About the Midwest Museum of American Art
It starts with a vision and a dream.
The former St. Joseph Valley Bank building at the corner of Main and Marion Streets in Elkhart, Indiana was built in 1922 and renovated in 1958-60. It is a beautiful Neoclassical Revival style limestone building with two story Corinthian columns on its east façade (Main Street), and Corinthian pilasters interspersed with garlands on the south (Marion Street). On both facades are pedimented entrances. In 1974 the bank building was closed.
Richard Burns, a local orthodontist and his wife Billye Jane, were ardent collectors of American Art. They wanted to share their love of art with the Elkhart community that had given them so much. In 1978 they became aware that the former St. Joseph Valley Bank building was going to be torn down if not purchased. Richard and Jane decided to create a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, the Midwest Museum of American Art. They then bought the former bank building, donating it to the museum. Their vison became a reality, and the Midwest Museum of American Art was born!
By 1979, the museum was open to the public providing a lively roster of events and exhibits. This was also the beginning of the permanent collection with Richard and Jane donating 20 original oils and graphics to the Midwest Museum of American Art’s permanent collection. Over the years Richard and Jane donated or loaned to the museum many works from their personal collection. Since 1979, more than 500 generous collectors and artists have donated works of art to the museum, growing its permanent collection to over 6,800 works of American art by major American artists from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.
The Midwest Museum of American Art has continued to grow and prosper due to the generous donations and support of its members, donors, patrons and volunteers.
Since 1979 additional gallery space has been renovated within the existing building resulting in more public space to view ever-changing exhibits and programs:
- 1981 – The Dorothy Greenleaf Boynton Gallery
- 1984 – The Barbara McClelland Kirk Gallery
- 1986 – The Mary Jane Parmater Keefe Gallery
- 2003 – The Russell & Patricia Warner Gallery
- 2004/2007 – The R. Douglas Grant Family Gallery a/k/a the Overbeck Collection
Noteworthy additions to the permanent collection include:
- Significant gifts by the R. Douglas Grant Family over the past 20 years of Overbeck Art Pottery and related works resulting in the museum having the largest public collections of Overbeck’s in the world.
- Significant contributions by Dr. Steven Conant of 20th and 21st century works by major American artists totaling approximately 1, 500 pieces.
- Significant gifts by Richard & Jane Burns of Norman Rockwell’s which served as a cornerstone for the museum’s Rockwell Gallery now the largest public collection of signed and numbered collotypes and lithographs in the country.
The Midwest Museum of American Art continues to be an important asset to the Elkhart community and is a cornerstone of its Arts & Entertainment District in downtown Elkhart. As times continue to change in America the museum will continue to strive to honor its members, patrons, donors, and visitors as well as its Founding Trustees with exciting exhibits and educational opportunities that ignite the imagination.
Mission | Vision | Values
OUR MISSION
To collect, preserve and present American art and to inspire a love for the arts through education, diversity, history, and culture.
OUR VISION
To be the best art museum of our size, while serving the broadest array of constituencies in our region, enriching our community through art.
OUR VALUES
Believing that art is a meaningful part of our lives, we value:
Inclusiveness, Dialogue, Education, and Sound Stewardship