor Norcross. The museum was designed by Mary Almy. Its complex of four interconnected buildings, with over of exhibition space, features exhibitions from its art historical collections plus special loan exhibitions focused on regional contemporary art. Collection strengths include American photography and general African art, including

Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...

ian art. The Egyptian collection is presented in an interactive gallery designed for families and school groups. In 2012, FAM began its rotating contemporary New England artist exhibition program, thus connecting the strength of its historical collections with contemporary art practices. There is also an annual survey show featuring the recent work of many living New England artists, including numerous artworks for sale. Each temporary exhibition is accompanied by an interactive educational exhibit in the Learning Lounge, where visitors young and old can learn about what they are seeing in the galleries and better understand their own reactions to the exhibits.

Bilingual Initiative

FAM is continuing to work towards a goal of becoming New England’s first fully bilingual (English/Spanish) art museum. Going forward, all new permanent collection displays, changing exhibitions, and associated in-gallery education spaces will be accompanied by bilingual educational texts and object labels. FAM has also hired a bilingual receptionist, and offers free admission to all its neighbors in Fitchburg’s Ward 4B, a predominantly Latino neighborhood. As FAM continues to build this program over the next few years, the Museum will seek to add bilingual printed collateral, website, social media, and docent tours. FAM is assisted in this effort by a local Latino Community Advisory Committee, and by the Cleghorn Neighborhood Association, the primary service organization for Fitchburg’s Latino and Latino Immigrant communities. This Bilingual Museum Initiative stems from FAM’s goal to become one of best community museums in the US. In Fitchburg, 39% of the current population is Latino (primarily from

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

, the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

, and

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

), and 55% of children enrolled in the Fitchburg Public Schools come from homes where Spanish is the primary language. This demographic is growing, and far exceeds both Massachusetts and national percentages for Latino population. The Fitchburg Art Museum intends to serve everyone in Fitchburg, and has embarked on the Bilingual Museum Initiative to provide cultural and educational enrichment to all.

External links

Fitchburg Art Museum website

Fitchburg Art Museum and Baptist Church
{{authority control Art museums and galleries established in 1925 Museums in Worcester County, Massachusetts Art museums and galleries in Massachusetts 1925 establishments in Massachusetts Egyptological collections in the United States Museums of ancient Greece in the United States Museums of ancient Rome in the United States