Program areas at WCMFA
The mission is implemented through the development, interpretation and care of art collections; creation of original and educational exhibitions; and presentation of interpretive lectures, concerts, art instruction and other programs to ensure that visitors gain a better appreciation and understanding of the Fine Arts. The Museum actively collects works of art in the fields of american art, world cultures, and art of the region. Accredited by the american alliance of museums, admission to the Museum is free and its collection includes over 6,500 works of art. Over eighty-five years ago, hagerstown native, anna brugh singer and her husband, noted american impressionist painter, william henry singer, established an art Museum and gave it to the community with the proviso that admission be free in perpetuity. Their largesse and the generosity of many subsequent collectors built a remarkable art collection in Washington County.
Lectures, concerts, family festivals, workshops, docent tours and art classes are part of the ongoing educational activities at the Museum. The Museum has offered art classes since its founding; earliest instructors included thomas danaher and tony carnelli, both works progress administration (wpa) artists, and miss mary harter, who, from the first day the Museum opened, taught the saturday children's program for more than 30 years.
The presentation of art collections, and associated interpretive activities requires the maintenance of a specialized and architecturally significant building and grounds. The opportunity for the public to encounter highly significant works of art in a beautiful setting, and with safety and security are important values of the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts. The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts has an enduring commitment to Arts education and to the support of regional artists. The Museum regularly offers studio art courses, art historical lectures, concerts, and exhibitions from its permanent collection and traveling exhibitions.