Current
American Art Pottery Collection
Highlighted in the collection are Iowa State Pottery and pottery from other Iowa companies.
Muscatine Art Center
Visitors to the Muscatine Art Center encounter paintings made by artists recognized around the world, fascinating objects connected to Muscatine’s past, beautifully crafted decorative arts, charming period rooms, and a Japanese Garden installed nearly a century ago. Learners of all ages can pique their curiosity through changing exhibitions, classes, and events.
Hours
Tues – Fri: 10am – 4pm
Thurs: 10am - 7pm
Sat & Sun: 1pm – 4pm
Mon: Closed
1314 Mulberry Ave,
Muscatine, IA 52761
Get Directions
Exhibitions
Collections
Events & Classes
The Mansion circa 1910
Since 1965 ...
The Laura Musser Museum, later renamed the Muscatine Art Center, has been an important gathering place for the Muscatine community. Laura Musser McColm’s niece, Mary Musser Gilmore, and Laura’s stepdaughter, Mary Catherine Atkins McWhirter, jointly offered the home to the City of Muscatine and established a trust to aid in the maintenance of the house.
Over generations, Muscatine children have participated in school and youth group programs and studio classes, families have attended cultural events, adults have further developed their artistic skills and deepened their knowledge of local history and art related topics. Since 1976, the Stanley Gallery has displayed countless changing art and history exhibitions. Today, first time visitors and long time friends alike are captivated by the historic home, the collection, and the stories presented in exhibitions.
Collections
Current
Historic Toy Collection
Included in the Toy Collection are games, books, dolls and doll accessories and furniture, stuffed animals, wooden blocks and cars, and metal toys and ride-ons.
Current
Muscatine History Collection
A wide variety of artifacts, ephemera, photographs, and archives makes up the Muscatine History Collection.
Current
Costume Collection
The central pieces in the Costume Collection were owned by the Musser-McColm family.
Current
Mississippi River Collection
The Mississippi River Collection historically and aesthetically documents the cities, towns and communities along the mighty Mississippi from the headwaters to the Gulf of Mexico.
Current
Musser-McColm Family Collection
Furniture, photographs, dresses, paintings, glass, silver, diaries, music boxes, rugs and other decorative arts are among the items left by the Musser-McColm family.
Current
Mary Musser-Gilmore Collection
Mrs. Gilmore was an avid art collector, acquiring works by Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Vincent van Gogh, Marc Chagall, Camille Pissarro, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse.
Current
Iowa Regionalist Collection
The Iowa Regionalist collection features works by Grant Wood and his Iowa contemporaries.
Current
Early American Pattern Glass & Art Glass Collection
The glass collection consists of over 3,000 pieces of glass featuring a wide variety of patterns, colors, and forms, including American Art Glass and Early American Pattern Glass.
Events & Classes
Aug
13
Red Barn Studio with Vada Baker - Acrylic Painting on Garden Flag August 13th
Fee is $15 or $13.50 for Friends Members. Class size may be limited. Guests are encouraged to wear a mask while in the building. Check back with us for more updates.
Aug
5
Family Picnic
Celebrate summer with your family at the Muscatine Art Center! This year in lieu of a big event like the Ice Cream Social, we would like to invite families for a relaxing afternoon at the Muscatine Art Center! Bring a blanket and snacks and spread out on the grounds. Enjoy the exhibition "Till Death: Wedding & Mourning Traditions" on view in the Stanley Gallery, as well as several smaller exhibitions in the historic Musser-McColm mansion.
Aug
20
Red Barn Studio with Vada Baker- Serenity on the Sea Watercolor August 20
Fee is $15 or $13.50 for Friends Members. Class size may be limited. Guests are encouraged to wear a mask while in the building. Check back with us for more updates.
Aug
1
AUGUST EVENTS
Check flyer below for information on what is happening at the Muscatine Art Center during the month of August. Some sessions have been recorded and can be viewed online. Call us at 563-263-8282 for more information on classes and programming.
Sep
18
SAVE THE DATE! Family Movie Night
Summer is winding down! What better way to welcome fall than a family movie night! Bring your blankets and lawn chairs and enjoy Disney Pixar's "The Incredibles". Movie starts at dusk, 7:30 p.m.
Feb
15
Take & Make Art
*UPDATE 6/16/2020: The Take & Make program is back. Our weekend hours are Saturday/Sunday 1-4 pm. Please wear a mask while in the building.* Need something to do on the weekend? Stop by the Muscatine Art Center and grab a Take & Make project! Every Saturday and Sunday during open hours.
Aug
6
Online Only - First Thursday with Katy Loos
This class will be pre-recorded and shared on the Muscatine Art Center's Facebook page and YouTube channel on the first Thursday of the month. See below for supplies needed.
Aug
4
Online Only - Mini Masters Wednesday Morning
UPDATE 6/1/2020: There will be no in-person Mini Masters on Wednesday mornings for the immediate future. Go to the Muscatine Art Center Mini Masters Facebook page to watch the weekly videos, and view other content related to tots. Check back with us for updates and other cancellations.
Aug
4
SUSPENDED- Mini Masters Thursday Afternoon
UPDATE 6/13/2020: There will be no Mini Masters on Thursday afternoon for the immediate future. Check back with us for updates and other cancellations. Every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. and every Thursday at 3:30 p.m. Mini Masters is an engaging program for young learners (ages 2 to 7).
