Today on Art Expeditions we’re hitting the road for art adventures in Alabama.

I started Art Expeditions to provide resources on art museums and galleries across the United States and beyond. My goal is to raise awareness about these amazing institutions and help art lovers everywhere get excited and engaged with art, even in their own backyard.

In our new series ‘State of Art’ we’ll dive into Must-See Art Museums in each state alphabetically.  

This will provide a quick overview to help inspire your own Art Expeditions and adventures in your state and beyond.  

Art in Alabama:

When it comes to art adventures, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better artistic travel destination than Alabama. The state is a confluence of cultures—from Native American influences to European and African American art inspiration. The fabric of these stories comes together beautifully in Alabama’s many amazing art galleries, museums, and thriving art communities.

One of my favorite things about art is that it can transport us through time and beyond time and place.  What do I mean?  When you study a painting and its history you can learn about the influences that helped shape the artist’s perspective. Some art comes out of moments of thought and expression, yet it also has a voice beyond that moment.  A painting becomes more than just a historical remnant depicting the past, but a living piece that can inspire us today through beauty and perspective.

 I challenge you to have ‘conversations’ with each piece of art, especially the ones that don’t instantly ‘speak’ to you – you never know what you might learn and ‘hear’ during your art conversation.

Where to see Art in Alabama – Planning your Alabama Art Expedition Road Trip

Birmingham is a hub of arts, culture and good eats.  Birmingham is home to a variety of wonderful museums, performing arts venues and easy access to the outdoors. The city played a major role in The Civil Rights Movement and while in Birmingham I recommend you stop at the Civil Rights Institute.

The Birmingham Museum of Art is a hidden jewel, boasting one of the top collections of art not only in the Southeast but in the country.  Its collection includes 24,000 paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings and more from around the world.  Visit Asia to Africa, American west and Hudson River Valley to Europe all within this collection.

What I love about this museum’s collection is the diversity of art.  You can learn about African art (Yoruba mask and more) and see the story of  American art from early American master portraitist Gilbert Stuart, who painted George Washington and other early founders of the United States (although he was actually from a ‘shocker’ loyalist family during The American Revolution)…to giants of the mid-to-late 19th century like Bierstadt, and prominent American modern artists like Childe Hassam (Impressionist) to Georgia O’Keefe.  

The museum also has several significant Renaissance  and Baroque pieces, which I always gravitate towards.  I love the use of colors and line in The Renaissance into the more flamboyant shift in the Baroque. My personal favorite is their Mother and Child by Florentine Renaissance master Ghirlandaio

Planning your visit.  Buy your tickets and check hours on The Birmingham Art Museum website.  They do offer some guided tours, which are always helpful to get an overview from expert docents on the collection.  They also have other programs like films and concerts worth checking out.

This museum also prioritizes its special exhibitions – keep an eye on their calendar to see what traveling exhibitions are coming through the area. Click here to plan your visit to the BMA

While in Birmingham, don’t miss other interesting museums and sites like the Birmingham Zoo, Civil Rights (already mention, but worth mentioning again), Vulcan Park, Downtown Birmingham and The Alabama Theatre (for great Broadway shows and other entertainment). Visit Birmingham has tons of great resources to help plan your trip.

Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts – located in the heart of Alabama’s capital city this amazing museum is a Must-Stop on any Alabama Art Expedition.  The museum’s architecture and serene lakeside setting helps to merge art and nature.  

Founded in the 1930s, this collection of 4,000 works of art includes important Old Master works by Rembrandt and Durer to important American artists like John Singer Sargent, James McNeil Whistler, Winslow Homer, Mary Cassatt, Thomas Hart Benton and Edward Hopper.  Each of these artists and their works have interesting stories to tell. Check out the collection online here.

One of my favorite artists in the museum is John Singer Sargent.

Sargent was the preeminent portraitist for New York society and elites, but his true passion was for natural scenes and also exploring painting in Spain and Italy.  No matter what Sargent paints, the colors and the personality come to life and invite you into an ‘art conversation.’

The Museum also hosts fantastic exhibits and focuses on regional and contemporary art.  

While in Montgomery you can continue exploring the Alabama Civil Rights Trail, Rosa Parks Library and Museum where you can learn about the important activism of Rosa Parks and her fight for Civil Rights, Legacy Museum – a powerful museum about African American history and slavery, The State Capitol, Montgomery Zoo and Historic Downtown Riverfront, where you can stroll along the Alabama River.  For more resources to plan your Montgomery trip click here

Huntsville – Rocket City and Art Hub

Huntsville is a destination for art lovers.  The city has a strong arts culture as well as influences from its NASA and science campus.  The Huntsville Museum has 3000 works of art, with around 200 on display at a time.  The permanent collection includes magnificent works by American masters like James McNeill Whistler, John French Sloan, Joseph Stella, Robert Rauschenberg  and Andy Warhol.  They also showcase artists with Alabama roots like Richmond Burton, David Parrish, Nall Hollis and Stephen Rolfe Powell. One thing I love about smaller regional museums is they always have unique artists that might not be as well known as Van Gogh, but are extremely talented and underrated.

A personal favorite in the collection is this work by Margaret Jordan Patterson, an American woodblock printer and painter.

Art is Out of this World: The museum’s collection also includes a group of watercolors of Huntsville and the Marshall Space Flight Center by Renato Moncini who worked for NASA as an illustrator in the Apollo program. You can also see Andy Warhol’s space themed work ‘Moonwalk.’

The museum is also famous for having the largest collection of animal figures made from silver in the world, as well as Italian jewelry produced by Gianmaria Buccellati.

*The are closed until summer 2025 due to replacing the HVAC*

Planning Your Visit: I recommend taking one of the museum docent led tours, which are excellent.  They also host a variety of classes and art camps as well. Official Website

Art is often inspired by nature, Huntsville is not far from several state and national recreational areas.  Or take time to smell the flowers at The Huntsville Botanical Garden

In Huntsville, I recommend checking out Big Springs Park (location of art museum), US Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville historical sites like Weeden House and Garden or Burritt on The Mountain

For more itinerary ideas and lodging options check out Huntsville Official Travel Website – Explore Rocket City

Art on the Coastal – Mobile Museum of Art

Another not to be missed Alabama Art Museum is The Mobile Museum of Art. With over 6,400 objects, it is the largest art museum along the Gulf Coast from New Orleans to Tampa. The 95,000 square-foot museum, with scenic vistas of surrounding Langan Park. The collection features works from around the globe from 18th-century European to modern art, and non-Western art. Learn more here.

Mobile is a beautiful port town with lots of fun things to do – a few favorites are learning about WWII history on the USS Alabama, History Museum of Mobile and Exploreum Science Centers are fantastic …to plan your full Mobile travel adventure check out their official website.

Wiregrass Museum of Art in Dothan

Housed in a historic power building, this amazing local museum features a wonderful collection of regional and national art like Robert Indiana, Josef Albers, Victor Vasarely, and the largest public collection of Frank Stella prints in the state. Prominence is also given to the work of acclaimed Alabama artists, including Dale Kennington, John Kelly Fitzpatrick, Beverly Erdreich, Gary Chapman, Carolyn Sherer, and Scott Stephens, among others. Official Museum Website

Interesting history: This museum was founded in 1988 after a national article said Dothan was one of the worst cities in America. Armed with civic pride and a love of art, this town began this museum and wonderful art educational outreach. Today Dothan is considered one of the best small towns in the United States and has a lot of culture, good eats and of course wonderful art. Learn more about Dothan here.

Auburn – Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art

War Eagles love Art – Tucked on the beautiful Auburn campus, the wonderful Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art is a gem worth exploring. Housed in a architectural modern marvel, this fabulous museum invites art lovers to engage with the art in thoughtful exhibits.  The permanent collection features works by Georgia O’Keeffe, Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden, Ralston Crawford, Arthur Dove, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, John Marin, Ben Shahn and many prints from naturalist John James Audubon.  The Bill L. Harbert Collection of European Art, which features works by Dai, Matisse, Miro, Picasso, Renoir and Chagall.  

Plan Your Visit Here

Tuscaloosa:

The University of Alabama has several wonderful on campus galleries work exploring including:

Sarah Moody Gallery of Art is used as a teaching institution and museum for the public and students – learn more here

Sella-Granata Art Gallery In 1998, a gallery was created on the first floor of Woods Hall for student exhibitions. In 2009, the UA Trustees approved the name change to “Sella-Granata Art Gallery” and the mission was expanded to include general programming as well as student exhibitions. The gallery is named in honor of two longtime UA art professors, the late Alvin Sella and Angelo Granata. Website

Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art: The Paul R. Jones Collection is designed to share the works of American artists and their significance with the people of Alabama and beyond and to be used to educate students on the importance of art in life. Works from the collection are on exhibit year-round at the Paul R. Jones Museum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and are exhibited in galleries and museums on the University of Alabama campus and at other educational institutions and venues. The collection is incorporated into curricula at The University of Alabama, providing students with opportunities to learn and experience the significance of the art firsthand.

In addition to each of these world-class museums, each small-town to big city in Alabama is filled with local galleries – I invite you to share your favorites in the comments so we can feature them on a future Art Expeditions feature.

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Art Expeditions is written by art lover, art history enthusiast and travel blogger Adele Lassiter. When she’s not traveling to art museums and studying art history, Adele is an Americana singer-songwriter, you can listen to her music on all streaming platforms like Spotify and YouTube

Love to TRAVEL – check out our sister blog American Nomad Traveler. americannomadtraveler.com